Match day video available online: https://app.veo.co/matches/20220826-220826-harbury-v-ols-bf21b292/

OLs returned to a floodlit Crofts for their first outing of the 2022/23 campaign following their league winning season last year. Months of pre-season training had the squad itching for a game and gave the coaches a selection headache. Harbury turned up for the Friday night game with a 30 strong squad and a flag, clearly keen to make a statement.

A strong individual run from Kieran Hazel’s put the OL’s 5 ahead in as many minutes. OLs took a while to settle into the game, with some shaky hands and a late tackle in their own 22 allowing Harbury to take an easy 3 points.

Harbury piled on the pressure throughout the 2nd quarter, but were frustrated by decisive tackles from Andy Boag and ultimately held up by Tom Morrison and Nick Tyler with a great effort behind their own try line. Kieran Hazel picked up his second with another strong run from the halfway line to make it 12-3. Harbury countered with more pressure, but were let down by poor hands and knock ons that even their 12’s attempted overhead backheel couldn’t rectify. Fans from last season may recall Tom Boag’s numerous red cards: unfortunately he was left seeing red in a different way when he was caught in the face by a flying boot.

The third quarter saw Joe Aston at 9 make a lengthy run from his own 5m line that allowed Ciaran O’Connel to capitalize on the momentum by taking the ball on a hard line and scoring. This was followed up quickly with another attack that saw Adam Souster out wide running in a try with Ciaran assisting, bringing it to 24-3.

The victory procession of a 4th quarter started with the fastest prop in the Midlands, Charlie Thwaites, making ground from the kick off. Harbury’s attempts to clear the ball from their own 22 were thwarted by composed performances from the back three of Brad James, Reid Payne and Max McCrickard, with Reid showing some pace up the wing to score his first of the season. Matt Sawyer’s ‘dummy catch through the legs’ on the restart that followed is sure to make it into the 1s playbook as a great piece of deceptive rugby. Harbury were on the back foot: Tom Morrison, having broken through their defenses clearly felt sorry for them as he chose to float a pass down to their scrambling 15. Adam Souster cemented a man of the match effort with a heroic offload assist to Jack Horne-Jones to make the final score 36-3.

A great start to the season, with a boat race victory against the women’s team in the bar after topping off a great evening. Next game is Shottery at home on 10th September. Gold and blue!