LACK OF INTENSITY SEES IGNATIANS DERAILED IN CRUCIAL CLASH

It proved a painful day for ENFIELD IGNATIANS as the blue and golds never truly got out of the blocks in the disappointing 30-8 defeat to Hampstead at Donkey Lane (December 17).

The loss came with a double whammy as it saw Ignatians plummet to the foot of the Counties One Herts-Middlesex table ahead of the three Christmas break, and they clearly will have to redouble their efforts in the New Year, when they have ten more games in which to rescue their season.

Getting on the front foot early in the game, Ignatians claimed their only points of the half via a successful Jack O’Toole penalty after Hampstead were penalised for holding-on (following good work from Frank Antwi). Variously deployed at fly-half/scrum-half, O'Toole also struck the woodwork with another kick at goal.

These were misses that Ignatians could ill afford, particularly as Jack Wilson, having shared the kicking duties, was off-target with two other penalty attempts, in between the two O’Toole strikes, and they should also have scored from a driving maul, only to be held-up over the line.

In contrast, the more rounded and fluid Hampstead looked dangerous each time they moved the ball away from the point of contact, and their mix and match game gave Ignatians all manner of problems, as the visitors clicked into gear by forging a 13-3 half-time lead.

When Ignatians failed to fund touch, the visitors ran the ball back with interest via their dangerous fullback, and, a couple of phases later, they were under the sticks, and they also sighted the line again – before the Hammers’ fly-half dummied his way over.

Hampstead were also on target with a penalty as Ignatians were left to rue their missed opportunities, particularly as they were playing down the slope in the first-half.

Ignatians initially struggled to get out of their half in the second-period but, some sterling work from Jack Wilson and Hadee Fayaz, saw them break their shackles, and the upshot was the winning of an attacking scrum on the 22 from which they capitalised to score their only try of the game.

As, a couple of phases later, Ignatians boxed their opponents into a corner, and although a Jack O’Toole blindside probe fell just short, he
crucially laid the ball back, and the successful try-scoring surge of prop Farhad Fayaz achieved the desired result of bringing the hosts right back into the game.

However, moments after Ignatians come right back into the game at 13-8 down, disaster struck, as Jack O’Toole had a kick charged down, and Hampstead made the most of their free ticket into the red zone by claiming their third try, by successfully spreading the ball wide and scoring in the corner.

Still, Ignatians never stopped trying. They had to accommodate a raft of changes (including scrum-half Daniel Shaw (hamstring) and Roman Constantinou (shoulder) during the game, which hindered their continuity, but they also spurned a couple more opportunities to make in-roads on the scoreboard.

A neat blindside probe and dummy by MOM Fadee Fayaz caught the Hammers’ defence on the hop, only for a potential scoring pass destined for his brother, Hadee, to be intercepted, and they should also have done better from an attacking maul close to the visitors’ line on the opposite side of the field.

The maul had plenty of initial traction. However, the solo peel, some two to three metres from the line, was read by the defence, and with Sam Hatchett penalised for holding on, Ignatians had the wind again knocked out of their sails, particularly as the hooker was forced off injured, as the blue and golds were reduced to 14, given that Ignatians had already emptied their subs’ bench.

A flagging Ignatians tried hard to play front foot rugby but, when the ball was spilled, Hampstead very quickly feasted on turnover ball, before adding a fifth and final try late in the day, when the blue and golds were clearly out on their feet.

Head coach Jack Wilson said: “I think we showed a lack of intensity during the game. Some of our tackling wasn’t great. It was a bad day at the office.”

Squad: Jack Wilson, Mapheon Dube (Ken Carroll 60), Tom MacDougall, Carl Asare-Anderson, Hadee Fayaz, Jack O’Toole, Daniel Shaw (Calum Middleton 35),Matt Georgiou, Sam Hatchett (off 64), Farhad Fayaz, Seyi Adeosun, Roman Constantinou (Femi Adeosun 10-20) (R Constantinou 21-24) (Femi Adeosun 25), Nathaniel Clarke, Euan Renny (Cpt), Frank Antwi.
Try: Farhad Fayaz.
Penalty: Jack O’Toole.
MOM: Farhad Fayaz.