Windsor U17's v Harrow RFC
22nd April 2007by Dr FT Bosh
The listing was posted by Windsor RFC - Juniors - u17s become colts - Season 07/08
The Windsor team - post match
Windsor U17’s hosted a fixture with Harrow at Home Park this Sunday. The home side have not played a fixture together since their National Shield Semi Final defeat over 5 weeks ago and it showed. In an absorbing game that was long on commitment, but short on tactical awareness, Windsor allowed Harrow to beat them on the last play of the game. Despite dominating most of the second half, a failure to finish clinically, combined with some basic errors gave the visitors a victory that they could not have expected at half time.
The match started with a comedy of errors from both sides. Knock ons, dropped passes, not straight at the line out and forward passes all kept the referee busy in the first 5 minutes. Windsor began to settle down first, when second row Jack Foran leapt to steal Harrow ball at the lineout. Tom Bates, at scrum half, got the ball out quickly and as the Harrow defence rushed up to close the three-quarters down, centre Jonny Whitehead chipped the ball over for winger Sam Turner to chase. Gathering it in well, he had run out of space and was bundled into touch. But the aura of lethargy over the game was burst and both sides now raised their game.
Turner was called into action again, shortly afterwards when Harrow counter attacked. With an overlap outside him, the Harrow fullback attempted to burst pass the Windsor winger, but was well caught and deposited on the iron like Windsor turf. However on Harrow’s next possession their centre chanced his arm through the middle and was not met with the same resolve, going through to score a soft try that was well converted.
Windsor tried to raise their game, but Harrow tails were now up. Strong tackling from Joe Baker and Jamie Curtis slowed Harrow down, but they were making progress. Windsor should have stopped the rot, when a brave tackle from Bates on a marauding Harrow second row formed into a ruck. Number 8 Ed Clemance drove over and the ball was on Windsor’s side. Turner came in from his wing, secured the ball and broke up the forward/three-quarter seam. His off-load to supporting flanker Lewis Woolman was well timed and Woolman was in space. Making 30 yards before being caught, Windsor were now on the front foot. The ball was re-cycled and spun out to the backs. James Barth at centre forced his way over, but unfortunately had what could be described as a “Dominici moment”. Reminiscent of the French winger against Italy in 2004 he lost control of the ball as he was grounding it and the referee had to award a knock on to Harrow.
During the break, Windsor seemed to regain some composure. Foran and Baker combined to reclaim the ball from the restart and from the quick ball delivered by Bates, centre Jonny Whitehead skipped inside his man and over to score a try, converted by Ben Tindall. Harrow came back strongly, but awesome defence from Turner, Whitehead and Richie Eccles broke up the three-quarters moves. In the pack Ed Clemance drove his men on and gradually Windsor took back the initiative. From here until full time it was, almost, all Windsor. The pack secured the ball, with Curtis and hooker Shiv Khara making their presence felt in the loose. In the backs Whitehead and Tindall continually threatened to break through, but never quite managed it. A high tackle on Whitehead gave Windsor a penalty and a subsequent high tackle by the same player on a quick thinking James Farrant stopped the Windsor quick penalty and should have earned more than a mild admonishment from the referee. However Windsor had great field position and could have kicked three points. They chose to run it and the move was snuffed out by a swarming Harrow defence. Windsor now seemed to self-destruct. With the exception of an excellent break from Charlie Lambert on the wing, all Windsor’s possession was squandered as players tried to go it alone. Overlaps were missed and the inevitable happened, On Harrow’s only possession for 15 minutes, they got upfield and one of the three-quarters found a soft spot in the Windsor defence and got over to score a game winning try.
Windsor played hard and well in this game, but showed signs of rustiness following their lay off. With their Rouen Tour coming up soon, they will need to get their old fluency back to compete with the French.
Result
Windsor 7 Harrow 12
Scorers:
Trys: Whitehead.
Conversion: Tindall