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EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE: Haverhill 3 Cantabs 60. Match report.

There are some things to take from this.

When I prepare the write up, I use the previous week's sheet, but found that I was changing almost every name in the team.

Of the starting line-up, only seven played the previous week and only four of these started in the same position as the week before. Continuity is one thing the club needs to strive for.

This being said, there was some good performances from debutantes Adam Curtis at flanker and Sam Powell at inside centre and the Haverhill scrum performed well in the set piece.

However, in the loose, too often did they lose the ball to Cantabs turn over, and this was punished with ruthless efficiency.

Haverhill again showed promise, this time for the first 25 minutes of the game, but as fitness started to tell, the opposition took command of all aspects of the game.

The first try came on 18 minutes, when a scrum at five metres was picked from the back and a blind side move led to an unconverted try.

Haverhill's discipline again was in question as penalties for not rolling away after the tackle were given at regular intervals, and another try looked a certainty on 23 minutes, but a superb tackle from fullback Mike Woods stopped the move. However, a penalty given soon after led to the score increasing to 0-8.

The crowd winced as Ransome put in a crunching tackle, but another penalty led to a kick to five metres out, and Haverhill were penalised for pulling down in the line and a quick kick led to a converted try on 30 minutes, making the score 0-15.

Haverhill continued to work hard and some very good moves led to good pressure on the Cantab line, but on the stroke of half-time, Cantabs crossed the Haverhill line to make the score 0-20 at the turn.

Within 30 seconds of the start of the second half, the lead was up to 0-27 as a run up the wing resulted in a converted try under the posts and this became 0-34 on 45 minutes.

Anderson was replaced by Muggeridge and Ewens made a brilliant tackle to stop an attack. Many Haverhill attacks fell down with the good loose play of Cantabs and the opposition score on 48 and 53 minutes, making the score 0-48 and on 56 minutes a break-out try increased the tally to 0-55. Jones replaced Wong at second row and Neil Richard replaced the welcomed returning Chris Clayden on the wing.

Haverhill won a penalty on 60 minutes, but the Ewens kick shaved the upright. With ten minutes to go, Haverhill tried to run a penalty from ten metres, only to be pushed back to 30 metres, but again won a penalty and went for the posts to make the score 3-55.

Sam Powell left the field with three minutes to go, and on the stroke of the final whistle, Cantabs crossed the line for the ninth time making the score 3-60.

Again, much of what was wrong can be put right on the training field, but the commitment to attend needs to happen.