Cambridge came away from Hartpury with just a try bonus point to show for their efforts on a day hampered by ice, freezing temperatures, and having to play the game on the hosts’ 3G training pitch with the main pitch deemed unplayable. In a spirited showing, marred by errors, Craig Newby’s side held their own in the first half, despite conceding to a driving maul – touched down by Ethan Hunt. Northampton Saints & England U19 full back, James Pater, though, began a sparkling Cambridge debut by scything down the touchline to touch down in the corner in the 7th minute, before repeating the feat 6 minutes later in the opposite corner for a 10-7 lead.
Hunt added another for the hosts – Dylan Irvine burst through the centre for his side’s third, converted by Otu Mausia and it looked as if the teams would go in at the break barely separated. Hartpury’s Harry Short though had other ideas and touched down for their try bonus point.
As so often this season, the first try of the second half was crucial – and it went to Hartpury. The result, in the end, hinged on two yellow cards for the hosts as they cynically denied Cambridge two near-certain scores with deliberate knock-ons on the 50 minute mark, with the score still poised at 28-18. Cambridge snatched at the line out, were penalised for ‘not straight’, and then failed to deal with Hartpury’s weakened scrum. The ball was spun and Bristol loanee Josh Carrington dotted down for their fifth of the afternoon after his side went coast to coast in the blink of an eye.
Pater’s third try – pretty much a replica of the first two as he powered down the touch-line – added the bonus point, but Carrington’s second with 10 minutes to go saw the hosts to a relatively comfortable victory.
Craig Newby was philosophical afterwards: “There were some positives. James’ hat-rick. A bonus point away from home at a tough place to come, where there was a lot going against us. We’re a young group, we’re learning a lot of harsh lessons at the moment. We can’t learn those on the training pitch so we’re having to do so in Champ matches. We’ll have a few beers on the bus on the way back and take stock during the two week break ahead of our next home game against Doncaster.”
Attendance 760
Referee – Morgan White
Teams
Hartpury
Carrington, Morris, Smith, Holiday, Bazalgette, Lennon; McArthur, Hunt, Benz-Salomon, Barker, Davies (C), Paramore, Short, Hayler
Bench – Williams, Trevette, Minnis, Lemon, Corbett, Allford, Lewis, Duffy
Scorers; Tries – Hunt 4, 20 Field 16, Short 32, Carrington 51, 70
Cambridge
Pater, Qaniuici, Reweti, Rokodrava, Caven, Mausia, Dawson; Ellwood, Irvine, Masoe, Fulford, Baxter, Adams (C), Eckersley, Timpson
Reinforcements – Doorey-Palmer, Maka, Buckley, McCay, Thomas, Bemand, Threlfall, Lumley
Scorers; Tries – Pater 7,13,59 Irvine 23. Conversion – Mausia 24