Sat 19 Oct 2024, 15:00
Saturday 19th October 2024
Herts/Middlesex Merit League South
Southgate 20 points Hendon 5 points
Experienced Southgate won the match in the 1st period with Hendon taking the honours after the break.
Hendon, with a number of their squad missing and playing new members for the first time, took until the 2nd half to get their act together, particularly in defence.
It was only two minutes into the match that Southgate, through Hendon's handling errors, gained the advantage to score an easy converted try to go 7-0 up.
Restarting, Hendon was defending from deep, as Southgate repeated the same tactics of long kicks with the wind down the sloping pitch, which was a definite advantage. On 15 minutes from a Southgate lineout, the ball was pushed wide to the backline with the right winger scoring a converted try in the corner 14-0.
Hendon fought back, with runs from defence by Joe Humphreys to set up a number of attacking moves with carries by Tom Sanders and Nick Andrews but the Southgate defence stood firm with more long kicks for Hendon to defend.
Then, just before the halftime whistle, Hendon conceded a 15-metre penalty that Southgate slotted over, putting them 17-0 up and Hendon very much in the game.
The second period saw Hendon getting more of the ball through defensive work by Second Row Ahmed Hert and prop Kan Cheng, with scrum-half Sam Brown in the mid-field excelling both in the attack and cross-field defence. However, Hendon conceded another penalty to Southgate with their 10 converting to go ahead against the run of play 20-0.
After another Southgate penalty kick was missed, Hendon’s fly half Dan Smith kicked long with Billy Yegan chasing the kick and collecting on the halfway line to outpace the defence and score a deserved try for the visitors to get Hendon on the scoreboard 20-5.
With 15 minutes left Hendon had much of the ball but was unable to penetrate the Southgate defence but at full time had the pleasure of winning the second half 3 points to 5.
