1st XV
Matches
Sat 14 Sep 2019  ·  London 3 North West
O Streetonians
21
10
Enfield Ignatians RFC
1st XV
Tries: L DunneConversions: J BatesPenalties: J Bates
FIRSTS STUTTER BADLY IN LEAGUE OPENER

FIRSTS STUTTER BADLY IN LEAGUE OPENER

Hadee Fayaz14 Sep 2019 - 19:07
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writes Jonathan Landi

LONDON THREE NORTH-WEST

FIRSTS STUTTER BADLY IN LEAGUE OPENER

OLD STREETONIANS 21 ENFIELD IGNATIANS 10

Head coach Shane Manning urged his troops to bite the bite the bullet and take the stinging criticism that will inevitably come their way after their tame 21-10 defeat to Old Streetonians at Hackney Marshes.

Inevitably, there’s no escaping that the side let themselves and the club down badly, and the New Zealander urged his troops to quickly draw a line under this game and bounce back quickly at the weekend. He said: “It goes without saying that we’re a lot better than that. I will be speaking to certain players for when the individual stuff can be rectified then the team stuff follows – but be prepared [the players] to take the criticism and it’s not personal. Happily, it’s the first game of the season and there are 20 or more games still to go.”

Yet it all began so well for the blue and golds in their opening London Three North-West game particularly as the prime kickers in the side, Jake Bates and Jack Wilson, played a shrewd territorial game by firing the visitors into some good field positions. The upshot of the early pressure was that they earned themselves a penalty, but the relatively straight forward kick at goal was missed by Paul Duke and Old Streets were let off the hook.

Although Ignatians got into some good positions, their discipline all too often let them down and, as they began to suffer on the penalty count, the momentum swung Old Streets’ way. The Old Streets’ fly-half had a field day and either side of his twin penalty strike after the visitors were penalised for offside and hands in the ruck, Ignatians claimed their only try via Liam Dunne.

One of his side’s few saving graces, the industrious openside Dunne was the chief beneficiary of some sterling build-up work in which Bates floated a lovely kick into the corner. It created panic in the defence and, with right winger Carl Asare-Anderson forcing his opposite number into touch, Ignatians had a prime attacking position yards from the line.

The gathering strength of the blue and gold rolling maul did the rest, and after the advancing phalanx initially crabbed right, Liam Dunne flummoxed the defence by peeling off to the left and forcing his way over. Jake Bates added the well taken conversion but, just when Ignatians had discovered some self-belief, they were to suffer a double whammy before half-time.

Luke Stack’s high tackle in his own 22 was again punished by the increasingly influential Old Streets’ fly-half, before worse was to follow.
For Jack Wilson’s intended touch finder went straight down the throat of the Old Streets’ full back whose quick counter attack and dummy, followed by the conversion, extended the hosts’ lead to nine points.

Happily, Ignatians had one last trick up their sleeve and, having ratcheted up the pressure, Old Streets strayed offside in their own 22, and Bates nailed the kick which kept the visitors in the game.

Ignatians showed some deft touches in part as denoted by some great counter-rucking and a textbook retrieval of the ball by Charlie Hoy from a Duke restart, but, all too often, the sum total of the parts didn’t quite add up. Some heads inevitably dropped while others looked lost and, for some, the game became a mental battle.

Trailing by six points at the break, Ignatians were still in with a shot but they derailed badly in the second-half as the more fleet-footed and lighter Old Streetonians won the territorial battle hands down in the heat. On the defensive for long periods, Ignatians repeatedly got themselves out of jail through the quality of their set scrums, and their ability to force the turnover. But they had precious little momentum elsewhere.

A ‘hang’ dog look permeated the side and the mood hardly improved when influential centre, Sam Emery, suffered a hefty collision with an opponent. Play was inevitably stopped for about ten minutes, as the prone player was treated by the physios of both sides. Initial reports suggest the player was concussed and he was taken to hospital for further tests. On behalf of all at the club, we wish him a speedy and prompt recovery.

Play resumed on an adjoining pitch. However, things hardly improved. Ignatians’ kicking game started to deteriorate as they were increasingly pinned back and forced to live off scraps.

The leaders in the side also failed to supply the much needed direction and, with Ignatians forced to go for broke as the game drew to a close, Bates’ telegraphed pass was intercepted – enabling Old Streets to compound the visitors’ misery by ending on a high and sealing a deserved win. Underestimate them at your peril.

Ignatians entertain Kilburn Cosmos at Donkey Lane on Saturday.

First Team Squad: Jack Wilson, Lucas Yoxall, Sam Emery, Michael Hall, Carl Asare-Anderson, Jake Bates (cpt), Dom Nott, Ben Mills, Alberto Di Dio, Jamie Newport, Charlie Hoy, Luke Stack, Liam Dunne, Jonathan Hamilton, Shane Manning, Alex McCall, Hadee Fayaz.

Match details

Match date

Sat 14 Sep 2019

Kickoff

14:00

Competition

London 3 North West

League position

5
O Streetonians
10
Enfield Ignatians
Team overview
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