Hartpury went away from Grantchester Road with five points but were pushed all the way by a determined Cambridge side who felt themselves unlucky not to pick up a couple of bonus points and, potentially, the win.
Interim Head Coach Anthony Allen was disappointed with some of the decisions made on the pitch. “We have to look at ourselves first of all but it’s not just our mistakes that are costing us. I feel very frustrated when we’re working very hard that other decisions have gone against us today. We deserved more.”
The Blood & Sand had the better of the game defensively in the first ten minutes but were undone by two sharp scores from the visitors who twice made space for comfortable run-ins for Robbie Smith and Jarrard Hayler respectively. Both were converted by Harry Bazalgette.
Cambridge responded with the try of the match as prop Zac Nearchou’s persistence put in Reuben Logan close to the line, and the Scotland U20s international fed former Northampton Saints colleague Kayde Sylvester who twisted and touched down. Louis Grimoldby added the extras.
It was looking good for the hosts going into first half overtime but Harry Short got the final touch as Hartpury’s driving maul from the line out paid dividends.
It looked like an uphill struggle for the Blood & Sand in the second half but they’re made of sterner stuff these days. Joe Gaffan struck under the posts on his home debut. Then Ewan Baker got the final touch on a beautiful old-fashioned grubber from Joe Tarrant. Grimoldby converted the first from close in and narrowly missed the second from out wide. In between Mike Austin nipped in for the visitors.
Another attempt for a driving maul in the corner would have been better served off the tee as the penalty was straight on to the sticks and the attack was repelled. Cambridge had the ball over the line twice more close in and felt at least one should have counted. And Hartpury’s fifth try had the look of a forward pass about it but was gratefully touched down by Josiah Edwards-Giraud.
Visiting DOR Mark Cornwell was pleased to get the victory. “We were pushed hard. I didn’t think we were the same side that took on Bedford last week. For whatever reason we didn’t execute properly, we didn’t use the wind right and we got stuck for 20 minutes in our 22 trying to defend, making errors, giving penalties away. and the clock was ticking away. I said to the boys we had to make sure Cambridge didn’t come back at us and they did come back at us but I’m happy with the five points.”
HT 7-19 FT 19-33
Penalties Against 12-9
Scrums Won/Lost – Cambridge 3/0 Hartpury 5/0
Line Outs Won/Lost – Cambridge 12/1 Hartpury 9/4
Attendance 1143
Referee Andy Wigley
YC Cambridge 1 Hartpury 2
STAR MAN – Reuben Logan (Cambridge)
Teams
Cambridge
Tarrant, Baker 8 (Skelcey 61 6), Hema 7, Betteridge 7, Caven 7 (Ellwood 11, Caven 13, Williams 78) Grimoldby 7, R Dawson 7 (Edwards 53 7); Nearchou 8 (Ellwood 53 7) , Vanes 8 (Veness 61 7), Walker 7 (Bridges 53 6), Bretag-Norris, Sylvester, Adams 6 (Logan 16 9), Gaffan 7 (M Dawson 66 6), Rees 7
Hartpury
Morgan 7, Denty 7, Johnson 7 (Wilson 61 6), Smith 7, Holliday 6 (Edwards-Giraud 18 6), Bazalgette 7, Austin 8 ((Williams 72 6); A Benz-Salomon 7 (McArthur 61 6), Hunt 7 (Knowles 72 6), J Benz-Salomon 7(Gibson 68 6), Lemon 6, Davies 6, Lewis 6, Short 7 (Gray 72 6), Hayler 7 (Cobbett 40 6)
Scorers
Cambridge
Tries – Sylvester 27, Gaffan 44, Baker 56
Cons – Grimoldby 28, 45
Hartpury
Tries – Smith 11, Hayler 15, Short 38, Austin 52, Edwards-Giraud 71
Cons – Bazelgette 12,1653,72