2019 got off to a good start with Old Colfeians picking up 5 points on the road against struggling Heathfield and Waldron.
Despite being away from home our first fixture of the New Year looked like a nice one on paper. Heathfield and Waldron sit bottom of London SE2 and are a team we had a convincing home win against earlier in the season. However OCs know what it is like to be in their position and we were careful to go into the fixture with respect for the opposition and prepared for them to come out fighting.
From the early exchanges it became apparent that this wasn’t going to be a low scoring affair. Perfect conditions coupled with two young sides keen to move the ball about meant that tries were a plenty in the first half. The opening try came after about five minutes from Chris O’Malley at the base of a well formed driving maul. With absolute scrum dominance OCs might have been forgiven for thinking this would become very one sided. However, following a fantastic catch off their own restart HW found themselves deep in OCs 22 which ultimately led to a try, 7-5 to the home team.
OCs were now fully aware that HW weren’t going to just roll over and an increased level of execution allowed a number of tries to follow from Dan Wood, “Sugar” Andy O, Bill Ramdhan and another driving maul try for COM. 29-7 at HT. The score might have been more flattering but to the dismay of many Jack Potter’s trusty kicking tee which has saved our bacon more than once has now broken! They apparently do not manufacture this variety of tee any longer. So dear readers if any of you have access to a 3D printer please call this number immediately 07454273739. Thank you.
The second half got underway and more of the same for OCs. Feeling comfortable running from our own 22 we soon made our right to the other end of the field and new father Dele Agorioge ran it in for a five-pointer. We should now take this time for a moment of silence for any future boyfriends that Dele’s daughter brings home in the future… as the saying goes God help them. The second 40 minutes perhaps lacked the final product of the first with OCs maintaining possession and running with the ball well only to squander it with the try line in sight. Despite a touch of complacency there were more tries to be had with Dan Wood crossing twice more for a hatrick, still waiting on the jug he bought… The highlight of the second half came when young Victor Spaczil gathered a cross kick in our 22 and ran the further 80m for the try. The crowd, donning their fresh OCs bobble hats, went wild.
Heathfield and Waldron did not give up and managed three tries of their own in a second half which won’t go down in history as OCs tidiest. This secured them a needed 4 try bonus point and meant the fulltime score read 51-24 to OCs. A good but not particularly clinical performance from OCs which blew the Christmas cobwebs out. Good performances from Woody who scored three tries and had even more turn overs. Josh Doughty (not joking) who played fifty minutes out of position at 13 was excellent in attack and good in defense. MOTM went to young Victor Spaczil who’s wonder try was coupled with steady all round play. Next week OCs have a team from Betteshanger to deal with (get it?) and look to continue this solid start to the New Year.
Author: COM
