Haverhill let it slip in the final moments
By Jim Morgan at Castle Playing Fields on Monday, 5th November 2012.
With the first move of the game leading to the inspirational play-maker Ricky Brown breaking his hand, the first change saw Michael Lansdowne moving into the back row and Monty Beaton dropping into the inside centre position.
When a player who is always first to the breakdown is lost in this way, it can lead to a change in dynamics and something seemed to be missing from the Haverhill game that was eventually punished by the opposition.
Haverhill got onto the scoreboard on 20 minutes when Gavin Hope released skipper Adam Hunt for a superb 45-metre run to score. In the strong swirling wind, the Kieran Ewens kick was looking good, but slipped past the left post for 5-0.
Haverhill were holding a good scrum, but the line-out ball was not good and this needs to be worked on. Mike Woods was impressive in the full back position and the boot of Ewens was able to make huge inroads into the Norwich half.
It was one of these kicks from a Norwich infringement on 35 minutes that allowed Dan Bishop to gather in the line-out, punching a hole in the Norwich defence and then to release Beaton for a great individual try from 35 metres to make the score 10-0. Again the wind did not help the kicker Ewens with the conversion which slipped wide.
On the restart, a super Ewens move epitomised a lot of what was different between the previous weeks' flowing rugby and this game.
A great chip kick and gather led to a great scoring opportunity, but the pass did not go to hand and this happened for a lot of the game.
Dan Harris was replaced by Darren Carew on 46 minutes and then Norwich started to apply pressure.
Haverhill held off for ten minutes but, finally, Norwich crossed in the corner for 10-5. Again the wind caused the conversion to slip past the post.
Haverhill continued to attack, but silly infringements caused the moves to break down at the vital moment. With 20 minutes to go, the wind stopped blowing, which was to prove the undoing of the home side.
Ben Jackson replaced Carew on 70 minutes and Norwich continued to attack. With the minutes being counted down, Haverhill finally broke out of their 22-metre line and into the Norwich half with three minutes to play.
This should have been the end of the game. Norwich’s only chance to draw level or win was with a try and conversion to win. Sixty metres out, this is not possible.
Haverhill should have played forward rugby, driving a setting. But they chose to play expansive ball, lost it and Norwich managed to break up the park.
On 79 minutes, Hope was shown a yellow card for an infringement five metres out and the resulting penalty was passed to the Norwich man-mountain of a prop, who was not stopped by Haverhill and there was a score in the corner.
With no wind to interfere with the flight of the ball, the Norwich kicker kicked from 35 metres and got the two extra points. The full-time whistle went immediately the ball was dead.
Haverhill should have won this, but forgot to play percentage rugby at the end of the game and paid very dearly for this error.
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