Midlands 5 East (North), Sat 2 Dec 2006

Hamians 17 - Boston 26

Apologies with the delay but with Xmas trees to source and a brace of pheasants donated on saturday , time has been tight for my journalistic duties..

Hamains versus Boston over the years has always been a good contest on and off the field , and saturday was no exception .

Hamians were top with Boston second so even more spice was added ..Boston were unlucky not to be promoted the previous season wheras Hamianswhere the league below . This wold be a true test of how this hamianssquad had developed .

The vice presidents had joined us for some lunch before the game and the beer was following at noon and with the sun shining and the seconds entertaining long eaton it had the making of a good day .

The game turned out to be a bit of a classic hamians cliff hanger showing passages of brilliance tempered with the ability to get the simpliest things wrong and occcasionly press the old self destruct button .

TEAM NEWS

mike, shing , artley , oli c , epsy , lamin , draps , hobbit, jez, coops, dave g , jonny p , pud , anvil and mozza...bench fat prop , jonny g and dainty jnr .

Hamians kicked off , starting like a train , pressurising Boston and after frantic driving play the ball was spun wide twice and captain leavey stepped inside to plunge over

5 nil

A good kick off return , followed by drivin forward play gained central field position .

Scrummage hamians competitive , mozza pinged for not pushing straight . Clear that Boston fly half has good boot . Dave g tips line out , hamins atempt to drive through centre . Tacklin fierce in centre with both side lookin to put in big early hits .

Turn over ball as both sides competitive at break down means if player isolated , possession was lost .


Good oportunisim from Boston running turn over ball advances down the pitch , lamin cover tackle crunches winger from behind . Dubious decision adjudges unfair as shoulder charge .

Kick for position , Boston take ball at line out and drive from outside 22 into hamains danger area , maul falls to ground .

To everyone suprise ref awards penalty try , for deleberitely pulling maul down .

5 - 7

If their was a right of appeal , and a jury to lend some balanced opinion , following the letter of the law their must be no doubt in the refeere mind that a try would be scored . On such decisions are games won and lost.

Hamians bounced back and took the game to Boston . Hobbit putting in good hits and Draps probing around the fringes .

Good pressure saw Mossa drive low on the blind side for the line , good drivin play and off loads saw hamians go close .

Coops in his unusual central line out position was collating good ball and hamians backs were probing interesting patterns . Good defencive alignment from Boston was restricting hamins options from first and second phase .

From briken play the ball swung right to Epsy who broke one tacke and stepped inside with a good drivin run into the 22 . Vision of phil A inside and a deft pass saw a try under the posts .

12 - 7

Good kick off catch by JP followed by good drive spolit by knock on

Boston pressured hard and missed a couple of penalty kicks evenually landing one .

Hamins conceeded needless penalties and with lip gave away extra yards .

12-10 at half time ,but Boston have wind and clear simple terrority game will be played .

Hamins despite wind still try to run ball , epsy making yardage every time ball in habd . Off loading good in tackle and pressure maintained .

Boston usng wind to pin hamins back , and running attitude with good defence means hamins conceeding field position .

Good hamians pressure at scrum , boston fly half reacts well and rolls grubber kick through behind hamins backs . An unlucky bounce confuses full back and boston centre hacks through to score

12 -17 down against the wind

Hamians suprise Boston by pressurising kick off , winning ball , spining wide , recylcing rapidly with good interpaing between forwards and backs with epsy crashing over

17 - 17

Spectators somewhat animated in their opinions of on pitch activity .

Boston changed pattern of play by bringing on fresh second row , suddenly clean supply of ball at line out . Static play and use of boot meant hamians struggled to escape from own half .

Hamians belief that they can run the ball out of defence leads to errors .
Great defence means tryline safe but needless penalties conceeded and hamins conceed 3 points .

Fresh legs in the backrow means hamins inside backs given little space to be creative and furhter penalties conceeded.

Boston close game out to win 26 -17 .

Both sides aware that it has been a good contest between the leagues best teams .

Hamians performed below the level which has been achieved previously and learning all the time what it takes to win tight matches at this level . Conceeding field position and needless penalties gave Boston opportunity to score points . Discpline has been an issue over the last month and today the pint was proven .

Hamians entertained their friends from Boston with a swift Bus Tour around Nottingham finest hosteleries as they bothered to bring a coach.

Next week sees cup action with away NLD cuptie away at Ollerton followed by League action on the 16th away at local rivals East Leake .

Training tuesday , prompt attendance please