Sat 18 Nov 2023
Many years ago there was a chap called Cyril Lowe DFC MC who played on the wing for England between 1913 and 23, a career interrupted by the savagery of World War 1. Indeed he was to hold the England try scoring record until Rory Underwood came along sixty years later. However in his early years the England play was so stodgy that he hardly ever got the ball and some wag wrote a poem… The day they passed the ball to Lowe! Well the two Letchworth wings might have thought the same thing had happened to them, as both Jake Allen returning from injury and new boy Kaz Henderson called a real flyer by head coach Baz Basra didn’t have a pass all day! End of history lesson!
Mind you in the first half the Letchworth play was so impressive that it looked they could use the central route one method as they romped into an almost unassailable lead before half time.
It was a balmy Autumn day down at Magnolia Road and the pitch was not as heavy as it was first feared. From the start Legends were on the front foot with Tom Lewis and man of the match Llewelyn Jones relishing their carries which cut through the home teams defence. It was Jones who made a fine break and fed Harvey Howman who released Tom Lewis for the first score near the posts converted by Sharp. The Letchworth fly half kept the scoreboard ticking over with a well struck penalty.
From the restart that man Jones again seized the ball to make great headway. A penalty kicked to the corner and from the resulting lineout it was the whirling dervish Max Heathman who touched down and Sharp added the extras. Rochford enjoyed a period of pressure but good Letchworth defence kept them at bay and the Rochford crowd were ominously silent as first Streets nearly cut through and minutes later they drove over with Lewis emerging with the ball and although Sharp missed the kick, 22/0 at half time was pretty convincing and seemed almost out of sight.
But never underestimate the home side who had already displayed plenty of spirit. Knocks to Lewis and Jones meant that they didn’t appear after the break and there was a renewed vigour to Rochfords forwards. So much so that for the next quarter no one on the Letchworth side… let alone the wingers could get their hands on the ball. It was a purple patch for the Essex side compounded by a yellow card to prop Ben Wilkinson for a high tackle.
The Rochford forwards and backs combined well to work three tries which really got their tails up. Fortunately for Legends the home sides kicker had left his boots in the changing room but as it was now 15/22 it was certainly squeaky bum time for the visitors. Fortunately Letchworth now regained some momentum and Sharp steered them 10 points clear with another well struck kick.
The last ten minutes was all Legends camped in the Rochford red zone but it was now some awful passing that butchered at least three good chances and when it seemed Titherington had scored the referee blew for a penalty for Rochford and then following an unfortunate injury to Dudman the Rochford fly half the referee ended the game.
Despite no bonus point it was a good afternoon's work by Legends who had done enough in the first forty and had the wherewithal to get a second wind when Rochford looked right back in it. So a week's break, and then it will be Old Northamptonians next to them in the table at Legends lane kick off 2 pm... and who knows the wingers may even get a pass!
Team from 1: Robinson, Hughes T, Wilkinson, Jones, Heathman, Fitts, Lewis, Howman, Sharp, Allen, Titherington, Streets, Henderson, Parkhouse
Subs: Mongston, Wilcock, Walker
