Match Report: Stevenage v Grasshoppers
Seniors: First XV: 14th April 2018
Stevenage |
5 |
37 |
Grasshoppers |
With promotion in the bag Grasshoppers
travelled to Stevenage knowing that anything from this game would make them
Champions of London Northwest Three. However, Stevenage had their own ideas as
they needed a bonus point win to keep their promotion hopes alive.
So on a glorious spring day the home side
kicked off down the slope and set their intentions to take the game to G’s
straight away with G’s failing to get any possession or momentum in the game.
However, the G’s defence stood firm which gave them the opportunity to spend
some time in the opposition twenty-two. This in turn allowed them to break the
deadlock on twenty minutes with a well taken unconverted try from winger, Tom
O’Halloran. The game continued in the same vein for the rest of the half with sustained
pressure from the home side matched with steadfast defence from G’s and despite
numerous scoring opportunities for both sides the half-time score remained at
0-5.
Despite playing up the slop the home side
continued their intent to throw the ball around and this strategy bore fruit as
Stevenage ran from their own twenty-two to score an unconverted try to draw the
sides level at 5-5 and give themselves hope.
G’s though, continued to strive to achieve
a winning end to the season and decided to take three points from a penalty
from stand-off, Conor Gilmore to make it 5-8. G’s continued this pressure and
shortly afterwards number eight, Louis Brown’s mercurial running saw him go
over for G’s second unconverted try to widen the gap to 5-13.
This was undoubtedly G’s best period of the
game as quick possession from the phases allowed their backs room and so this
lead to Tom O’Halloran’s second try and G’s third try to make the score 5-20
with the Conor Gilmore conversion added. This dominance continued and G’s were
rewarded with the fourth bonus point / championship try from centre, Craig
Foster to move the score onto 5-25.
Stevenage game back at G’s and pressed for
the next ten minutes but Conor Gilmore gathered an interception and put centre,
Mark Cunningham in for the try under the posts which Conor Gilmore converted.
And so it with the last play of the game G’s again ran good possession which
saw winger, Harry Hancock break the line to feed Tom O’Halloran who went in for
his hat-trick try and to round an excellent afternoon and season’s rugby at
5-37.