Hammers 2s v Richmond – Match Report
Turning up to an incredibly windy Richmond, Hammersmith & Fulham 2s were eager to maintain their strong start to the season. Having won a hard fought game against a Richmond team earlier in the season, the team knew they were in for a tough afternoon.
Having chosen to play with the wind in the first half, the Hammers started well with strong, direct runs from the forwards and sharp lines from the backs, stretching the Richmond defence to its breaking point. This quickly put the Hammers team 14 points to nothing up. Richmond came back into the game, but was unable to narrow the score before the break, with the halftime score at 21-7 to the Hammers.
The second half was a much more even affair, with the wind and the penalty count strongly in favour of the home side. Each team had periods of pressure, resulting in both teams scoring 3 tries.
Within the final 5 minutes of the game with the Hammers up by 11, Richmond managed to get over the line bringing them within one score. Closer than they had been at any stage of the match. The Hammers would need to stop Richmond’s momentum and finish the game well in order to earn the win. The Hammers were able to do this and finish the game off in style, as Sykes was able to chase his own kick and dot the ball down for a try and the final play of the game. Final score: Richmond 29 – Hammersmith and Fulham 42.
The Hammers now go into a bye week nicely placed at the top of the table with 5 wins from 6 games.
