Men’s Match Report – Page 7 – Hammersmith & Fulham RFC

Strong London Sussex get the better of Hammers 3s

7th December 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

It was a strange, gray and windy day that led London Sussex to get the better of the home team. We knew that the opposing team was well prepared for the match, a well-formed and super close-knit team that has known each other for some time. But even after an excellent kick-off, which saw the two teams battle it out in the center of the field, the visiting team soon went into score with a good series of offloads. Score would follow score in the period that followed as a fractured Hammers team bedeviled by inconsistent availabilities struggled to defend as a unit.

After about 35 minutes the result was already settled at 0 – 28 for the away team. After a series of Italian dirty-words that sounded like they came from the bench, the home team finally found their physicality and made the opponents understand that something in the match has changed. After a rolling maul and a very rapid series of pick and goes, the home team finally goes in try, halftime 5 – 28.

In the second half that the Hammers understand that physicality was the key to the game. From this point on, the forwards begin to grind scrums and maul as if there were no tomorrow, some say that the opposing tight-head prop is still wondering what was the thrust angle of the Italian prop in front of him. With thelatter in fact received a yellow from the referee after the sixth entry into the ruck from the side.

The fact was that the visiting team were no longer able to play like in the first half, so the home team begins to find more and more interesting openings whilst still struggling to score points. However, the second try arrives just like the first, the referee indicates the lineout, and it is with a maul that the hammers cross for the try for the second time on the gray day.

The match sees the final whistle with a score of 12 – 40, the away team scores the last two tries finding only space on the flanks.

All in all some positives in the performance for the home team which still collects a result that they will be disappointed with.

Hammers look forward for the opportunity to challenge this team again!

The Hammers Vets show the joue!

22nd November 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

Vets Rugby: where prodigious talent meets inconsistent execution. Where amazing potential meets infrequent availability. Where sharp minds meet slowing bodies. Where grand plans meet modest implementation. Where parched lips meet post-match beers. And where, on Friday 18^th November, Hammers Vets met London Welsh.

With 122 current and former Hammers on the Vets WhatsApp group and months of advance notice, debutant Vets’ captain Ed Clark – keen to get his new reign off to a righteous start – had no doubt hoped to select a team embodying the best of the Golden Age of Hammers Rugby. How could he not, for with this battalion of Hurlingham legends regularly penning insightful analysis as to the shortcomings and strengths of various national sides, surely all would clutch at the chance to put their theories into practice? Would not a team in same vein as those Twickenham heroes who swept all before them also take the field for this first match of the Vets season?

Alas, the pink slips proved harder to find than a beer in a Qatari football stadium. Justifying why he was unanimously voted in as Vets captain despite a plethora of better-looking candidates however, Ed cajoled, begged, and pleaded with the contacts in his phone like man on Tinder at 2am and pulled together a team that had more promise than a Wasps-era Danny Cipriani. So confident was Ed in the ability of this team to seamlessly gel together he dispensed with the usual lengthy warm up, and trusted that 9 minutes of stretching, lineouts, touch and two run throughs would be more than adequate for this team of aged heroes to find their grove.

The kick-off whistle revealed a London Welsh that was clearly intimated by this unorthodox approach to match preparation and, in response, had elected to employ the most obvious counter…thumping the beejesus out of the Hammers as though it was a 6 Nations grudge match. Nevertheless, the energy and heart the boys showed in the soaking up this initial Welsh pressure paid off, the Hammers enjoying an early-offside penalty… which was shanked off the side of a boot for only a 6-meter gain. Early nerves were evident.

With the throwing-and-jumping duties falling to the Ménage à Trois of Maxime (2), John Mowbray (5) and a resurgent James Smart (6), the Hammers “learn-on-the-job” approach ran into the more polished London Welsh approach to the aerial ballet of the line-out and saw them lose the ball. Several phases later and under pressure out wide, the Hammers line buckled. 0-5 to the visitors.

Accepting the inevitability of conceding an early try while all were still getting used to each other, the Hammers went straight back at Welsh, with Sly Olutayo (14) putting in a big hit off the kick off and forcing the Welsh to run it out from their 22. From this point the Welsh doubled down in their physical, direct and not-particularly-wide approach to gaining meters, keeping the ball in close to the ruck or reversing it in a classic stack-and-attack blind side offense. Determined to knock them back, eventually a too-eager Hammers defence saw the Hammers concede an offside penalty, which Welsh kicked deep and regathered in the ensuing lineout. Blunting the maul, desperate defence at the ruck saw an eager Richard Hodson (3) cruelly penalised what appeared to be a class jackal that was again mauled by the Welsh, this time to scoring effect. 0-12.

At this point, the Hammers jigsaw started to come together and play with more fluidity and intelligence in the open play. Eager to keep the ball away from the Welsh forwards, Ed Clark (9) and Felix (10) began to spread the ball wider in attack, regularly finding Rob Hankey (13) and a lurking Steve Harington (7) to probe the soft spots. Growing in confidence, the Hammers found themselves several times visiting the Welsh 22, frustratingly unable to convert meters or possession into points thanks to an improving-but-still-dysfunctional line-out. The set piece bleeding turned literal at this point, with stalwart’s Hodson and Mowbray injuring themselves in a collapsed scrum, Mowbray to the point of having to go to veterinary surgery to get a few stitches to his ear. Other injuries also began to stack up – Larry Furniss showed importance of never missing “shoulder-day”, while Smarty got a cramp, abused a physio who had the nerve to try and help him, and then went off for a wee rest. With benches emptying, the half-time score was 0 -12.

The break proved a game changer. Seb Money – fresh from challenging his reflection to a game of Supa 5s – joined the field to replace Hudson in the row, whilst Clarky moved to 10, Felix to 15, and on came Will Finn at 9. Immediately from the restart, pressure from Sly resulted in a Welsh knock on and a Hammers scrum inside the Welsh 22. This time holding their own in the scrum, Harrington picked from the base, beat the defenders, and scored by the posts. Clearly concerned at the prospect of there being only 35 minutes left to play and unsure if the Hammers could overcome the mountainous 5-point deficit in that time, Felix disregarded the convenience of using his own kicking-tee and instead advised Clarky that he was 100% sure he would slot what was a drop-kick from in front of the posts…

…which he then shanked, securing his Tin-Man post-match beer. 5-12 Hammers.

London Welsh came back strong and similarly to the first half, played to their strengths. A series of penalties saw Welsh maul from the corner, and then when that failed to produce points, pick-and-go over the Hammers line despite some valiant defence by Julian Draper (6), Jack Mooney (20), and Ollie Brothwood (12). 5-19 to Welsh, followed by a similar try minutes later, 5-24.

At this point, the game changed. Starting to really gel, the Hammers began to play like the Barbarians, keeping the ball alive and running a tiring Welsh defensive line edge-to-edge. With Will Finn (9) feeding the ball to coming-around-the-corner forwards, and Clarky able to rely on Rob, Jack and a lose forward unit clearly fitter than Welsh, holes began to open. Meters were made. Confidence flowed, to the point where even Steve Harrington disregarded a 4-on-2 overlap and instead decided to chip-and-chase from inside our own 22. Madness! Under pressure, the Welsh sought to kick their way out of trouble, only to find “snake-hips’ Felix running back at them holding the ball in one hand like a Fijian 7s player. A dog-leg defence and lazy tackling allowed the Hammers to pass the ball through the hands and back again for Felix to cross over! 10-24!

London Welsh came back at the Hammers, determined. A yellow card for a Jack Mooney tip tackle saw the boys holding the line with 14 but desperate defence would see them concede no more points. Strips from AB, turnovers from Smarty, ruck inspecting from Seb – heroic stuff. And when we did have the ball, we not only looked dangerous, we were dangerous, culminating in a classic 9 snipe from Will Finn to score from 30 meters out in the dying minutes. The final score; 15-24.

Retiring the bar, the boys were left to rue what might have been had the pieces come together a little earlier in the game, but there was much promise to take away from the first match of the season. With the next match now in Feb, all are warned – get the date in the diary, there’s Hammers Rugby to be played!

Man-of-Match: Steve Harrington, for his running, aggression, and because he promised he would never kick again!

Tin-Man: Felix, for his misplaced confidence in his own drop kicking ability!

Hammers 1st XV produce an absolute masterclass!

15th November 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

And just like that the final whistle blew, Rogan bowed his head, a silence fell among the hammers, for they knew this was the end. A shake of the hand and a pat on the back for Hammer’s stalwart Andrew Rogan, as he signed off with his 99^th and final cap for Hammersmith and Fulham.

But first let me take you back to 12:30pm at a warm and sunny London Cornish RFC. The Hammers 1^st XV took the short trip down the A3 to the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields. The rugby gods had been good to South West London’s local rivalry, a blue sky, dry pitch, and slight breeze set the scene for a free-flowing game of rugby.

The forwards met in the away changing room, with fresh 21mm studs recently acquired from Amazon, following head coach Mark Jackson’s demands earlier in the week. Equipped with pliers and various tools, the piano pushers got to work, resembling a scene from scrap heap challenge. Once Luke the physio had finished putting Steve John back together, the Hammers took to the field against fourth place Cornish.

The captains met and determined that Cornish would have the honour of starting the match. The first 5 minutes saw Cornish and Hammers exchange kicks to win the territory battle early on. A high kick to scrum half Ben Dugdale, combined with a good kick chased, saw the 9 under pressure. However, a calm and collected catch, quick ruck speed and intelligent thinking, saw centre Ed Haynes put away Joe Carolan down the blind side for the first try of the game. Conversion missed, 5-0 Hammers.

Solid defence from both Cornish and Hammers, muddled with handling errors resulted in a 10-minute stint of deadlock. Play stopped to see to the injured Hammers second row Pete Clark, who for his defensive efforts, earned himself a broken nose. Resembling an Easter Island statue, Pete took his place among the bench.

Neither team could break down the opposition defence for the following 12 minutes. Pressurised kicks to Hammers full back and Maxime Medard doppelgänger, Marshall McLeod, were dealt with comfortably, as hammers looked to regain territory. It would be Cornish that capitalised next, sustained pressure from the Cornish pack and backline resulted in a penalty just outside of the 22- which the Cornish gladly accepted and kicked for the posts, scoreline 5-3.

Hammers, with a restart deep into the Cornish half, took the ball back early on, soft hands from debutant Will Donegan provided an opportunity for the backs to get on the outside of the defence. Fantastic footballing skills from winger Robbie Murdoch gave Tim Russell a head-to-head sprint with the last defender. The ball popped up perfectly for the pacy winger to cruise in for the second Hammersmith try of the day.

Conversion in front of the post missed, which according to Carolan, is a result of the taping around his standing boot, an excuse which will certainly not hold up in a Jacob Poulton court hearing, taking place later in the season. Scoreline 10-3. The hammers shortly after the restart pounced on the opportunity to shift the ball wide and caught Cornish napping. Slick hands down the right wing, saw McLeod and Russell exchange passes, to run in a try from their own 22.

Alex Spicer, lucky not to see cheese, thought it sensible to trip the Cornish player following their kick chase, one can only assume he was showing off to his girlfriend who had made the trip over from Clapham.

Cornish kept the Fulham boys pinned down in their own half and eventually, were rewarded with a penalty and kicked for the posts in a bid to bring the scoreline closer. Continuous pressure from the Hammers resulted in them awarded a penalty on the halfway, quick thinking from Weaver to shift the ball wide from a tap and go, saw Alex Hart cross the try line for the try bonus point as hammers finished the half.

Early into the second half it would be Steve John who would take the plaudits for another try, an interesting yet effective lineout move saw Dr Steve dive through the air and across the try line. Ricky Drewitt, the in-form hooker, claimed it was his plan all along. Conversion successful.

A signature Carolan intercept try would be the next blow for the Cornish defence, as he skipped in from the halfway. An injured Matt Killeen looking on from the sideline as his leading try tally, overtaken by the leading points scorer in England, conversion successful. Carolan full of confidence would once again add his name to the scoresheet, following a scrum move straight off the training park, to see him gather his own chip and chase and dot down in the corner.

The Hammers will be most pleased with the following try, which arguably was the best of the day. Patient yet direct attack, had Ross Anderson carry hard to the line, some dancing footwork and delightful offload, saw Ed Haynes dot over for his first of the day (click here to watch this try and others on our youtube page).

The following 10 minutes had Cornish pinning Hammers back into their half, a quick reload back down the blind side had the Cornish second row headed for the try line. Tackle of the day contender from Tim Russell to force the ball to be held up over the try line, a massive let off for Hammersmith.

The remainder of the game involved the relentless Cornish looking to break down the Hammersmith defence. Tackles led by John, Proctor and Haynes proved this difficult for the Cornish attack. Slick hands from the Cornish defence resulted in a near try opportunity, but it was the ever-reliable Ed Haynes with the covering tackle, forcing the Cornish player into touch. A safe lineout gathered from the Hammers finished the game resulting in an impressive victory, 46-6 over local rivals.

Hammers finish their 5-game block with maximum points.

Hammers 1st XV women’s make it 3-in-a-row!

15th November 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

he first fun bus of the season saw us make our way east to Medway. After waiting 8 years for their boys team to clear the changing rooms, we made our way once again to their tiny tiny pitch at the top of the hill as Medway remain terrified of full sized pitches.

It was a scrappy first half with errors from both teams restricting the fluidity of the match. Knock-ons and penalties were shared around as the forwards got to enjoy another scrum heavy game. Hammers quickly started to dominate at the lineout, with Medway’s one jumping option coming under pressure every time, however the opposition’s speed over the ball meant that frequent turnovers frustrated Hammers. The first half arm wrestle ended in a draw with both teams scoreless at half-time.

Medway ill-discipline early in the second half saw the Hammers within five metres of the Medway line. When Hammers earnt another penalty, Chloe Jennings saw the chance for a classic 9 score, taking a quick tap while Medway were in disarray and diving over the try line to put the first points on the board 0-5. Hammers started to dominate scrums, taking control of set-pieces but both teams were frustrated by the lack of free-flowing rugby. Medway tempers then continued to get the better of them when an on pitch disagreement ended with a Medway player seeing red after using Emma’s head for target practice (please see Veo footage for evidence). Even a man down, Medway continued to frustrate Hammers, holding the ball up twice to deny further points. With less than 5 minutes to go Hammers took advantage of turnover ball to exploit space out wide with Ella and Meg making strides towards the Medway line only to be stopped a couple of metres short. Chloe Eggers saw her opportunity to emulate the other Chloe and sniped over the line at close range. Sirri converted from a difficult angle to make it 0-12 at full time. A hard fought win and one that makes it 3 in a row for the 1XV.

Three wins in a row now, we’re keeping our momentum going. We reflected post game that it wasn’t quite the performance we’d have liked but we have three weeks now to get the 1 and 2 percent right before we get to smash Guildford at Hurlingham. We need to use this time to work hard on our intensity and game play so we run out in December ready to smash every team between us and Christmas. We’re an awesome squad – let’s put the hard work in at training these next few weeks to make sure we perform at our best.

Lots of smiles for the women’s 2nd XV

15th November 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

Going into the 3rd game for Hammers 2s, the goal was clear: points on the board.

NC1 has been every bit of the step up we expected after 2 consecutive seasons of promotion so after back-to-back duck eggs from our first 2 games, coming up against top of the table was always going to be a challenge.

Wasps came out hard and scored first (not converted) but Hammers were awarded a penalty in a decent area and Tara nudged one over for the first points scored for Hammers 2s this season! Wasps scored again but Hammers hit them straight back with a wonderfully worked try; kick up and over from Tara into a nice bit of space, hugeeee chase by Chloe to hit the receiver followed by a brilliant jackal by Jess Sass, which was then scooped up by an energetic Chloe, who scored! First try of the season for Hammers and I couldn’t be prouder.

After that it was a flurry of tries by Wasps and another penalty by Hammers slotted by Tara.

Final score – 11-76 to Wasps, driven by Lucy Ward who played completely out of position and absolutely smashed playing 9 and Kate Phillips, who nailed the forward-of-the-match for incredible tackles and drives.

Each match has seen continuous improvement by the 2s and there is no doubt the wins will start to come this season as we cement our place in NC1!

Lets gooooo!

Hammers 1st XV eventually break down a tough London Irish.

9th November 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

All the best stories are full of adventure, intrigue and a happy ending; this one is no different. So sit back, relax and let me beguile you with the tale of ‘How Rogan lost his trousers’

The wind howled and the rain raged all morning, but even the heavens submitted as the mighty Hammers arrived at the incredibly expensive looking venue for the afternoon. There was a jovial mood among the league leaders during the warm up; Lineouts were looking sharp, Ollie was slotting kicks and Rogan had successfully paid a drifter to hide his boots. By the time kick off came the Hammers were ready to reassert their authority after a close one the week before.

The first kick didn’t go exactly to plan as the wind carried it straight in to touch. From the scrum back on halfway Irish kicked forward to give Hammers a lineout on their own 22. A good take and set maul saw Hammers march on a good 10m before Dugdale, using some sort of forbidden witchcraft, appeared with ball behind the opposition and set off on a weaving run eventually being stopped in the opposition 22. Great support from Hammers saw another 2 phases before a side entry into the ruck on the opposite wing gave Irish the turnover. An exciting start to the game, but that was all the excitement to be seen for the next 20 minutes or so.

Both sides exchanged some heavy clashes in the midfield with neither side really gaining the upper hand. Strong carries from the Hammers forwards and some excellent crash balls from the hard working Maddigan in the centre put pressure on the Irish defence but unfortunately most plays eventually broke down with a knock on or a forward pass. The period did, however, take a hard toll on the home side who lost their centre and hooker to injury as well as several others picking up knocks.

Late in the half the deadlock was finally about to break. A scrum on the right hand side just outside the opposition 22 was followed by an 8 12 strike move that saw the enigma that is Joe Carolan carve through the line and make light work of the full back to score under the posts. He promptly added the 2 with the conversion.

A good take from the restart and a strong platform from the Hammers forwards allowed the backs to immediately break the line again. Deep In the opposition half Carolan and Dugdale faced a 2 on 1 with the fullback. However, it was now time for Dugdale to pay the price for his use of Witchcraft earlier in the game as an ill-timed glance at the winger meant he couldn’t quite take Carolan’s pass and the opportunity went begging.

A little later a well-placed kick into the corner saw Irish carry the ball over their own line and Hammers had a scrum on the opposition 5. Hammers couldn’t quite get over the line but did win a penalty in front of the posts that Carolan was all too happy to use to add 3 more points to his ever growing tally.

Following the restart, Hammers gave away a penalty trying to play out of their own 22. The Irish kicker was told to go for the sticks but took it slightly too literally and the ball bounced off the upright and straight into the hands of Dugdale. Hammers got just outside the 22 before knocking on again and giving Irish the scrum. A strong scrum from Irish put them on the front foot and as they played wide their centre managed to slip a tackle and go over for the first points for the home team. This time the Irish kicker managed to convert for the extra 2. Half time with the score 10-7 to Hammers.

The second half opened with a great take from debutant Zak followed by a clearance from Carolan that took play back up to half way. 2 penalties later and Irish had a lineout on the hammer’s 5. The

maul was well defended but Irish played into the middle of the field, their play eventually ending with a knock on in front of the posts. The Danger wasn’t over for Hammers though as a scrum penalty led to an Irish scrum in the same position. Irish capitalized on this and eventually got over the line during the ensuing pick and goes that followed their scrum. Irish added the 2 and brought the score to 14-10 Irish.

The classic and well deserved angry pep talk under the posts from Jacko saw Hammers fly back up the field immediately after the restart forcing a lineout in the opposition 22. Great pressure from the Hammers forwards forced another line out, this time for Hammers. A well-executed catch and drive saw Spicer fall over the line in the corner. The kick proving just too difficult left the score at 15-14 to Hammers.

Following the restart, Hammers cleared their 22 with an excellent kick chase and some aggressive defending leading to a penalty on the half way line. The kick to the corner was followed by some strong forward carries before the ball was released to the backs who couldn’t quite finish the move and Irish were given a penalty to clear their lines.

Irish, through another penalty, took the ball up to the Hammers 10m line but a superb steal in the lineout put Hammers back in the driving seat. A great carry from Steve John led to a penalty for Hammers who promptly put the ball in the corner. A few phases later Zak was almost decapitated in the tackle and Irish were given a yella card, I can’t spek! Another fantastic catch and drive at the lineout saw Ed Wynne claim the second forward try of the day. Again the kick from the corner proving too much and the score became 20-14 to Hammers.

Another well-handled restart took the ball back up to halfway where eventually Irish won a scrum. Another scrum penalty saw Irish tap and go, carrying up to the 10m line and attempt to play wide. A late tackle on the opposition 10 by Pete Clarke received retaliation form the aforementioned 10 in the form of a school boy classic; the old kick the foot and trip him up while he walks away. Pete of course milked this savage attack with an acting prowess Harty would be proud of, alas to no avail as Irish were promptly awarded a penalty for the late tackle. Irish missed their shot at goal and the game was restated with a 22m dropout.

More strong defence from Hammers resulted in a scrum and a break up the wing via MC ‘Mutton Chops’ Cloud. He made it all the way to the 22 before taking a huge hit from a blade of grass. A quick pick and go from the man with the strongest beard in the club was followed by the most perfectly timed, well executed and glorious offload ever seen to young Dugdale who dived over the line! However the sirens blared as the ‘Anti Joue Police’ called a forward pass.

Irish cleared their lines but another excellent lineout from the Hammers forwards took them back into the 22. Pressure built through several phases of hard forwards carries and eventually led to Josh Smith sneaking over in the corner. This time Carolan managed to get the extras. 27-14 Hammers. The third forward try of the day led a certain Prince Charming and master author to comment how ‘unhammerly’ we were being.

It was Irish’s turn to over kick the restart and Hammers got the scrum back on the centre spot. Hammers kicked into the corner and with a fantastic chase forced the penalty right on the opposition 5m. A textbook Bulls call and a quick joker saw Carolan stroll over for his second of the day. He unfortunately couldn’t convert his own try and the score became 32-14.

Both sets of backs then felt the need for a quick game of kick tennis for the last few minutes, which resulted in a penalty to Hammers. Hammers executed a line out strike move straight off the training

ground but Spicer was stopped just short of the line. A loose pass rolled into to touch and the final whistle blew. 32-14, another 5 point win for Hammers who continue their perfect run at the top of the league.

And if you’re wondering what happened to Rogan’s trousers… well so is he. I can offer you one piece of advice though; never ever trust Dr…Steve..John

Hammers 3rd XV lose it in the last minute

9th November 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

Saturday 29th October would see Hammers III make the annual pilgrimage up to the Regents Park ‘Hub’, to play Belsize Park III, on a day that would have climate change sceptics struggling for explanations on how the weather was this hot, this late in the year.

Kicking into the sun, an excellent kick off allowed for a good compete in the air, with Hammers coming down with their own kick-off, inside Belsize territory. After 2 phases of play, Centre Harrison Moy found the ball in his hands and danced around a mis-matched Hooker, to score from 30 meters out. Despite the conversion going awry, it was an almost perfect start for Hammersmith and Fulham.

After the opening score, the early exchanges were physical and attritional, with both teams battling hard for the middle third of the pitch. Belsize’s physicality, however started to show, with some strong runners making meters for the home team. Hammer’s defense inside their own 22 was stalwart and kept Belsize scoreless after 30 minutes.

If anything, it was sloppy handling from both teams that held both sides back from putting more points on the scoreboard. Belsize couldn’t seem to catch a cold with the ball and Hammers unwisely chose to try and play from their own territory, rather than kicking for better field placement, dropping the ball a couple of times in the process.

After 35 minutes, with the score still at 5-0, Hammers would turn over a scrum in their own 22 and it was again Centre Harrison Moy, who would beat 4 Belsize players on his way to scoring a solo 80 meter try. The conversion was slotted over by Jake Cheetham, Hammers 12-0 up as we went to half time.

The second half wouldn’t start as quick as the first but more of the same style of play would follow. Some good, hard yards were made in carries by the Hammersmith pack, through forwards Joe Pearce, Will Gibbs as well as backs Adam Crompton and Sam Nursey. But, Belsize would start to turn the screw in the 2nd half, scoring two well worked tries in quick succession, after 50 minutes of play.

With the scores tied at 12-12 it was anyone’s game entering the final quarter. Hammersmith played some good phases and the backs worked well to win some ball in Belsize territory, however they weren’t able to turn pressure to points, with a penalty, that would have taken the lead, being pushed just wide with 10 minutes to go.

The match would come down to the final play, as Belsize used a penalty to find touch deep in Hammer’s half. A (somewhat) straight lineout was mauled to withing a meter, and after a number of pick and go’s – Belsize were over, taking the points with the final blow of the whistle.

A fiercely contested match that could have gone either way, we look forward to the return fixture later on this year.

The Hammers survive a scare on Hammerwe’en

31st October 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

A villain themed Hammerwe’en, a first versus second league game, a sold-out crowd. It sounded too good to be true, it sounded like a recipe for too much fun. The top of the table clash in England’s most prolific league, Regional 2 Thames produced yet another epic encounter that would live long in the memory of the Hammers faithful. The subsequent celebrations would not. With seven bonus point wins, Hammersmith & Fulham were strong favourites but knew that a 117-point win for Old Priorians would leave them in second place.

Going into the game, the OP’s were sitting on 35 points, with six wins and one loss, and their detailed match previews, pitch-side interviews, post-match reports and weekly league summaries showed, at least, the statistical power and research capabilities of the reformed club. But they would need more than good journalism to overcome the awakening dynasty that Hammersmith had forged at the Hurlingham fortress, unbeaten in 261 days at home.

The morning of Saturday 29^th October. A decidedly autumnal day, the sun hanging in an eerie haze of clouds and smog bathed the hallowed grounds of SW6 in piercing rays of sunlight. The date added an air of mystery to the occasion with the Hammers hoping to bury the skeletons of another fateful clash last year.

The Twisters’ travelling fans had clearly got the Hammerwe’en memo and assembled an array of animated Australians, vociferously villainous. The journey down the A40 had already left them in high spirits as they quickly latched onto a fellow Aussie, heckling a certain Honey badger without hesitation.

Once the game kicked off, it was evident that both teams should have worn gloves before the game because it took several scrums to warm the hands up. Brief exchanges of rugby were played between these breaks in play before another villain turned up in the form of the Hammers discipline, a constant thorn in the side of Jacko’s squad this season. Due to their mineral deficiency, the away side opted to take the three points and slotted a penalty for an early lead. 0 – 3. However, their lead did not last long, three phases to be exact, as the Fairy Godmother danced his way through the outside backs of the opposition to offload to the omnipresent Matt Killeen. Joe Carolan missed conversion. 5 – 3.

On the side-lines, Social Sec Rich Vaughan, taking a day off from beating cancer, haunted the Old Priorian backline from minute one with a costume perfectly describing the OPs flyhalf. Instead of making pencils vanish, Rich decided to make pints disappear and performed the trick several times during the opening ten minutes, each as entertaining as the last.

Former Hammers hero and Vice-President Andrew Rogan became the latest villain after his scrummaging was questioned and his brief interaction with the referee had the home side walking back ten metres. Rogan responded with some harmless French but unfortunately it was lost in translation, and he received a slice of cheese for dissent. A man down and in their own 22, the Hammers team ought to buy defensive coach Swaino a pint. His drills manifested in a mutinous defensive set resulting in a turnover, followed by a wind-assisted 50 – 22 attacking kick from Ross Anderson left Hammersmith with a lineout in the opposition 22.

After one of the cutest streakers Hurlingham park has ever seen and the cocker-spaniel was safely returned to its slightly embarrassed owner, the OP’s surged forwards with direct running and crisp passing. There was trickery involved in their next try as a backrow juggled the ball forward and sideways. This illusion dumbfounded the Hammers defence and a smart off-load led to a try through the middle. Missed conversion, 5 – 8.

Hammersmith & Fulham fought back with clever kicks and strong set-plays gaining territory fast culminating in lineout on OP’s five-metre line. Continuing his rich vein of form, the insatiable Matt Killeen scored his 17^th try of the season through a clever reverse move engineered by the wand of the Weaver and quick hands from Ed Haynes. Carolan conversion, 12 – 8.

A slow start to the second half forced the fullbacks into a game of rugby tennis with neither team gaining an advantage. By this stage both teams were hitting hard and tackler harder, Tim Russell forgot he could step and bulldozed his opposite number to the delight of the crowd. With all the grace and guile of his Hammerwe’en costume, Ed ‘Waluigi’ Haynes head-butted Matt Killeen, probably hoping to see Dr. Steve John later at A&E. Both received attention on the side-lines with only the flying winger returning to play.

Without our sturdy flanker turned centre, Old Priorians capitalised and scored a driving maul that was converted to leave the score, 12 – 15 after 50 minutes. But anything that the Twisters can do, the Hammers do as well with Zander ‘No Naked Lap’ Stephens scoring off a similar move. Joe Carolan missed conversion, 17 – 15. A dislocated shoulder for Matt Killeen should allow the rest of the country to catch up with his try-scoring exploits but we wish him well and a speedy recovery.

In character, Rich Vaughan quipped “Nobody panics when things go “according to plan”. Even if the plan is horrifying!”. The plan: 21 phases in the opposition 22. The Hammers had trained for this but had never gotten past three phases without Matt Killeen scoring. Without their try-scoring talisman, the task seemed daunting, and they were in unfamiliar territory. Ross Anderson was glad of his connection to his costume choice for the evening. The red tree, so often a villain on Tuesday and Thursday training, became the saviour in a stoic twenty minutes. Running back and forth between rucks, he kept the forwards well fed by repeatedly putting the ball on a plate for them as the phase count continued to rise. Similar to a lager-beer in the Wolfpack on a dark and drizzly night, the backline was too flat and lacked the creativity to utilise the prolonged possession.

The Proctor’s pack took it upon themselves to propel the team towards the try-line. Ed Wynne, Josh Smith, and Ricky Drewitt led relentlessly, levelling any poor soul in their way; Steve John and Tom Proctor hunted like a pack of dogs clearing ruck after ruck. Why only have one Alex in the second row when you can have two? Huge carries from Harty and Spice drove the Hammers forward, but Carolan’s cohort were unable to breach an impressive Old Priorian defence.

After being told to cut his hair and tie his shoelaces back up by the avid away fans, the extremely very pacy Tim Russell dotted down in the corner after slick hands from J-Lo and Marshall McCleod. Credit to DJ MC-Cloud for assisting the bonus point try, which he later recollected in great detail at the Temperance as everyone, bar the kitchen staff were told. Joe Carolan missed conversion, 22 – 15.

Ross Anderson finished the game with a kick to touch to seal an emphatic win, confirming to the league that no one is safe in Hammersmith’s march towards promotion. Leading points scorer in the country, Joe Carolan increased his advantage by only scoring two points.

Final Score: 22 – 15

Scorers:

Matt Killeen x2

Zander Stephens

Tim Russell

Conversions:

Joe Carolan x1

Hammers 2nd XV put in a big performance

31st October 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

On an unseasonably warm day at Hurlingham Park, Hammers 2nd XV took to the field against old rivals Belsize Park. Pre-match tension was palpable, this fixture last season producing a 30-point drubbing to nil for the visitors, and a last-play epic win for hammers in the reverse.

With that in mind, and the words of coach Alan “Le Nugé” Jones ringing in their ears, Hammers knew they could not afford to start slow.

That is sadly exactly what they did. Conceding cheap breakdown penalties and allowing Belsize far too much go-forward with a lacklustre line speed, the Belsize Centre burst through from just inside the 22 to touch down. 0-7.

The backline for Hammers which, on paper, was spicier than both a vindaloo and Seb Moneys fashion sense, responded almost instantly, however. Some robust running lines from Centres James ‘Mad Dog’ Madigan and Robbie ‘Rupert’ Murdoch allowed the space for full back Max Dugdale to score out wide. Conversion missed, 5-7.

What followed next is fairly murky due to the fact it was the first official club social of the year and the Author, a known pintman in the local area, may or may not have overindulged in the festivities and has a patchy memory of the entire weekend.

Belsize managed to score what ended up being their final points of the game after some continued pressure in our 22, before a beautiful miss-pass from fly-half Ben Dugdale sent Murdoch over in the corner. His charming, better-looking brother Max kicked the conversion, and did so again after a driving maul in the corner which was touched down by Prop Zak Underwood.

This I believe sent Hammers in at the half with a slender 19-14 lead. During the interval, utility back Ainsley Howard, looking to return to the side at 13/15, was asked to play number 8. Eyebrows raised by some, he agreed to adapt and do his best out of position for the second 40.

The second half, though far looser and without the planned structure that the purists love to see, was dominant stuff for the home side.

After a quiet game prior, Aussie winger Bruce Morgan decided to turn the game on its head.

Scything through the defence at will, he made 3 brilliant line breaks from inside his own half, finishing one himself and feeding the other 2 to Scrum-half Matt Newman and Captain on the day, Flanker James Lalor. With all three conversions flushed by Dugdale, as well as a penalty, Hammers had seemingly out of nowhere opened up a 43-14 lead.

The penultimate try has not been claimed. The final try was an interception from Man of the Match, the aforementioned Bruce.

It must be said that the final 57-14 scoreline flattered Hammers slightly, but in the end, Belsize simply couldn’t deal with the speed and accuracy of the home sides backline.

Honourable mention must go to the tight 5 who scrummaged resolutely the entire game and defended countless phases deep in our own territory to stop Belsize scoring a single point in the 2nd half.

Team – Underwood, Burke, Donegan, Story, Clouston, Lalor, Smitheman, Clark, Newman, Dugdale B, Morgan, Maddigan, Murdoch, Nellany, Dugdale M. Reps Farrer, Hooper, Duncan, Macgregor, Howard

2nd XV men’s emerge victorious on Friday night lights!

26th October 2022/in Men's Match Report, Senior News

The boys turned up to a wet and windy Rosslyn Park under the spotlights eager to impress the Hammers ultras on the sideline.

The lads came out the blocks firing and it didn’t take long for Max Dugdale to nudge the ball to 10 meters out from the Rosslyn Park 4th line – setting up the opportunity for the Hammers rolling maul to go to work. A strong driving maul set up saw the forwards walk over the line with Rob McKeon dotting the ball down for his first Hammers try.

Despite some joué from the Hammers backline creating multiple line breaks, tricky conditions and strong covering tackles from Rosslyn Park 4th’s kept them in the game. More pressure and up the jumper rugby however took its toll towards the end of the second half with Conor Burke crossing the line to give the boys the lead going into half time.

Half time: 14 – 0 Hammers.

Rosslyn Park 4th’s came back strong in the second half, with big carries from their front five they finally got themselves into the game crossing the line and converting to make the score 14-7. Big shots in the centre from James Maddigan and Huw Parks set the tone for the Hammers defence.

The last 10 minutes saw the boys big deep. With lads suffering with cramps across the field as a result of some ropey conditioning it took a sublime line from hooker Conor Burke to cut the opposition in half and drive us deep into the oppositions 22. A quick recycle from the ruck saw the ball go out wide to Ainsley Howard who went over in the corner to seal a well deserved victory for the Hammers.

Full time: 24 – 7 to the mighty 2’s

Honourable mention to Max Dugdale for keeping the scoreboard ticking over, slotting all four attempts at the sticks. Also the opposition 10 for trying to kick every touch finder onto the Upper Richmond Road – the breaks in play were much appreciated.

Less honourable mentions for members of the post match boat race team, who need to re-evaluate putting themselves forward for drinking competitions in the future.

MOM – James Maddigan for putting in big shots all game and running strong lines.

DOD – James Lalor for dropping the ball over the try line.