Phantoms fall at first hurdle in cup!

Phantoms opened their competitive fixtures for Season 2009-10 with a visit from Old Haberdashers of Herts/Middx Division 1 in an EDF Energy Junior Vase tie. With a number of players in key positions unable to play due to injury or absence it was a mix and match side which took to the field. Phantoms Captain David Yems unusually took a place at Fly Half rather than in the Forwards, Steve Kenny made his first appearance as a prop,..

Phantoms RFC 7 -- 77 Old Haberdashers RFC

EDF Energy Junior Vase -- First Round

5th September, 2009. Holland Road, West Ham

Phantoms opened their competitive fixtures for Season 2009-10 with a visit from Old Haberdashers of Herts/Middx Division 1 in an EDF Energy Junior Vase tie. With a number of players in key positions unable to play due to injury or absence it was a mix and match side which took to the field. Phantoms Captain David Yems unusually took a place at Fly Half rather than in the Forwards, Steve Kenny made his first appearance as a prop, Allan Ralph made a debut appearance for the club and Tharu Amarasinghe was included in the matchday squad for the first time. Encouragingly, Bruno Garcia, Joe Adams and Peter Scanlon made returns after injury.

With opponents several ranks higher than the East London based club, the challenge ahead was always going to be testing and the Phantoms found out exactly how challenging after only a few minutes when Old Haberdashers, through their well drilled forward pack, took the lead with a try following a rolling maul. The maul would prove a thorn in the side of the Phantoms all game as a pack showing its inexperience struggled to get to grips with a well oiled Old Haberdashers machine. All the Phantoms could muster in response was a penalty kick at goal by David Yems which fell just short of the crossbar.

However, for all of the domination of the Elstree based side, committed tackling in defence from the Phantoms kept the score respectable as they reached the half five scores down and whilst the game was certainly out of their reach, they could be pleased with facets of their performance. Phantoms Director of Rugby Tony Quinn rang the changes at half time and rested Tarek Ahmed, Rob Robson and Bruno Garcia, who was delighted to have played his first 40 minutes of competitive rugby in just under a year. They were replaced by hooker Jaimie Hayes, centre Tharu Amarasinghe and flanker Joe Killen respectively.

With fresh players and fresh impetus, the Phantoms took the fight to Old Haberdashers and started to win the battle at the breakdown with good ball being recycled with increasing efficiency. The Phantoms forwards were starting to relish the battle and through numerous picks and drives they crossed the gain line time after time after time. Eventually the pressure told and Lithuanian flanker Augustinas Petronis drove for the line and touched down for a well deserved try and David Yems added the conversion to make it a seven point score.

This only served to stir Old Haberdashers back into life and they flew back at the Phantoms with renewed ferocity and vigour. The power and precision of the forwards based game of the first sixty minutes was transformed into a display of open running rugby which will undoubtedly cause many Old Haberdashers opponents anxious times over the coming months. With fatigue setting in, prop Martin Heavey receiving a yellow card in a case of mistaken identity and resistance proving largely futile in the dying embers of the fixture, the scoreboard starting to turn over at an alarming rate and  it was no surprise when it settled on a final score of 7 – 77 at the full time whistle in favour of the visitors.

Whilst Old Haberdashers had undoubtedly provided proof of their credentials this season, the scoreline didn’t truly reflect the effort, intensity and endeavour that surged through every member of the Phantoms. Phantoms Skipper David Yems remarked post game, “It was tough, we knew it would be tough but rather than play a meaningless friendly against lesser opposition, you really find out your strengths and weaknesses by playing a game such as this against quality opposition in a competition such as the EDF Energy Junior Vase. We will learn our lessons, take them into training this week and tighten up our game. I doubt we will play a better side this season and we head into next weekend’s Essex Division II opener away to Stanford-le-Hope fully expecting to have a great chance to get our league season off to a winning start in a game we have targeted since the fixtures were released. I take only positives from today, I am fiercely proud of my players, we move onwards and upwards, starting next Saturday.”