Harrow take all five points at Royston

An away victory, the third since Christmas, and a try bonus point secured in the last minute of the game with a glorious sweeping 100 yard move that saw Vincent go over under the posts for his second of the game. For the twenty or so Harrow supporters who had made the journey up to the furthest part of Hertfordshire to support the team it was the icing on a decent performance. For the last couple of years we couldn’t buy an away victory and I know that I am being greedy but I confess that despite three quite outstanding tries I was slightly disappointed with the performance. It perhaps shows how far this team has come that even scoring 30 points away from home isn’t quite enough. Still a job well done and again for the first time since January 2017 Harrow secured their third consecutive league victory
On a lovely March afternoon Harrow kicked off playing into a strong wind and were immediately on the attack pushing the home side back inside their twenty two and within ten minutes were 10 points up.
First instead of putting boot to ball under their own points Royston rather than playing the conditions and their position on the field decided to run the ball across their posts 10 metres out. It was like watching us earlier in the season before we learnt what was required to win league games. Anyway there was Mark Gibson to intercept and go in under the posts. Easy conversion from Argent 0-7. Royston the architects of their own doom. They then followed this up by infringing again in front of their own posts by kicking the ball out of the ruck. Another straight forward kick for Argent. 0-10. Harrow continued to dominate territory and it wasn’t until the 25 minute that the home team actually managed to get out of their own half. They secured decent line out ball on the Harrow 22. The Harrow midfield fell off the tackle and the Royston centre went over pretty much untouched. Easy conversion 7-10 and from nothing the home team were right back in the game.
The score galvanized the home team whilst the visitors continuing to dominate territory were guilty of looking to force that final pass rather than look to build up the phases and take the sting out of their opponents. It was patience that was required and the next ten minutes or so was an untidy period in the match. All that changed at 37 mins with a quite glorious score. Harrow secured excellent lineout ball on the Royston 22. I was asked to describe what happened next on the touchline and I failed utterly. There was definitely a switch in midfield, possibly two involving Burnett coming in from the blindside wing. Anyway Vincent took the ball back against the grain and with a lovely arcing run across the posts which took him outside the defence and over 15 metres in from the right hand touchline. It probably all down to a missed tackle but it looked spectacular from where I was standing. Difficult conversion into the wind missed, 7-15 which was the score into the break.
Now playing with the wind Harrow once again were immediately on the attack. At 46 mins I was just making comment about the blight of the out of the hand pass that so many of our players seem to love when in a real tight area on the Royston 22 close to the touchline Chris West stationary but standing strong under real pressure, got one such pass to Vincent standing to his left and again also under pressure from a defender he did exactly the same to Beech who then hugging the left hand touchline went over in the left hand corner. A try out of absolutely nothing, beautifully created by two pieces of skill under real pressure well finished off by the winger. Once again I decided, that going forward, I should keep my comments to myself. Difficult conversion missed 7-20. 34 minutes to go completely in charge it was surely only a matter of time before Harrow scored the all-important try bonus try that would put this game to bed. However Royston had other ideas and at 53 mins about 25 metres out from the Harrow line their centre took the ball into contact. Three Harrow players got hands on the player and then let him go. He as finally brought down close to the visitors line but quick ball was recycled right and they went over to the right of the posts. Conversion missed 12-20. Once again having conceded the match again went into an untidy phase as Harrow once again tried to regain control. At 70 mins Harrow got a penalty on the Royston 22 in front of the posts and with the game still to be won the skipper again took the correct decision calling his young kicker forward and Argent obliged 12-23. However it seemed that by taking the points and with it the game Harrow had lost their last chance of the try bonus point. Royston now went full out to try to get the converted try which would give them the losing bonus point. Harrow simply couldn’t get the ball let alone out of their own half. At 79 mins Leaman almost from his own line showing great strength and no little pace drove the ball up about 30 metres before they finally brought him down. A quick clear out and the ball was moved quickly left across the backs. Royston scrambling to get across were always struggling for numbers. Ball reached Vincent at outside centre on the halfway line with a two on one, a dummy and he was gone running in from 50 metres to go over under the posts for a quite superb team score and with it the try bonus point. Easy conversion for Argent 12-30 followed by the final whistle.
Royston to be fair to the home team played a full part in an open and interesting game and probably deserved something from the match which very much had an end of season feel about it. Harrow whilst never reaching the intensity displayed against O Streetonanians played some lovely rugby at times and three of the tries in different ways were gems. They could and should have put the game away well before they did and the looseness of some of the play and especially when conceding Royston’s two tries will be something for them to work on. Nevertheless a try bonus point victory away from home is not to be sneezed at and team must be congratulated for playing right to the whistle
This weekend the level of performance will have to go up as we host third place Stevenage and seek to overturn a 26-10 loss in early December
Numbers are looking really good for the pre match lunch but we will always find space if you would like to come

Andrew Smart