Sat 27 Nov 2021
Legends got back to winning ways on Saturday on their familiar stomping ground after two narrow defeats on the road. In the end it was a demolition of a Ruislip side who were game throughout but lacked penetration unlike their North Herts rivals. It was as well the kick off was brought forward fifteen minutes as by the end there were just dark shapes moving through the November gloom ... though fortunately those shapes were being thrown by Legends.
On a day more akin to sitting by a roaring fire with a full tumbler nearly 200 souls braved the biting wind and rain to watch a game that spluttered and fizzed to little effect in the first half but roared into life for Letchworth with five unanswered scores in the second 40, much to the delight of Baz Basra and his coaching team, one of whom, Tom Ansell, came close to scoring several times on the Letchworth wing.
Ruislip had the best of the first ten minutes but then a massive ballooned pass by Mongston to full back Gibbs saw the latter tear through the visitors defence to show an intent that grew amongst the Letchworth back division as the game progressed. Hem Johal, voted man of the match for the way he controlled the game from out half, banged over a penalty after twenty minutes and following a forwards rumble Harvey Howman sped through to score near the posts which gave Johal an easy kick to make it 10/0.
Letchworth spurned several more chances as they increasingly dominated even after the temporary loss of burly Adam Amos, sent to the naughty step as he caught the Ruislip prop high as he was falling through the tackle and had to leave the pitch.
Both sides retreated to the warmth of the dressing room for the mid match break and it was definitely Letchworth who came out the perkier. A great length of the field move involving over half the team saw Josh Dell go over with Johal, who definitely had his kicking boots on this week, landing the points. The match was certainly flaring into life in more ways than one as a player from each side received yellows for a hand bagging encounter even as the Letchworth winger was scoring! Another great score in the corner from Dell saw the conversion just miss but then a near length of the field move yielded a penalty in Ruislip’s 22 which Johal converted to make it 25/0.
The game was more or less over now but the visitors kept on trying. However within five minutes Letchworth had scored again from Phil Pearson returning for an end of career spell with Legends from Stevenage. Following a bit of rough and tumble under the posts Letchworth went further ahead through centre Luke Campbell, and the game was wrapped up after another flowing move with the senior Johal in the side going over for a final score, with his brother just edging wide the conversion. This bonus point win keeps Letchworth in the heel of the hunt as both leading teams have to come to Legends Lane before the end of the season. After the match scrum half Harvey Howman received his colours tie for his consistent performances throughout the season. Two other players who should be mentioned were Kyle ‘Rambo’ Hughes who was aggressiveness personified and also replacement prop Mark Tate who only knows one route and that is route one!
The seconds match against OAs finished early after a serious injury to one of the visitors with the scores more or less level.
Next week sees Letchworth back on the road to lowly Hampstead and Basra will surely be looking forward to a bonus point victory on their last visit to London this year.
TEAM FROM 1:
Robinson
Hughes
Stokes
Amos
Wilcock
Allison
Fitts (c)
Mongston
Howman
Johal H
Ansell
Campbell
Johal A
Dell
Gibbs
Tate
Pearson
Lennie
