ENFIELD IGNATIANS U16s 7 HEMEL HEMPSTEAD U16S 33

Although the initial portents didn’t look, with players injured, unavailable and stranded amongst others in Finchley, you had to admire the ambition with which the U16s approached the game against the division higher Hemel Hempstead, writes Jonathan Landi.

This was certainly an intriguing clash which pitted the division leaders of Division Three and Four, but Ignatians, far from daunted by their task, set about their task with real relish and, for much of the first-half, they played some of their best rugby of the season against very decent opposition.

Intelligently varying their repertoire in the form of some shrewd kicking, including a neat cross-field kick attempt, and retaining possession and recycling with real efficiency, they had a good attacking platform against a very physical and well-drilled side.

That they eventually hit a brickwall was done to some resolute Hemel defence, but Ignatians dared to dream, and they even had the temerity to take the lead after a very mobile Jake claimed a close-range score, having darted over from the side of the ruck.

Ben, having mixed and matched his game, at ten, added the extras, as ambitious Ignatians, keen to work through their moves, sought to add to their lead, but Hemel had other ideas and they exposed a few fault lines in Ignatians’ game.

The huge Hemel hoof up-field certainly caught the defence on the hop and, with Ignatians failing to field the kick, they were soon treading water, with Hemel awarded the penalty try after Ignatians tackled a player off the ball.

Having rebounded from off the ropes, and slightly against the run of play, a very fluent Hemel, playing sweetly through the hands, stretched Ignatians to breaking point, after claiming their second try, this time down the far-right flank.

Still, Ignatians were still in the hunt, at 7-12 down, but the game eventually ran away from them in the second-half, and with disaster striking early in the second period, this time from a restart kick, the route back into the game suddenly became that much harder.

Hemel were to strike more in the half, from a well-worked penalty move, and when Ignatians turned the ball over, but, to their credit, the hosts’ heads never dropped, as they continued to try and work their various moves. James and Philip both threatened to open Hemel up only for the defence to eventually catch with them, but they kept going through thick and thin, having sprayed the passes through numerous phases and continually located the support.

The pack, en bloc, and with Josh providing good athleticism in the lineout, continued to go at it hard at the breakdown, but, ultimately, the power of the Hemel forwards told, as Ignatians eventually came off second best. However, it certainly bodes well for the future.

Head coach Andy Corgan said: “When we played with intensity we looked good and the first ten minutes were awesome. We were a bit short on numbers [the game started 14 a side] and, at times, it was just a question of small margins.”