Hereford 19 Evesham 13

Hereford welcomed Evesham’s first team to Wyeside for the first time in many years. The visitors belied their low league position with a lively performance and a well-disciplined defence which Hereford found difficult to break down. The Wyesiders controlled possession and field position for most of the first half, but their attacks lacked control and ruthlessness and a couple of penalties saw the visitors take an interval lead of 6 points to nil. A fifteen-minute purple patch early in the second half saw Hereford take a 19 points to 6 lead.
Evesham put concerted pressure on the home defence during the final quarter and were only able to reduce the deficit by 7 points.
Head Coach, Scott Sturdy said after the match “Another pleasing weekend for Hereford Rugby Club, wins for both our teams. The game at home against Evesham was challenging, they performed really well. If they continue to play like that, they don’t look like a team that will end up in the bottom three. We created some very good opportunities in the first half, were very wasteful and didn’t take any, which resulted in us going in at half-time six points down.
It was very pleasing to see the lads come together, not panic and work out a way to win the game.
We scored three tries in the second half which should have been four or five. Sometimes when you’re on a winning run you don’t play well every week. You have to find a way to get the job done and that’s what we did.
The 1870’s team got another massive result at Droitwich, scoring another 40 points with few against. They are in a great place at the moment. We now have some massive weeks to come. Next week the 1870’s play Stourport, so that’s first versus second. Then, our HRFC team travel to Worcester, who are second, with us sitting at third and the following week we go to Ludlow who are first. So, there are some tough challenges for both teams over the next few weeks and we really will have to pull together as a group if we want to come away from these games with results.
Overall, what a great start to the season, both teams with five from six, some big challenges to come and we shall find out a lot about ourselves as a team”.
Hereford playing up the slope and against a stiff breeze threw the ball around right from the start, but too many errors prevented them capitalising on a number of clear scoring chances. Conceding too many penalties, the Hereford Achilles heel, cost them six points. Evesham slotted a brace giving them the advantage at half time.
Inside five minutes of the second half, from a breakdown in mid field, scrum half Connor Sullivan fed Dean Powell. Powell’s well-timed off load to Jack Goodwin gave him the space to outflank the defence and run in behind the posts, Josh Wright added the extra points. A break by Levi Hughes on the left wing from inside his own half was carried on by Connor Sullivan for the second try, Wright’s conversion attempt hit the post.
Sullivan was involved again in Hereford’s third try, his pass to Jack Goodwin saw him drive over for the try converted by Wright. Evesham responded and some determined running took play again and again into home territory eventually the pressure told and the visitors reduced the deficit with a converted try. The final few minutes consisted of Evesham attacks which were held out by some solid Hereford defence.
The Wyesiders were pleased to finish with a hard-won win by 19 points to 13.
There was another fine performance from the 1870’s at Droitwich.
They beat their second string by 45 points to 12 scoring seven tries in the process. Tries were scored by: Hugo Lamar, Nathan
Watkins, James Lawrence 2, Dan Mills 2 and Fletcher Smith. Ollie Bulleid converted five of the tries.