DOUBLE CHAMPIONS!!!
Watch the World cup @ Pinner RFC
Watch the Rugby World Cup at Pinner RFC!
We will be showing the following games at the club on our BIG Screen! All Friends, family and Children welcome.
Friday 18th Sept England v Fiji (opening Ceremony) Kick Off 8pm
Sunday 20th Sept Samoa v USA Kick off 12pm
Sunday 20th Sept Wales Uruguay Kick off 14:30
Sunday 20th Sept New Zealand v Argentina Kick off 14:45
Saturday 26th Sept England v Wales Kick off 8pm
Saturday 3rd October England v Australia Kick off 8pm
Saturday 10th October England v Uruguay Kick off 8pm
Saturday 17th October Quarter Final Kick off 4pm & 8pm
Sunday 18th October Quarter Final Kick off 1pm & 4pm
Saturday 24th October Semi Final Kick off Kick off 4pm
Sunday 25th October Semi Final Kick off 4pm
Saturday 31st October Final Kick off 4pm
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Champions Cup Final Match Report!
PINNER RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – Match report for Saturday 18th April
PINNER PUT THE ICING ON THE CAKE
Man of the Match: James O’Brien
Pinner rounded off their very fine season with an emphatic 60 – 7 win in the final of the Middlesex Rugby Merit Vase at Twickenham RFC on Saturday to add this trophy to the Merit Table 5 championship won in the play-off the previous week. For the first time in the Club’s eighty-one year history the 1st XV has won all of its 21 matches amassing 638 points and conceding only 114.
Once again the wind made playing conditions difficult but Pinner were soon on the score board when following a run by winger John Petrella, second row Dave Logan went over for a try. Pinner’s powerful forwards soon established superiority in the set pieces driving the home pack off the ball in the tight. A superb break by flanker James O’Brien nearly allowed number 8 Andrew Alexander to score but the home defence held. Pinner were awarded a penalty and opted for touch. Winning the line-out the forwards drove on, the ball was recycled to left winger Michael Baggs to score in the corner. Baggs again had a hand in the next score. Winning yet another scrum Baggs made progress down the left, with fly-half Chris Hall in support to change the direction of the attack, linking with Captain Aaron Nicholas who scored on the left. Jepsens kick was successful. On the half-hour Pinner had another penalty following a scum offence. Scrum-half Chris Jepsen took it quickly to put Alexander in for the fourth try to give the visitors a 22 – 0 half-time lead.
This lead was the same as the interval score in the previous week’s pay-off final when facing the wind made life difficult but Pinner had no intension of losing the advantage. Within five minutes the next try arrived. Twickenham won a scrum but fumbled the passing allowing Pinner left wing John [Beau] Petrella to pounce and score behind the posts. Jepsen’s kick advanced the score to 29 – 0. Pinner now became a bit complacent allowing Twickenham to use the wind to move into Pinner’s 22 from where they made their only score. This was a wake-up call and once again Jepsen’s quick thinking put the game beyond doubt. He took yet another quick penalty and evading half-hearted tackles scored try number six. Into the final quarter the home side lost heart. Another powerful scrum allowed Alexander to pick-up and knocking over several opponents scored one of his trade-mark tries. Jepsen converted. Pinner backs were now moving with confidence, replacement centre Richard Southam made good ground to feed Petrella for his second try behind the posts. Next it was the turn of the impressive centre Rohan Desai to put the icing on the cake. A fine run by hooker and captain Nicholas gave Desai the chance to beat several defenders to score under the posts took Pinner past the halve century. In the dying minutes of the season it was again Desai who gathered up a loose ball 40 metres out to leave the exhausted defence stranded to bring the final try tally to 10 and the score to 60 – 7.
As with the previous week’s play-off final the coach load of Pinner supporters had cheered their team home to the end of a memorable season. The Middlesex Merit Vase plaque was presented to Captain Aaron Nicholas by Steve Rac, Honorary Secretary of Middlesex Rugby. Club President Dave Hiles, himself a former Middlesex Honorary Secretary, was full of praise for the team’s unique performance and the leadership of Nicholas and coach Tony Mullins.
Next Friday the club will holding its Annual Awards Dinner in its clubhouse in Hatch End when the success of this season will be well and truly celebrated.
PINNER ARE CHAMPIONS!
Pinner Rugby Football Club –match report for Sat 11th April
Pinner win the play- off final
Man of the Match: Neill King
Having gone all season with a 100% win record to secure first place in the Middlesex merit Table 5 and having defeated 4th placed Chiswick in the semi-final Pinner faced the much sterner task of Hammersmith & Fulham in the play-off final at Wasps on Saturday. This was just one of six finals in a festival of Merit Table rugby held at the Wasps and Middlesex county HQ in Acton.
Strong wind most across the ground and a bone hard surface made conditions difficult. Right from the kick-off Pinner’s powerful pack showed its intent and were soon camped in the H&F 22. Pushing back the opposition‘s scrum led to a ruck and the ball was quickly got to their powerful left wing John [Bow] Petrella to get the first try after only 3 minutes. From the re-start Pinner again won the scrum and number 8 Andrew Alexander burst through from the half-way line only to be brought down well in the H&F 22. Pinner were not to be denied and kept pressing. Winning yet another scrum Alexander picker up and drove over for the second try to give a 10 – 0 lead. Constant probing by scrum-half Chris Jepsen kept up the momentum. Hammersmith & Fulham made a few excursions into the Pinner half but ferocious tackling and a well organised defence ensured little opportunity to threaten. On one of these around half –way Pinner fly-half Chris Hall intercepted a H&F pass to sprint 50 m to score under the posts. This time Jepsen’s kick was successful and the lead stretched to 17 – 0. An injury to influential wing-forward Dan Smith caused a re-organisation of the Pinner pack with replacement Dave Logan going into the second-row but this in no- way weakened their dominance. With half-time approaching Logan proved his worth when following a series of rucks near the H&F line he drove over for the fourth try to give Pinner a comfortable 22 – 0 lead at the interval.
The second half proved a different story. The wind, having veered to the north, was now in Pinner’s face making progress up field very difficult. Hammersmith made full use of this wind kicking deep into the Pinner half. The Pinner defence was resolute and time and time again they resisted the H&F attacks. Eventually the pressure told and some sloppy covering allowed H&F in for a try. This inspired the opposition who now sensed an opportunity. On the half-hour the swirling wind ruined a Pinner line-out which H&F capitalised upon. A few quick passes and they scored under the post. Pinner’s lead was now reduced to 22 -12. Captain Aaron Nicholas now rallied his team and egged on by the biggest and most vocal group of supporters on the ground the Pinner were not going to see their season ruined in the last few minutes. Stirling defence, courageous tackles and the line was held. Agonising extra minutes of injury time all added to the drama but when the final whistle blew Pinner were Champions by 22 -12.
The Middlesex Shield was presented to Aaron Nicholas by Michael Barnes, immediate Past President on Middlesex Rugby and himself a vice-president and former captain and chairman of Pinner. The celebrations were unreserved continuing back on the coach and well into the night at the Pinner clubhouse in Hatch End.
Next Saturday, with the chance of a double, Pinner travel to Twickenham RFC for the final of the Merit Cup kicking-off at 3:00 pm. The coach for the team and supporters will leave Shaftesbury Playing fields around 12 noon. All support welcome as having had the largest group at Wasps certainly inspired the team.
CUP FINAL FEVER!!!
Pinner play their cup final at Twickenham RFC on Saturday 18th April
Kick off @ 2:30
All Support Welcome!!
