Hereford 7 Walsall 31
A Hereford team containing more enforced changes, welcomed Walsall to a cold, wet, windy Wyeside with hopes of avenging their early season defeat.
They started well and after twenty-five minutes of end-to-end play took a 7-point lead with a well worked try. Walsall responded before half time with an unconverted try, giving the Wyesiders a narrow lead of 7 points to 5. Early in the second half Walsall took the lead with an unconverted try. Hereford still looked capable of taking a win, but Walsall ensured a bonus point win with three tries at regular intervals in the final twenty minutes. Three conversions completed a 31 points to 7 win for the visitors.
Head Coach, Scott Sturdy said “There’s only one place to start and that’s with the success of the 1870s in their top of the table clash at Worcester to win the league. A really tight, tough, game winning 29 points to 24. We rebranded the team this year as the 1870s, they’ve entered the RFU league structure and what a wonderful season they’ve had, only losing one game over the course of the season. Being crowned champions is a huge success and secures the senior section of the rugby club. We want to push on across the senior section, we have some strong colts coming up for transitioning and plan to get three senior teams out next season. Another landmark in the journey we’re on. “
“The HRFC team that played at home to Walsall had a really tough game. They put in a good, solid, first half performance and heroic defence and to go in 7 – 5 up at half time we seemed reasonably placed. Unfortunately, in the second half the very strong Walsall team, who will finish second in the league, outmuscled us a little bit with their scrum and lineout. They managed to get a few scores and the game kind of drifted away from us.
We’ve been on a tough run of games since the Old Halesonians game and I think that’s four losses in a row. We have our last league game at home, against Worcester next week and we really want to push on and finish the season with a win to finish as a minimum of fifth and potentially get that fourth spot. We’ve had lots of successes, but a difficult run of games at the end of the year. I would encourage everybody in the county to come down to Wyeside and support the lads in our last league home game before we enter the cup run.”
On a surface more suited to water-polo than rugby, both sides showed a preparedness to play running rugby. The game swayed from end-to-end, with most attacks coming to a halt through a handling error, often caused by the greasy playing surface and the slippery ball. Jack Goodwin and Jake Cheshire both carried well and the tight forwards performed well against the bigger visiting pack. Hereford opened a lead of 7 points and when the ball was released after some pick and go work, Dean Powell fed Mark Philo, cutting back and racing over for an excellent try, Powell added the extra points. For the final ten minutes of the half, Walsall put the home defence under extreme pressure. The defence countered well, but as the interval approached the pressure told and Walsall forced their first try.
The conversion attempt failed so Hereford took a narrow, 2-point lead into the second period.
Hereford started the second half pressing into the Walsall half and winning a series of penalties. Josh Wright kicked some good field positions and the forwards opted for the occasional scrum, neither were converted into a score. Walsall though, made good use of a period of pressure close to the Hereford goal-line to drive the maul over for an unconverted try. Dean Powell was shown a controversial yellow card for a high tackle and minutes later, Walsall registered the first of a series of three further tries in the final twenty minutes. With Powell’s banishment to the bin, Josh Wright moved from scrum half to out half and Tom Broad replaced him, thus restoring in first team shirts, the Colts team half back combination of a year ago. 7 points to 31 was a disappointing result, but the lads could not be faulted on effort and kept that effort up right up to the final whistle.
Worcester II 24 Hereford 1870 29
Hereford 1870s ensured promotion with a hard-won win over Worcester 2s.
The points difference between the teams was never more than 12 points. At half time the score was level at 17 points apiece and shortly after the interval Worcester were reduced to 14 men for ten minutes, after one of their players was shown a yellow card. Hereford capitalised with a try and after Worcester returned to full strength added a further try and conversion. Worcester responded with a converted try, but were frustrated by some tight Hereford defence and were unable to make further inroads. Hereford tries were scored by Will Haines, Freddie Spencer, Jorden Sheehy, Bryn Goodall and Ollie Bulleid and Bulleid improved two of them. This was an excellent team performance which fully deserved to win promotion into a higher league and better-quality competition.
