Hartpury survive late scare to secure first bonus point win of the season
By Daniel Withers & Luke Jarmyn, at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium
HARTPURY held firm against a late Chinnor onslaught to get back to winning ways in a tense home clash on Saturday.
Outside centre Robbie Smith, inside centre Ollie Allsopp, hooker Ethan Hunt and replacement Keir Clark all crossed for Mark Cornwell’s side, while Nathan Chamberlain was Chinnor’s main man as he chalked up a try and two conversions for the visitors.
It was a chilly day at the 4ED Stadium as ‘pury looked to remove the blues after defeat to Bedford last time out and produce a pleasing performance for the local Gloucestershire Faithful.
The game started slowly with little action until the first real play saw Hartpury fullback Alex Morgan faked a drop kick, which allowed him to find space on the right wing before playing the ball inside to scrum-half Rhys Price, but for the visitors intercepting to deny any chance of a try.
Winger Bradley Denty received medical attention and have his left ankle taped up in the opening quarter, but that pause didn’t deter the university’s side, who won a scrum to lay the platform before Smith went on a solo run through the centre of the field to score the first try of the afternoon.
Hartpury’s hero from the tee this season, fly-half Harry Bazalgette, stepped up for his first attempt at a conversion and scored to give the reds a 7-0 lead.
The visitors disrupted Hartpury’s set-pieces very effectively, with the home-side unable to win a lineout for the first half-hour.
Chinnor got a first opportunity to open their account after winning a penalty when Hartpury loosehead Louie Trevett was penalised for not releasing the ball and holding onto his man for too long.
Chinnor fly-half, Chamberlain, was unable to convert the penalty kick but the visitors wait for their first score would come within minutes after as Charles James-Carter crossed between the sticks.
The try on the cusp of the half-hour mark came after winger Kieran Goss drove up the left flank which saw constant pressure put onto Hartpury until the reds defence crumbled and James-Carter scored.
Chamberlain’s successful conversion levelled the game but four minutes later Ethan Hunt replaced Will Crane at hooker and a successful line-out laid the platform for ‘pury retake the lead as Ollie Allsopp blasted past several defenders to score in the corner.
Due to the tight angle from the touch line, Bazalgette registered a rare miss from the tee, and at the restart the university’s efforts were made a lot harder with lock Jack Davies being sin-binned.
Bazalgette produced a great penalty kick from the half-way line on stroke of half-time to make it 15-7 to the men in red at the break.
The Oxfordshire side re-started the stronger, and university lock Cameron Cobbett was caught by the pressing visitors, allowing Chamberlain to get possession and side-step his way into open space before dashing over on the right.
The No.10 converted his own try, while Cobbett was unfortunately stretchered off with a knee injury.
With barely 15 minutes left, Hunt scored a crucial try after Hartpury got some success from a line-out and the team pushed their opponents back until there was an opening for Hunt to muscle over at the back of a maul.
Bazalgette’s conversion unfortunately pulled to the left was dragged left.
Chinnor never relented, and some brilliant passing from the black-and-white hoops led to a sling out wide and Kieran Goss sprinted over.
Hartpury continued to hunt for the try bonus point, and after winning a scrum, No. 8 Jarred Hayler produced a lovely side-step before moving the ball over to his left where winger Keir Clark was able to glide over the line and secure the first bonus point of the season.
Chinnor continued to apply pressure in the final few minutes with the hope of grabbing victory, but Hartpury’s defence held firm.
Stats:
|
Hartpury |
|
Chinnor |
|
12 |
Penalties conceded |
15 |
|
9 |
Line-outs won |
12 |
|
4 |
Line-outs lost |
2 |
|
4 |
Scrums won |
3 |
|
0 |
Scrums lost |
0 |
|
1 |
Sin bins |
0 |
|
0 |
Red cards |
0 |
Teams:
Hartpury: Alex Morgan; Bradley Denty (Keir Clark 60’), Robbie Smith, Ollie Allsopp, Ollie Holliday; Harry Bazalgette, Rhys Price; Louie Trevett (Harrison Bellamy 70’), Will Crane (Ethan Hunt 31’), Jono Benz-Salomon (Ollie Minnis 75’), Peter Paramore, Jack Davies, Cameron Cobbett (Dale Lemon 53’), Harry Short (Ellis Hart 64’), Jarred Hayler
Not used: Cai Gealy, Lewis Haydn
Sinbin: Jack Davies 36’
Tries: Robbie Smith 19’, Ollie Allsopp 32’, Ethan Hunt 66’, Keir Clark 75’
Conversions: Harry Bazalgette 20’
Penalties: Harry Bazalgette 39’
Drop Goals:
Chinnor: Nick Smith; Grant Hughes, Tom Watson, James Bourton (Morgan Passman 64’), Kieran Goss; Nathan Chamberlain, Luke Carter (Callum Pascoe 66’); Kai Owen (Ramaz Rukhadze 70’), Alun Walker (Chris Moore 55’), Rob Hardwick (Cameron Doak 70’), Jamie Campbell, Conor-Terrah Brockschmidt (Will Cave 40’-45’), Scott Hall (Will Cave 53’), Jamie Carr, Gabriel Mann
Not used: Dan Cooke, Cameron Rafferty
Tries: Luke Carter 27’, Nathan Chamberlain 42’, Kieran Goss 70’
Conversions: Chamberlain 28’, 43’
Penalties:
Drop Goals:
Referee: Hamish Grant (RFU)
Attendance: 870
Half-time: 15 - 7 (to Hartpury)
Star player: Ollie Allsopp (Hartpury)
Reaction:
Cornwell amazed that Hartpury ‘played better into the wind’
By Daniel Withers, at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium
Despite the eventual victory, Hartpury director of rugby Mark Cornwell was left surprised after such an end-to-end contest.
The conditions for kicking weren’t ideal depending on which way you were playing.
In the first 40, Hartpury had the benefit of the wind, however, Cornwell revealed “I thought the win had got away from us to be honest. We didn’t use it enough in the first half and I thought it would come back and bite us.”
Cornwell seemed amazed that his side “probably played better into the wind than with the wind.”
He added: “I had a little worry at half-time that we hadn’t done enough with the wind.”
“I thought we showed some threat with the ball in hand today,” highlighting Hartpury's impressive attacking display.
Cornwell also gave insight into how his players “were honest with themselves that we let that one slip,” on reflection to Hartpury’s last run out against Bedford which resulted in their first defeat of the season.
Hartpury’s man of the match, Ollie Allsopp, shared how the side were “frustrated with the loss against Bedford, so, coming into this week we were just trying to get the momentum back.”
Allsopp kept it simple as he said he was “fairly pleased" with his individual performance that saw him scoop up the Man of The Match award.
Both home games so far for Hartpury this season have seen a win, Allsopp called it “quite a tough place to come.”
The number 12 has the aim to “make the play-offs,” before adding “if we can get in that top six and make the play-offs, I think that would be a positive.”
Further “frustration” was revealed by Allsopp after a slow start that saw the first try come 20 minutes into the game and not “mak(ing) the most of that wind,” in the first half.
“I think we were a bit clunky,” “they had a good game plan and the first 15-20 minutes I think we were quite inaccurate in some areas.”
Allsopp commented “it’s something you can’t control, you just have to adapt to it,” when asked about the sinbin his side faced.
