Caldy RFC vs Hartpury RFC (A) - Match Report - 40-42

An explosive second half in Hartpury RFC’s opening game of the Elior Champ Rugby helped them to a 42-40 win over Caldy at Paton Field.

Tries from Harry Short, Ollie Allsopp, Dale Lemon, Alex Gibson, Will Crane, and Ollie Holliday were enough to survive a late resistance from the hosts.

The player of the match, Harry Bazalgette, made six successful conversions from six attempts, perfect from the tee, and his playmaking ability in attack was the deciding factor.

The opening points of the game were scored by Pury flanker Harry Short, who found himself at the base of a maul, following four successive penalties on the Caldy five-metre line.
It didn’t take long for the hosts to respond through left wing Will Robinson, who was on the end of a delightful crossfield kick, with an advantage being played, and the winger ran it in and in the in-goal area tried to make the kick as easy as possible, but it wasn’t converted.

The remainder of the first half became very scrappy, which suited Caldy, and Pury showed an excellent defensive set in the final five minutes of the half, stopping two potential tries, including Hartpury hooker and captain Crane holding a ball up over the line, and Caldy thinking they’d taken the lead with the last play of the half as Robinson dotted down again, only to find it had been disallowed for a forward pass.

The second half started frantically, with Pury scoring three tries in 13 minutes, extending their 7-5 lead to 28-12, with Caldy scrum-half Nye Thomas diving in under the posts to separate the scores.

The first of the three came through inside centre Allsopp, who went over to the left of the posts.

That was followed by Lemon’s try on the right touchline after full-back Alex Morgan sprinted 60 yards before finally being tackled. After recycling possession, the second row found the line.

Hartpury Prop Gibson finished the flurry of tries in the 53rd minute, powering over from close range.

The penalty count became problematic for Pury midway through the second half, and Caldy second row Dylan Hodkinson took advantage by going over from a lineout pushover, Caldy’s bread and butter.

Pury Captain Crane responded instantly, hitting straight back and attempting to put the game out of reach with the score set at 35-19.

Hartpury fell to 14 men around the hour mark as outside centre Robbie Smith was sent to the sin bin for attempting to intercept a pass, but knocking it forwards.

The hosts refused to roll over, this time with substitute Ollie Hearn smashing his way over the line.

One final try for Pury in the 75th minute appeared to have sealed the deal after Bazalgette’s keen eye spotted a chipped kick through to the left wing, who had no trouble picking it up off the bounce and going over.

It wasn’t all said and done, though, as the hosts kept going, scoring two very late tries, both being pushovers, one seeing substitute Oliver Minnis getting sent to the bin, but it was only enough for the hosts to gain a losing bonus point and Hartpury held on.

Caldy: Charlie Hyde, Rhys Tudor (Huw Davies 54), Connor Wilkinson, Harry Oliver (Tommy Banks 70), Will Robinson, Ben Parkin, Nye Thomas (Ollie Wynn 53); Monty Weatherby (Ryan Higginson 64), Matt Gallagher (Ollie Hearn 50), Nathan Rushton (C) (Joe Sproston 50), Harry Harding (Harry Lightfoot 78), Dylan Hodkinson, Martin Gerrard (Reuben Logan 45), Cam De Beer, Cal Ridgway.

Hartpury: Alex Morgan (Harrison James 74), Keir Clark (Brad Denty 68), Robbie Smith, Ollie Allsopp, Ollie Halliday, Harry Bazalgette, Rhys Price (Sam Allford 68); Harry Edwards (Harrison Bellamy 32), Will Crane (C) (Casey Williams 76), Alex Gibson (Oliver Minnis 62), Peter Paramore, Dale Lemon, Jay Evans (Oliver Smith 76), Harry Short (Noah Williams 11-25), Cameron Cobbett (Noah Williams 62).

Referee: Ian Tempest

Attendance: 1,621

Half-Time: Caldy 5-7 Hartpury

Hartpury Player of the Match: Harry Bazalgette

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