First XV - Herts/Middlesex 1
Spartans - Middlesex Merit 3
Ladies - Women's NC 2 South East (Central)
Space Cowboys - Vets League A
Saturday, September 29th saw Spartans take a short trip up the road to play Hammersmith & Fulham V, weather conditions were dry and warm, a perfect day for rugby.
Spartans started the game from the kick off with Hammersmith & Fulham on the receiving end of a great Spartans chase. The first 10 minutes consisted of a strong Spartans defence around the middle of the park with the opposition determined to use their greater size to their advantage with a barrage of runners off of each breakdown.
Eventually, Hammersmith & Fulham found the breakthrough they were looking for and took an early lead with a converted try, Spartans find themselves 0 – 7.
After being pushed back in the scrums up to this point it didn’t take long for the Spartans number 8 and eventual man of the match Kenny Hassan to take matters into his own hands with a pickup and mazy run down the blind side of the field with a pass to the Spartans 10 Arlind Cela who threw a great pass out the back for the winger the run in Spartans first try of the game. Spartans 5-7!
Hammersmith & Fulham reacted well to conceding and stepped up the intensity around the breakdowns bombarding the Spartans defence. With lots of scrums also being awarded the opposition pack seized the opportunity to use this to their advantage pushing Spartans back over their own line to finish the half 28-5.
After making a few changes during the break a rejuvenated Spartans took to the field to receive the kickoff. Much like the first half, they found themselves on the back foot doing well to hold out the oppositions kick ball around the breakdown.
Spartans found themselves probing the opposition by pinning them in their 22 for several phases which ended in an unlucky penalty being awarded to the opposition, offering them a welcome relief.
Throughout the second half the Spartans troubled the opposition with several well-drilled mauls from the lineout catching Hammersmith & Fulham’s forwards on the back foot with Spartans gaining valuable yardage each time.
The opposition found themselves battling out a physical second half with Spartans restricting them to three second-half tries, one of which was extremely unlucky to concede. The physicality of the second half was epitomised in a breakaway run from the Spartans number 8 charging directly into and bouncing off an opposition forward to carry on his run, much to the enjoyment of the spectating crowd.
It was an unfortunate loss for the Spartans this week.
Hammersmith & Fulham V 45 – 5 Spartans
Man of the Match – Kenny Hassan
Dick of the Day – Harvey Choules (For a 40m+ clearance that went over the opposition dead ball line giving them back the yards)
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