Pinner back in winning form

After a three week lay-off from league rugby P&G’s were hosts to local rivals Ickenham at Shaftesbury Playing Fields on Saturday.  Both teams were in need of a win to lift them in the Herts /Middx Div 2.  Ickenham had the advantage of the wind for the first half but Pinner got the early scoring chances through penalties but none were converted.  Ickenham now used the wind to advantage to keep the ball in the home half and desperate P&G’s defence led to the home side conceding penalties.  Ickenham fly-half Barry Hall narrowly missed his first attempt at goal kicking the ball dead but Pinner soon gave him another chance when they were penalised for not releasing the ball in the tackle.  This time Hall made no mistake to give the visitors a 3 – 0 lead.  Pinner now upped the tempo with centre Alex Goring making a surging run from his own 10 metre line only to be brought down 3 metres short of the try line. Ickenham managed to scramble the ball clear. When it looked like the visitors would hold the lead to half-time they conceded a penalty on their 10 metre line.  Full-back Mark Razzell, promoted after kicking 18 points for the Pelicans the previous week, landed a fine 40 metre kick into the wind to draw level as the whistle went.

Now with the wind behind them Pinner attacked in earnest.  With only 7 minutes of the half gone they won the ball in mid-field and moved swiftly to right winger John Kirby who made good ground along the touch line.  When tackled he found No 8 Bernie Richter in support to complete the last 20 metres to score 10 m in from touch.  Razzell confidently added the 2 points.  The Ickenham backs seemed to have a few handling problems and in an attempt to get back into the game they conceded a few long range penalties but Pinner were unable to take advantage. With a quarter of an hour left, and the home side not yet sure of victory, P&G’s again attacked from mid-field.  This time Captain Reza Sibilant chose to put in the most delicate of kicks through the advancing defence and centre Alex Goring gathered and scored.  Razzell once more made the conversion to give the home side a more comfortable 17 – 3 lead.  On the half hour the Ickenham scrum-half, under pressure from the P&G’s back-row, put in a dreadful kick which was gratefully fielded by his opposite number Sam Markham.  He skilfully chipped over the disorganised defence, ran on to catch his own kick and scored Pinner’s third try which was not converted.   In the last ten minutes Pinner pressed hard for the fourth bonus point try but it was not to be so they had to be satisfied with the 22 – 3 victory.

Pinner’s woes continue.

For the first time since the league system was introduced the two local teams met at Grove Field on Saturday.  Pinner has made a shaky start to the season whilst newly promoted Harrow are unbeaten.  P&G’s made a bright start but with only 5 minutes gone they conceded a penalty for a high tackle. The home scrum half put his side ahead from 40 metres.  Pinner continued to attack and hooker Aaron Nicholas was unlucky with the bounce after chasing a kick ahead.  He redeemed the situation by felling two Harrow players who had gathered the ball.  P&G’s, winning the ball in mid-field, moved the ball swiftly through several players for Bernie Richer to score behind the posts.  Debutant David Blane added the conversion to put the visitors 7 – 3 up.   The teams seemed evenly matched for the next quarter until an ill advised quick kick-off from the P&G 22 brought a line-out to the home side 10 metres from the goal line.  Harrow won the line-out and drove over for a try which was converted.  Again the P&G kick-off gave the ball to Harrow who move swiftly up-field to score on the left. The conversion was once more successful.  More was still to come as P&G’s were penalised for handling in the ruck on their own 22.  Harrow, sensing the visitors defence was not organised, took a quick penalty to score their third try.  In the space of ten minutes Pinner had slipped from 7 -3 ahead to 22 – 7 down at half-time.

The second half saw Harrow gain in confidence but Pinner reduced the deficit when Blane landed a 35 metre penalty after Harrow had gone off-side at a ruck.  The home backs now came more into the game with the speed and elusiveness of their wingers causing problems to the visitors.  The bonus point try came after 13 minutes when they worked the ball to the right.  The conversion was successful.  Pinner continued to press and set up several attacks but as the half-hour approached the referee failed to spot a blatant off-side by Harrow allowing them to score their fifth try.  Ten minutes later Harrow won a line-out on the right and quickly fed the ball across their backs to score an unconverted try on the left wing.  P&G’s once more rallied and winning the ball from a ruck following a line-out in their own 22 got the ball to Richter who, as he had done the previous week, galloped 70 metres to score a consolation try wide out on the right bringing the final score to 41 – 15 to the home team.

Next Saturday Pinner, hoping for a change in fortune, host Royston in the Herts / Middx Div 2 match at Shaftesbury Playing Fields whilst the Pelicans XV welcome Hampstead IV’s.