Strong London Sussex get the better of Hammers 3s

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!