Match Report: Grasshoppers v Finchley
Seniors: First XV: 3rd February 2018
| Grasshoppers |
24 |
12 |
Finchley |
Grasshoppers welcomed Finchley and Belsize
Park for league and merit table encounters and saw their first and second teams
put in two strong performances for the second week running.
Finchley kicked off the first team game
down the slope on a dull and drizzly afternoon and were on the front foot
straight away as G’s failed to get a foothold in the game. This pressure
eventually bore fruit and G’s saw themselves 0-7 down to a converted try.
G’s though, eventually got them selves back
in the game as the forwards played simpler rugby by retaining possession and
releasing at the right time. This gave their backs room to move in the
difficult conditions which led to a try from winger, Harry Hancock which when
converted by stand-off, Conor Gilmore saw the score levelled at 7-7.
G’s continued to press with their tactics
paying little respect to the weather and so the final pass usually went astray.
However, one particular move saw G’s move the ball with pace as hooker, Jack
Walkden gathered the ball and went in under the posts to take the lead and a
second conversion from Conor Gilmore stretched the lead to 14-7. However, This
Finchley side weren’t giving up and just before half time that narrowed the gap
to two points to make the score 14-12 at the break.
Whilst G’s with the slope, got into their
stride in the second half they found the Finchley defence difficult to break
down but a piece of inspiration from stand-off spotted defensive cross-field
gaps and put in an accurate kick which saw full-back, Craig Foster, slip over
for an unconverted try to extend the score to 19-12.
By this time G’s looked in control but were
keen to get the fourth bonus point try and it came with fifteen minutes to go
as the forwards gathered the ball from a lineout twenty metres out and drove to
the line with flanker, James Kent coming up with the ball for the unconverted
try.
Finchley pressed and pressed to get
something out of the game but the G’s defence held firm and so their winning
run continued into February 24-12 which put them eight points clear at the top
of the table.
