Harrow produce the goods

A try bonus point victory was a fitting reward for Harrow’s most complete performance of the year with fine performances right across the team against a feisty Royston desperate for points. Once again Harrow’s proven dominance in the scrum, allied with a faultless display in the lineout was to prove the foundation for their victory. The forwards put in the hard yards up front to keep the Royston eight under pressure all game giving the Harrow backs the go forward ball and the time that they used so well to turn that dominance into victory. Once again Leaman was the pick of the forwards, exploiting their efforts, the big No 8 making punishing runs time after time sucking in defenders and creating space for others. Harrow through their forwards had earned the right to play and the Harrow backs cashed in.

After all the rain on Friday and Saturday morning the pitch was surprisingly firm, showing the money on the drainage was well spent. Harrow kicked off towards the car park pitch. A 7 mins despite a bright start Harrow found themselves behind. Having got behind the Royston back an attempted miss pass in midfield over the defence found the Royston winger who ran in unopposed from 60 yards to score in the right hand corner. Excellent conversion saw the visitors ahead 7-0. Harrow responded almost immediately with a sweeping move involving both forwards and backs first left and then right with Brennan prominent, before Billy Argent squeezed in at the right corner. The young full back converted his first try for the club with another excellent kick 7-7. Harrow continued to dominate territory and possession but it wasn’t until 38 mins with both sides with players in the bin that another sweeping move saw Vincent in at the left hand corner. Difficult conversion just missed 12-7 which was the score into the break.

The beginning of the second half saw the home team continue to dominate and at 45 mins they gained a lineout on the Royston 22. Good ball won in the middle moved left. Strong break by Gibson in the midfield who put in Burnett to the left of the posts. Straight forward conversion 19-7. At 62 mins Togher who had already dropped the ball over the line made almost immediate amends taking advantage of a quick penalty to force his way over on the 15 metre line to right of the posts. Conversion missed but an all-important try bonus point gained 24-7.

At 75 mins a glorious break by the Royston no 10 opened up the Harrow midfield and although he was pushed right the ball was recycled quickly left and their winger went in at the left-hand corner. A quality score and shows what the Royston backs could have achieved if they had played behind the Harrow pack. Difficult conversion missed 24-12

The finally word belonged to Harrow with time just about up. A quite extraordinary kick by Mark Gibson which either went backwards, certainly not forward and most certainly not intentioned ended up in the hands of Burnett on the left hand wing and the centre twenty yards out and a clear field in front of him went in at the left hand corner. Conversion missed 29-12 and full time. So Mark Gibson whose pass was intercepted at the beginning of the match resulting in Royston’s first try also had the final word with his extraordinary kick resulting in Harrow’s fifth try. In between he was ther game’s dominant player and quite right Harrow’s man of the man. His direct running, power, leadership and distribution was there for all to see. Royston had to deal with him all game and together with Leaman the gaps appeared that the home team were able to exploit

Next week Harrow travel to Stevenage which will be a 2pm ko and then on the 15th December in the last game of this year Harrow host OMTs in a 3pm ko preceded by a VP lunch. Plenty of spaces still available do if you want to join us the 15th please contact Lesley Wyatt.

Smile on the face of the Chairman. Good performance

Andrew Smart