IGNATIANS DIG DEEP AS HONOURS ARE EVEN IN CRUNCH CLASH

LONDON THREE NORTH-WEST

IGNATIANS DIG DEEP AS HONOURS ARE EVEN IN CRUNCH CLASH

STEVENAGE TOWN 15 ENFIELD IGNATIANS 15

Glass half-full or half-empty? It was probably more a case of the former as Enfield Ignatians squeezed every last ounce out of their battered bodies to ensure that honours were shared at 15 points apiece following the titanic away arm wrestle with third placed Stevenage Town in Hertfordshire.

The result of this crucial encounter keeps second-placed Ignatians anchored to second, with the gap between second and third remaining four points, although with five rounds of the league campaign still to come no one is taking anything for granted.

Head coach Shane Manning admitted that he had been on tenterhooks [he wasn’t the only one] for almost a week, but he was otherwise satisfied with the result. The New Zealander said: “We are no worse off or better off than before the start of the game. Despite the result, the second promotion spot isn’t a foregone conclusion as we do need to win the rest of our games.”

“In a game which pitted the division’s second best attack [Stevenage] against the meanest defence [Ignatians], we ended up by cancelling each other out. The side has a more mature more look compared to last season and we also lost two players to injury in the first-half.”

Showing character in abundance, Ignatians will reflect that theywere 15-5 down at the break, but at a citadel whose walls have been breached just once all season, and namely league leaders Old Streetonians, they came out firing and were rewarded for their diligence following a sterling fightback.

The ‘revenants’ in this game will also reflect that their playing resources were stretched to breaking point, and particularly in the opening 12 minutes when promising prospects, Jack O’Toole (concussion) and Lewis White (shoulder), were forced off injured. This ensured that two of the three finishers, Liam Horn and Ryan Browne, were committed to the fray very early in the contest.

Ignatians played into the wind in the first-half, as both sides took it turn it turns to hook penalty attempts wide, before Stevenage opened their account after their Australian fly-half, Lachy Kirk, went solo by cutting a lovely line which saw him rifle clean through under the sticks. The half-back also added the conversion.

However, Ignatians responded well to the setback and, after captain Jake Bates threatened himself, the visitors won a succession of penalties during a sustained six minute spell of pressure. Admittedly, Ignatians struggled at times in the wind to locate their jumpers but, the composure they craved finally surfaced, and, from the catch and drive at the lineout, the maul gained good traction before the prolific Ben Mills made the decisive breach to bring it back to 7-5.

Stevenage aren’t the quickest team in the division. However, like Ignatians, they do work very hard and their big ball carriers ask constant questions of defences but the visitors, by and large, went toe to toe with them in a very physical game.

Farming the wind, Stevenage, however, did catch Ignatians on the hop on occasions. They extended the lead after Kirk rifled over a penalty after the visitors strayed off side from a position dead-on to the sticks, before claiming a well worked try from inside centre Gareth Lewis.

Key to the latter score was the ability of former Herts county winger Ian Crompton to come off his opposite wing and deftly execute a training ground move in which the extra man freed up the space for his supporting team mate. Although probably more disappointing was Ignatians’ defensive alignment preceding the try, as, in a rare lapse, it was all at sea and therefore dangerously exposed.

Despite trailing by ten points at the interval, Ignatians hadn’t played badly. They kept their shape and their work rate typified by MOM Dave Gear (Pictured) never wavered, as they met fire with fire, which meant that scoring opportunities for the Stags were few and far between.

The popular vice-captain typified his side’s never say die attitude. His excellent body positions, unwavering work rate and support play again stood the test of time, as he delivered a full 80 minute shift. Although he was also very well supported by his team-mates.

Attending well to the defensive chores, Ignatians moved in quickly to deny the Stags time and space by competing ferociously at the breakdown. Consequently, an even contest also became a compelling one with some interesting variations and running lines also coming into play.

This positive mindset underpinned Ignatians’ second-half performance and, in the opening minutes with the referee playing good advantage from the skewed kick-off, they got the hosts on the backfoot following some excellent retrieval work and ensuing dash up-field by Charlie Hoy.

Ben Mills tried to work Ryan Browne free and, although it didn’t come off, they had Stevenage pinned exactly where they wanted them, close to their own line, and the visitors continued to crank up the pressure via a succession of multi-phased attacks.

During an intense three minute spell of pressure, Ignatians threw bodies forward and, although one must credit Stevenage for some excellent defence, something had to give, and a pinpoint pass eventually located prop Gareth Rutt who went over from short range.

Jake Bates, excellent with the boot all afternoon, added the conversion as the visitors found themselves within reach after trimming the deficit to three points.

Although the Stags continued to carry hard and mount the odd threatening attack, Ignatians, with the elements in their favour and their fitness levels standing them in good stead, went all out for the win in the dying stages.

They had two attempts at goal and Bates kept his nerve by decisively nailing the equalising pressure kick, but he was off target with the subsequent more difficult attempt from further out. A drop goal attempt was also scuffed but it was worth the gamble.

Ignatians also had a couple of pushover attempts thwarted from attacking mauls despite some pleasing approach work, with the impressive Jonathan Hamilton combining well with hard-carrying centre Michael Hall to set up a good position on the right flank.

On the opposite side of the field, Ignatians were also in with a shout after a crunching tackle on the Stags’ centre Lewis not only dislodged man and ball, but it also enabled Bates to hoof a huge touchfinder up-field which bounced invitingly close to the line, with the visitors also winning turnover ball. However, both attempts were repelled.

Still, it wasn’t to be and a draw was probably a fair result in advance of the visit of Hitchin on Saturday [February 29th] on an afternoon when the Ignatians' collective from one to 18 as a whole again stood up to be counted.

Team: Jack O’Toole (Ryan Browne), Carl Asare-Anderson, Liam Dunne, Michael Hall, George Cox, Jake Bates ©, Anzl Swartz, Dom Nott, Ben Mills, Gareth Rutt (Alberto di Dio), Lewis White, (Liam Horn), Charlie Hoy, Euan Renny, Dave Gear (vc), Jonathan Hamilton.
Tries: Ben Mills, Gareth Rutt.
Pens: Jake Bates (1).
Conversions: Jake Bates (1).
MOM: Dave Gear.