Uxbridge end 2017 on high with win over Haringey Rhinos

In the last game of 2017, Uxbridge hosted Haringey Rhinos on the back of a good few weeks training and strong showings in recent games against Thamesians and Finsbury Park.

Kicker for the day Tom Rainey got the game underway kicking deep in Haringey territory and it was immediately obvious that the visitors had a strong back line and Uxbridge would need to be up to the task of keeping them at bay. In what became a theme for the day, Jay Stroud and scavenger-extraordinaire Adam Lackey were making solid tackles around the rucks and keeping the away side pegged back.

Uxbridge found themselves camped in the Haringey 22 for 15 minutes and keeping probing at the line and with efforts deemed held up from Oli Seward, Craig Monaghan and Mark Coles it was beginning to feel it may not be their day.

Good work from the forwards fed fly-half Simon Batts who put Tom Rainey through on a hard line to open the scoring. Rainey added the extras. Haringey then replied with a try of their own through a well worked move that stretched the Uxbridge defence and saw them cross in the corner and another try to take the score to 12-7.

As half time came closer, Seward kept supplying good ball to the forwards with strong running from Monaghan, Tom Redrup, Niall Mcloughlin and eventually Rainey crashed his way over following good work from the forwards to take the score to 12-12.

The teams came out for the second half with the game finely balanced and it was the home side who enjoyed much of the possession but were unable to make anything of it until a penalty was opted for allowing Rainey to add three points to the Uxbridge tally.

As injuries and tiredness took their toll the game became scrappier with neither side able to string together any real play until an Uxbridge lineout and maul marshalled by skipper Jake Lamport rolled 35 metres and put the Haringey line under threat. Uxbridge continued knocking at the door and were eventually rewarded when Sam Dillamore crashed over. Man-of-the-match Rainey added the two extra points.

With three minutes to go the Haringey second row made a break from his own half and was allowed to gallop through unchallenged to bring the score to 17-22. The conversion was added and a tense final minutes followed before the final whistle to give Uxbridge the win.

Uxbridge can look back on a solid performance and something to build on in 2018. This was the final game of the year and the First XV are back in action on Saturday 6 January at home to Old Millhillians (K.O- 14:15).

The club would like to everyone who has played and supported us this year a merry Christmas and Happy New Year :)