EIRFC ACADEMY 43 WELWYN 17

The season of the EIRFC Academy isn’t quite over but they are clearly intent on making hay while the sun shines, and they pulled away after a few wobbles to put eventually put clear daylight between themselves and the two divisions higher Welwyn, writes Jonathan Landi.

Ignatians made a dream start and, conscious of their forward power, the pack thrice carried forcefully to the line in the opening minutes, before deferring to the backline where Liam, taking a leaf out of his forwards’ copybook, ran a hard, straight line to open the scoring.

Welwyn, always a threat with the ball in hand, subsequently spread the ball from within their own 22, but with fatal consequences as Ryan picked off a telegraphed pass and his interception score gifted the home side a dream 12-0 lead.

The visitors were soon back on the attack but some great EIRFC defence, a recurring theme throughout the game, kept Welwyn at bay, and having defended for their lives close to their own line, they twice had opportunities to clear their lines, having won the penalty.

On both occasions they bafflingly opted to run the ball from close to their own line, but they weren’t so lucky on the second occasion, as Welwyn regained possession before farming a well-worked overlap opportunity as Ignatians’ lead was trimmed to five points.

However, Ignatians continued to excel in the close quarter combat exchanges, and having stripped the visitors of the ball in the red zone, they further turned the screw by muscling their way ever closer to the line, before centre Emmanuel also got in on the act by forcing his way over. The latter added his second conversion of the half.

Welwyn were soon hammering away close to the line and they were a tad unlucky to have had a tried disallowed for a double movement, but they kept beavering away as Ignatians paid the price of repeat infringement by having a player yellow-carded.

Eventually, Welwyn capitalised on their numerical superiority, but ironically it was when they Ignatians lost control at the base of the scrum on their own put-in, that they cashed in from the turnover out wide.

It was still all to play for at half-time, with Ignatians sitting on a narrow 19-14 lead, but in the wake of Welwyn losing one of their best forwards to injury, the game went to uncontested scrums after the interval.

Sportingly, Ignatians also loaned one of their players to Welwyn so as to make up the numbers, and the visitors were soon rattling Ignatians’ cage, having won a penalty close to the blue and golds’ line for a high tackle.

The visitors opted to run it but, in doing so, they ran headlong into the thick of the Ignatians’ defence, and, not for the first time in the game, the hosts’ secured another priceless turnover and cleared their lines.

In many ways it was the defining moment of a game which assumed a stop-start tempo, and this suited Ignatians, as they rifled off a four try salvo which effectively swung the pendulum their way.

Ignatians’ forwards again flexed their collective muscles to considerable effect as Isaiah, following some good carries, forced his way over, before Gabriel proved unstoppable as he whistled clean through after the blue and golds decided to run a penalty.

Emmanuel subsequently completed his brace after giving two defenders the slip in broken play, before William set the seal on it before chasing up his excellent relieving kick, and courageously winning the turnover at the breakdown before charging clear.

Welwyn, to their credit, never threw in the towel and they claimed a deserved third try prior to the William score.

Head coach Andy Roper said: “We played some of our best rugby [of the season] in the opening ten minutes, and the pods which we have been working on in training made their mark. We are due to take part in a Charity Day at Cheshunt on 11 May, but I would like to arrange another game before then.”