12:50pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
Westcliff made and found opportunities for flowing rugby against a spirited and enthusiastic Harpenden side and triumphed 31-15.
So lively were Westcliff that they could have added to their try count but for the occasional bout of carelessness.
Harpenden were not overawed by Westcliff’s running and stuck at their task.
Ben McKeith got Westcliff off to a good start with a penalty after three minutes but this was cancelled out by the Harpenden kicker with one of his own.
McKeith was on target again seconds later with his second penalty and then Westcliff should have eased ahead even further but for the rub of the green.
Eventually though, Sam Reynolds went in for a try after good approach work by the backs and then deep into first-half injury time Paul Radley went in for another to make it 16-3 at the turn.
Westcliff were on top in the scrums and overall the forwards maintained the great progress they have made over the last few weeks.
Carelessness nearly gave Harpenden the chances for interceptions and, with their tails up, the home side pressed hard and with the aid of a chip-kick managed to score a try and convert it to make it 16-10.
But a blind-side attack soon caught Harpenden out and McKeith was in for a try.
At 21-10 both sides were full of running but a McKeith penalty stretched Westcliff’s lead.
Then, as the game was dying, Radley made a superb run of 60m and found Jon Sigwart up in support to take the scoring pass.
McKeith added the conversion to make it 31-10 but the Hertfordshire side still would not lay down and pushed strongly before scoring in the dying seconds.
Westcliff remain third in the London One North standings.
“It was an excellent game with both sides committed to running rugby and trying to score tries,” said Westcliff press officer Geoff Sawyer.
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