Ravens RFC 24

Hackney RFC 34

 

Hackney made a winning start to 2008, stretching their winning streak to record their fourth successive win over Ravens RFC

 

In this friendly fixture, Hackney were forced to make several changes and the team represented a mixture of both Griffins and Gargoyles players. In fact due to a lack of forwards, the London side were forced to start the game with 14 players and no recognised front row specialists. As a result the scrums were uncontested throughout the match.

 

Hackney started brightly and scored early on, John Young scoring his second of the season. Darren Griffen added a penalty before scrum half Cormac Fanning helped himself to his first try of the season. Hackney scored their third try through some quick thinking by scrum half Fanning, who took a lineout quickly and threw over the top of the line for Darren Griffen to score under the posts before Ravens could organise their defence. A late arrival of reserves meant that Hackney now had 15 men on the pitch but it was during the last period of the first half that Ravens scored a try after good work from their forwards .They could not convert it for the extra goal points.

 

The second half promised to be a close affair and Hackney felt that as long as they matched the Ravens’ level of aggression we could win the game. Ravens had the advantage of playing with the wind behind them in the second half, whilst Hackney also had to contend with playing into the setting sun. Things did not get any easier for Hackney when they lost Shaun Collins to injury and were forced to play the remaining 20 minutes with 14 men. Ravens made their numerical advantage count and they scored two tries in the second half through passing the ball quickly out to the wings where the London side found themselves outnumbered. However, a try apiece from Nick Cartright and Andrew Owen secured the victory for Hackney.  

 

Hackney Griffins: J Williams, J Mullet, G Nouger,  J Young, N Cartright, C Davies, P Kaoud, J Tully, C Fanning, D Griffen, R Baker, S Collins, T Wright, A Owen, C Callanan. R Holgate