A match Harrow could, indeed should have won once again went the way of our opponents with a losing bonus point scant consolation for the efforts of the home team and the quality of some of their play.

After four days of almost continuous heavy rain which thankfully finally stopped just before kick off it was unsurprising with a waterlogged pitch that conditions were not helpful for running rugby and yet to their credit the players from both sides produced a compelling game of no little skill and ambition. It was also hugely to the credit of Paul Stern that as a result of all his hard work and care that both the pond and floodlit pitches hosting the Lions and 1stxv matches respectively held up so well with very limited damage caused

Harrow faced the kick off with their backs to the car pitch playing into a very strong breeze and Old Priorians were immediately on the attack. Despite the slippery ball our visitors looked to attack at almost every opportunity looking to put players in space with ball in hand. Harrow however were more than resolute in defence and produced their best forty minutes of the season secure in their set piece and moving the ball with no little skill or ambition. At 16 mins Harrow opened the scoring with a quite superb team try finished off by Conroy in the right corner. A difficult conversion into the wind was nailed by Conroy and Harrow had the lead 7-0 Priorians continued to press at every opportunity and Harrow continued to make their first up tackles. Our visitors to be fair to them spurned kickable penalties as they ran everything. At 39 mins with the home under severe pressure near their line Gareth Gibson was sinned bin for a high tackle. However Harrow stood firm to go into the break 7-0

Things must have looked so positive for Harrow as they kicked off for the second half. Despite being down to 14 they now had the benefit of the strong breeze. However our visitors produced an intelligent half of rugby dominating possession if not territory as they

At 48 mins with Harrow still down to OP's showing good hands went over under the posts. Easy conversion and the match was all square. Soon afterwards the Club Captain was also on his way to bin for questioning a particular decision of the referee. It is difficult to see how you can win games at this level when you spend 19 of the 40 mins of the second half with only 14 on the field. Harrow to their credit earned a penalty in front of the posts at 65 mins as the Ops scrum once again found itself under pressure. Kicked by Conroy and Harrow were back in front 10-7. At 71 mins from a five metre lineout after a series of drives a weak tackle and they were over to the left of the posts. Conversion made and our visitors were finally ahead 14-10. Harrow then had their best period of the half encamped in the Priorian 22. At 74 mins they had a kickable penalty to the left of posts but instead went for the corner. Harrow were unable to score from the lineout and on reflection it might have been better to have taken the points. At 79 mins as harrow went for the winning score Priorians were penalised on their line. From the penalty Harrow opted for a scrum. Under huge pressure Priorians infringed and again Harrow opted for the scrum. Again they infringed. Again they infringed. Four times they had infringed in the so called "red zone" surely at the very least one was on his way to bin, maybe a penalty try but no the referee was having none of it. Harrow opted for the scrum again. This time Priorians managed to stand firm and the game was lost

A very strong Lions side meanwhile recorded an outstanding 45-5 victory against Harpenden 2nds who had comprehensively beaten them three times last season including in the MT final. The match report by Howie Gosling is on the 2ndxv page

Next Saturday travel to Brentwood who lost their first game of the season on Saturday. The ko will be at 2.30pm

All the best to Pete Pratt who is recovering well from a heart attack on Friday

Andrew Smart