Old Blues vs Honourable Artillery Company

The Old Blues finally managed to secure another home draw in the EDF Junior Vase and hosted the HAC in Motpsur Park on Saturday. It was an emotional day for the Old Blues who started the afternoon with a minute’s silence in memory of Rob Gauntlett and James Atkinson, two former CH pupils who lost their lives in a climbing accident on Mont Blanc. The game kicked off at a fairly hectic pace against a clearly well organised HAC outfit and the first 10mins saw the ball rattle from end to end. However, things settled down a little and the Old Blues managed to make the first breakthrough with Deaksie breaking the HAC line to go over in the corner. The HAC boys were clearly having none of this and after a comedy of errors with both sides throwing intercept passes, the HAC went through under the posts off the back of a scrum 10m from the Blues line. This seemed to focus minds among the Old Blues who started slowly but surely to exert some pressure and combine some decent phase play. The Blues went over twice more with Jhan Burger driving over the line to score his first try for the Blues and some slick passing unlocking the HAC defence for Avron Cunningham to run in another try from the midfield. Half time was called with the Blues leading 17-7. The second half kicked off with the Blues keen to try and close the game out against a very well organised defence. Thankfully a combination of some good hands and a little luck allowed James Pickard to go over in the corner and Simon Bourke to run in another try off some broken play in midfield. Things were looking good for the Blues going into the final quarter and they might have been guilty of becoming a little complacent. This was dangerous when playing against a side still clearly looking to get back in to the game. The HAC mounted some serious pressure on the Old Blues line and managed to touch down twice more. However, the conversion kick on the second try was the last play and the full time whistle went with the score board reading 27-19 to the Blues who take another step on the road to HQ. Overall it was a good, if little ring-rusty, performance by the Blues. Given the theme for the day, it was great to secure the result in front of so many truebloods and it was entirely fitting that Mitty was awarded the HdM tankard for an outstanding display in midfield. League duties resume next week when the Blues travel to Streatham & Croydon.