Hammers 1st XV come up short against Jersey
A warm 25 degrees, a beautiful day for some running rugby down at Hurlingham Park . In what would become a thrilling encounter, the stated underdogs that were Hammersmith & Fulham RFC faced off against the recently promoted Jersey, replete with a handful of former championship players who had elected to ply their trade at level 5 rather than live off average wages.
The game kicked off with Jersey quickly establishing their credentials, the reason for their recent promotion evident as they maintained a strong defence and executed well-coordinated plays. Employing an expansive off-load game, then men-in-black found themselves leading to two early tries. Despite this, the Hammers showed remarkable resilience and were well in the fight for most of the first half, aided by a Jersey yellow card for a cynical defensive slap down foiling a 2-on-1, and scrum that was the more dominant of the two packs. A Max Dugdale (10) penalty saw the boys get the score board off the floor, but key try scoring opportunities on Jerseys line were missed as the the Hammers execution came agonizingly short. A 3rd late try by Jersey Rugby Club, this time converted, saw them further extend their lead going into the half. 3 – 17 to Jersey.
The second half saw Hammers come out with renewed energy, but so did Jersey, scoring another try through a familiar story of quick ball-then-spread-it-wide. The boys were frustrated, feeling that their efforts to cross the white line were not being rewarded with points. How could they get into this game?
Change came in the form of the smallest player on the pitch (and man-of-the-match) Josh (teeny tiny) Asafu-Adjaye (6) driving Hammers onto the front foot. Consistent deep offensive runs began to cause Jersey real problems and forced uncharacteristic errors in execution and passing. This led to the under-pressure Jersey back 3 to mistime their kick-backs and consistently find the hands of the Hammers back three, the boys winning the territory battle. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, a come-back looking possible, when out of the Hammers half, a dancing-up-the-tryline Tim Russel (11) scored an absolutely pearler of a try at the 55th minute. Finally, the boys were off!
The next 15 minutes were an arm wrestle, both sides making substitutions as forwards tired in the warm sun. Near spontaneous dueling yellow cards for Eion (13) and the Jersey hooker saw both teams play 14-a-side for 10 minutes, before handling errors off the back of a 10 meter Hammers’ scrum and miscommunication between Sam Seymour (9) and Max Dugdale saw the boys concede another try.
The boys didn’t give up, fighting their way back quickly to the Jersey try line and hammering their line. A “dog” move – practiced all week – was called, the forwards rushing into position and attacking the Jersey line to generate quick ball. Tw0 quick phases, the ball goes wide…Try! Josh Daydora (15) scores his first try for the club, converted by Ben Dugdale (9), bringing the score to 17-30.
It wasn’t over yet, with Jersey crossing over in the last minute of the game in a similar manner to what they had scored all week. Hammers fought hard but ultimately fell short against a well-drilled Jersey Rugby Club. Hammers determination and teamwork were key to their spirited performance, making this match a memorable one for all who witnessed it.
Special mention the fans that made it to the game, including the West Ham United fan that got lost on his way to the Craven cottage. His inebriated half time spray towards no team in particular added to what was another great and entertaining day of club rugby. Huzzah!
