Date: Sat 1st Oct 2022

Time: 3:00pm

Match Report

In the early Autumn sunshine Harlow turned on the style in a dominant display, defeating visitors Upminster 113-3. In a performance full of pace, power and precision the Latton Park side scored seventeen tries with fourteen converted, to amass a hefty total and entertain the watching crowd.

As in previous games Harlow scored early doors when Harry Masini found space on the right wing to career over and score his first try for the club, a feat he repeated thrice more in a man of the match performance. With number 8 Dave Archer fielding kicks for fun, the home side were given plenty of possession, with which half backs Creasey and Smith combined well to set their back line away almost at will. Skilful and purposeful running allowed Harlow to take a stranglehold on the game which they never relinquished as they scored regularly with left wing Joel Drake particularly potent, scoring a first half hatrick.

Whilst the red forwards were in the ascendancy for the majority of the game it was at the scrum they were made to work, with the U’s pack giving a good account of themselves throughout the eighty. In the loose however the Harlow eight were rampant, with hooker Mikey Lyons a willing ball carrier, speedy recycling work at the breakdown allowed the backs the time to take advantage of space created to raid time and again into the visitors half, the result of which was a pair of tries for the elusive Stalley and one apiece for Hobbs and Macpherson-Smith. Not to be left out of the scoring the forward union pitched in with second row Will Garner dotting down after after a 20 meter charge.

After the break Harlow’s challenge was to maintain the intensity of the first half, a task they accomplished robustly as Masini added to his brace of the first stanza by replicating the act and adding two more. Lyons then made two smart breaks from which he scored with aplomb and flanker Jack Elston wrestled his way over the chalk for his first of the season. The coaches will be pleased that the guys off the bench all brought some energy to the game as evidenced when a tidy off load by James Clark put In Ryan McGlone to run behind the posts. Ben Creasey after an evasive run from 25 metre’s out went between the stick’s for the host’s final try on a day where a lot exercised on the training paddock was put into practice in a game day situation. Upminster showed their spirit by scoring the last points of the day with a penalty in front of posts awarded when pressing the red line and immediately after the referee brought the game to a close. Danny Smith contributed twenty two points to the total from the tee whilst Creasey having taken over kicking duties added a further six to complete a memorable day.