Sat 30 Sep 2023
Saturday 30th September 2023
Herts/Middlesex Merit League South
Hendon RFC 2nd XV 48 - 12 Southgate RFC
Hendon 2nd XV playing their second game of the season recorded their first win.
Hendon 2nd XV, having lost their opening match of the season away to Pinner 1st XV and then with Enfield Ignations not being able to fulfil the previous week's Merit League match, enjoyed a very satisfying win against another local club.
Hendon played down the slope in the first period and was on the scorecard after five minutes with a well-worked backline move finished off by Tom Sanders in the corner. Southgate came back immediately with their heavier forwards taking possession from a penalty to cross and score a converted try and go 5-7 ahead on 10 minutes.
Replacement JT Moncher was next to score for Hendon shortly after coming on for an injured starting player with Michael Oyekanmi converting and the home outfit was ahead 12-5. After much defending with Connor McGillicuddy excelling to keep out a Southgate pack dominant in attack, a late surge before the halftime whistle saw Saxton Stout collect from another Hendon backline move to score with Oyekanmi converting and Hendon were ahead at the interval 19-7.
In the second period, Hadi Al-Bassam picked up from a Hendon ruck on the Southgate 22 to charge through the defence to score an unconverted try at 24-7. As Southgate lost momentum Moncher took advantage to outwit the defence to score again with Captain Will Daley converting 31-7 as Hendon took control.
Next was winger Oyekanmi who ran around two defenders to score in the corner 36-7. Al-Bassam was soon over the Southgate line again from a five-metre push to score out wide to go 41-7 up.
Into the closing minutes, Southgate rallied after a Hendon defensive error allowing the visitors to score 41-12 before Craig Carroll, joining the match as a late replacement, finished with Hendon’s final try converted by Oyekanmi to finish on 48 -12.
