Hereford 20 Old Halesonians 26
Hereford welcomed league leaders, Old Halesonians to Wyeside in perfect conditions for open rugby. Both sides started playing a balanced game, kicking for field position and keeping ball in hand at every opportunity. At half time Halesonians led with 2 converted tries to a try and a penalty goal, 14 points to 11. Early in the second half Hereford were reduced to 14 men, a red card having been earned for a high tackle. Halesonians capitalised immediately with an unconverted try, but the Wyesiders reorganised and took every opportunity to kick penalty goals to reduce their deficit. With minutes to go they managed to claw their way to a meagre lead of one point. Ten minutes of determined defending followed as the visitors threw everything into rescuing the game, which they eventually did with a further converted try.
Head Coach, Scott Sturdy said “What a day of rugby at Wyeside. It’s difficult to be positive as a coach after such a deflating loss. Deflating only in terms of the final score. As a coach, all you can ever ask from your players is to go out and give a hundred and ten percent. I think our guys must have given two hundred today. Old Hales are a very good team and that’s the reason that they had won sixteen games in a row, now seventeen and are certain to be promoted. When you stare down the barrel at 14 – 8 at half time and have left a couple of chances out there, you know it’s a long way back into the game.
Then you get a red card on 45 minutes and then concede another score.
Now it’s 19 – 8 and for 14 men to drag themselves back to 20 – 19 and then lose at virtually the last play of the game, when they were out on their feet was an heroic effort. At the end of the game, I was probably the proudest man on the planet in terms of the effort, heart and soul that our lads gave, they had no more to give. “
“What a game of rugby. To see 250 to 300 people down at Wyeside absolutely rocking, to see that spectacle was a very special thing. Sat here, as a coach on Saturday night thinking, I’m sorry we didn’t get over the line, I’m disappointed for the lads more than anything for the effort they put in. It just shows what we’re capable of, it shows that we’re building and we have some real depth now across this rugby club. There’s a real buzz about the club and it’s for us now to carry this on. We have nothing to play for now this season, but we need to build for next season.
We have a monumental task on our hands next week, a long trip to Crewe and Nantwich.
They have virtually a perfect record since Christmas and will be a right handful. Our 1870s are back in action as well with a difficult game at Kersley and we need to find that extra energy to get ourselves through the last weeks of the league season. We hope to see the 1870s top their league and finish off the season on a high point. I leave you with the thought that I was probably the proudest coach on earth for Old Halesonians conversion sixty seconds and what an effort from those eighteen lads who went out there and played today, because they couldn’t have given any more.”
From the kick off Ollie Hutcheson secured the ball for Hereford and after a few phases the ball was kicked ahead by Iwan Surian-Holder, who was unable to beat a Halesonian defender to the ball. Holder was in action again, when fed the ball inside his own half, he raced into Halesonian territory outflanking three defenders and diving over for his fourth try in three games. The visitors responded and after a catch and drive from a lineout, drove over for a try, the conversion was successful. The Wyesiders regained the lead with a Bryn Goodall penalty after the visitors offended at a scrum. Both sides were playing good rugby, going through the phases and opening up whenever the opportunity arose. The lead changed hands again when Halesonians went through the phases and found a gap in the Hereford defence to cross in the corner. The conversion attempt from the difficult angle was good. Just before the half time whistle, Hereford reduced the deficit with a second penalty goal from Bryn Goodall taking the interval score to 11 points to 14.
Early in the second half, Nathan Boden was shown a red card for a high tackle reducing Hereford to 14 players for the remainder of the game.
Shortly after, a Halesonian kick ahead was knocked on and from the scrum, the ball was moved through hands ending with a try in the corner. The conversion attempt was wide, but the visitors’ lead had been extended to 8 points. The Hereford 14 worked hard and won a number of penalties. Goodall converted two of these to reduce the deficit to 2 points with twenty minutes to go. Hereford won a penalty 45 yards out and at an angle. Veteran outside half, Dean Powell stepped up and coolly landed the penalty giving the Wyesiders a lead of just 1 point with 10 minutes left on the clock. Halesonians moved up a gear and maintained constant pressure on the home defence. One very promising attack was halted by an excellent cover tackle from Josh Wright. In the end, the pressure told and a combined passing movement succeeded in getting across the Hereford line for the winning try, the conversion took the final score to 20 points to 26. This was without a doubt, one of the best performances from a Hereford team for many years.
Every one of the 18 players can be justly proud of their part in this match.
