Bazalgette grabs Hartpury’s winner with final kick of the game
By Luke Jarmyn
Hartpury skipper Will Crane led by example, scoring two tries in the final 20 minutes as the home-side overcame a 24 point half-time deficit to win against London Scottish.
Fly-half Harry Bazalgette was pinpoint from the tee when called upon, missing only one kick all game and sealing a pivotal bonus-point win for the red-shirted side.
The comeback win is Hartpury’s third in four games and lists them to eighth in the Championship table after a slow start to the season, while the Exiles will be frustrated in losing a game after dominating so strongly in the first-half.
London Scottish started the game with great speed, controlling all the possession and territory for the opening 10 minutes. After being initially repelled by Hartpury it would be scrum-half Lewis Gjaltema who dove over the line in the corner off a driving maul.
The south-west Londoners quickly doubled their lead as Gjaltema snipped around the corner of a ruck to dive for the line.
However, Hartpury hit back through back-rower Mitch Eadie, the No.8 broke through the middle of the ruck. Great pressure from the hosts and a few phases later ex-Jersey Reds star Josh Gray battered his way over the line.
The rest of the half was more of an arm wrestle, but some direct rugby from Scottish led to openside Jack Ingall crossing the whitewash. Shortly afterwards Gjaltema completed his first half hat-trick off the back of another break from Ingall through the middle of the pitch – giving the Exiles the try bonus point after only 26 minutes played
Scottish kept it up and finished the half the stronger, second-row Johnny Green scoring just before the half-time whistle.
Hartpury were the first to strike after the break with a strong period of pressure resulting in a maul try from loosehead Aristot Benz Solomon, who showed great strength to flop over the line.
The second half was a role reversal of the first, Hartpury dominated proceedings through their forward pack. Multiple scrum and maul penalties gave the home-side a route back into the game.
Then after more pressure by the red shirts deep in Exiles territory, outside-centre Robbie Smith found his way over the line.
Scottish continued to hold off sustained periods of pressure from a reignited Hartpury, but eventually the dam broke with hooker Will Crane guide a driving maul over the line for the try bonus-point score, and ex-Cornish Pirates star Bazalgette reduced the deficit to only five points with just under 20 minutes to play.
The final ten minutes were a tense affair as Scottish tried to hold on but couldn’t keep out the hosts. Another excellent driving-maul by the West Country side’s forwards would prove the difference with Crane muscling over the line, before a fantastic Bazalgette conversion on the final whistle winning the game at the death.
Hartpury 33 London Scottish 31
Hartpury:
Tries: Gray 13, A Benz Solomon 46, Smith 51, Crane 61, 79
Conversions: Bazelgette 14, 47, 62, 80
Penalties:
Drop Goals:
London Scottish:
Tries: Gjaltema 5, 10, 26, Ingall 24, Green 37
Conversions: Lloyd-Seed 11, 27, 38
Penalties:
Drop Goals:
Teams (15-9; 1-8):
Hartpury: Ioan Jones (Jack Reeves 29-33; Brad Denty 62), Jack Johnson (Jack Reeves 56), Robbie Smith, Morgan Adderley-Jones, Jacob Morris, Harry Bazalgette, Matty Jones (Mike Austin 40); Aristot Benz-Salomon (Mike Summerfield 59), Will Crane (c) (Will Goffey, 3. Jon Benz-Salomon (Alex Gibson 64), 4. Danny Eite (Dale Lemon 44), 5. Jack Davies, 6. Josh Gray, 7. Jarrard Hayler (Harry Short 13), Mitch Eadie
Not used: Will Goffey
London Scottish: Cam Anderson, Will Brown (Ben Waghorn 40), Hayden Hyde, Bryn Bradley, Noah Ferdinand (Connor Slevin 62), Alec Lloyd-Seed, Lewis Gjaltema; Jordan Els (George Cave 61), Jack Musk, Will Hobson (Ashley Challenger 61), Johnny Green, Harry Browne, Bailey Ransom (cc) (Zach Carr 11-17), Jack Ingall (cc), Tom Marshall
Not used: Austin Wallis, Ioan Rhys Davies, Jonny Law
Referee: Alexander Thomas
Attendance: 743
Half-time: 7 – 31 (to London Scottish)
Star man: Will Crane (Hartpury)
Post-match quotes:
Hartpury director of rugby John Barnes said: “We had to wake up and have pride in what we were going to do, so we can get back to performances like we had against Coventry.
“When we scored early in the second-half, we felt the momentum changed. We started to get on top in the scrum and with one last opportunity we took it.
“It was extremely harsh on Scottish – they aren’t a second bottom team. They showed that last week, and with the players they have they are turning into a good team at this level.”
London Scottish’s head coach Joe Gray said: “We’re very disappointed to lose the game in that fashion after such a good first half. We felt we played some of our best rugby today but ultimately we didn’t control the final forty minutes and that’s what cost us.
“It’s a lesson for us and one that we have to learn from going into a massive game next week.”
Stats:
Hartpury:
Penalties conceded: 9
Line-outs won: 10
Line-outs lost: 1
Scrums won: 5
Scrums lost: 1
Sin-bin/red: 0/0
London Scottish:
Penalties conceded: 11
Line-outs won: 9
Line-outs lost: 0
Scrums won: 4
Scrums lost: 0
Sin-bin/red: 0/0
