FRIENDLY

GULF IN CLASS ALL TOO EVIDENT DESPITE LATE RALLY

ENFIELD IGNATIANS U18S 14 HARPENDEN U18S 50

It was always going to be a tough ask against a well drilled first division side, but seen in another capacity, and notably as a sharpener in advance of the forthcoming league games against Datchworth and Barnet, the whole exercise may yet prove invaluable.

Currently plying their trade in Herts-Middlesex Division Four, the U18s were caught cold in the early stages with Harpenden underlying their credentials from the first minute as the ball travelled seamlessly to the wing. In many ways it illustrated what Ignatians were up against and, with the blue and golds also suffering in the set scrums, Harpenden cut loose and were 26-0 up at the break.

In the first instance the Harps’ number eight went straight the middle. The visitors were also very adept at isolating the last line of defence (twice) before the centre glided effortlessly through for the visitors’ fourth try.

Not that Ignatians didn’t have their moments. However, they were harried mercilessly at the breakdown and consequently were driven further behind the gain line. The passing at times was laborious and telegraphed which made it easy for the Harps’ defence, and playing the inside ball didn’t work either as they invariably found themselves confronted by heavy traffic.

Harps continued to strut their stuff after the break and four more tries for the visitors resulted, but steadily Ignatians started to respond more forcefully.

After Harpenden had gone beyond recall at 36-0 up, Ignatians at last started to site the visitors’ line and fly-half, Harry Wilkins, who has shown promise at senior level, ran a lovely line and his angled run enabled him to cut straight through.

It was inevitable that Harps would respond and two more tries were the result, before Ignatians claimed a second consolation score with a promising attack down the right. Prop Kian Linnane kicked through and, initially it seemed to have been the wrong option, but the three Ignatians’ chasers successfully hunted the ball down as play was taken to within inches of the line; at which point Linnane finished off the work of his own creation by diving over as the blue and golds finished on a high.

A successful second conversion added further respectability to the scoreline.

There were some good individual performances from the likes of Ethan Robinson and Jacob (good tackles).

Coach Steve Renny said: “We played the ‘Enfield’ way and never gave up and, although the better side won, I thought we were the better team in the last 15 minutes. We had a few players missing but, hopefully, we can take something from the game which we can carry on into the next league games against Datchworth and Barnet.

"I thought our lineout went well although we made a few mistakes. The [pace of the] game is so much quicker against the better sides. We got better as the game wore on when we took the ball on and will concentrate on winning our remaining league games.”