Official West Hartlepool RFC

are you winding me up!

Oh well at least it's another day out I suppose.

fix

Maybe we should look at possibly cancelling all the other/ some of the other games and getting a good band of supporters down there????

Just around the corner from me!!

Better go on a scouting mission then Rob.
This is an unbelievable draw considering we have not had a home game in this competition but there3's no point bleating about it let's just win it.

PS. Dont tell The Gateman and Smithy {L} but as this is a college I bet they won't have a bar.

FRLE what does that mean? %-)%-)%-)

I touch judged Hartpury in the round before last against Wallingford in Oxfordshire. They were quite impressive, having only put out a mixture of their 1st/2nd/3rd teams, and comfortably put past Wallingford who are an average level 6 side.

There are a few other institutions that have teams in the rfu leagues. I believe loughborough have a team in one of the national leagues or close to it. Hartpury also won the BUSA national competition last year at Twickenham.

my money's on hartpury

sch get it right acollege pitch not school theres a differance

THIS IS DORKINGS MATCH REPORT AFTER THEY PLAYED HARTPURY LAST WEEKEND. AT LEAST THERE'S GOOD PUBS, B&B ... OH, AND THEY STUDENTS DO HAVE A BAR!!


Hartpury College 51 Dorking 1st XV 17


The main winner from Dorking’s EDF Intermediate Cup away fixture was undoubtedly the Landlord of The White Hart in Maisemore, in deepest Gloucestershire. The Twickenham effect was certainly a contributory factor to the swelling numbers arriving by the Severn off the A419 to Cirencester, as was the absence of rugby since ‘Cobham Victory Day’ back before Christmas. There was certainly a buzz about the place. Skinner had discharged himself from the operating theatre claiming greater mobility in his drinking arm than for several seasons. Broomey had intelligence Mike Teague’s City Centre bar was the rugby follower’s destination of choice. Unmistakable members of the Evans clan arrived in from Gwent and Biggsy from southern Ghana creating a run on the double egg ham and chips at a Jim Evans look a like convention. Cup Fever? “Not a bit of it. It’s just been ages since we’d had an opportunity to get away for a big drink” clarified Jaquesy. “We’ve got a lovely B&B, with balconies and everything”

But something, somewhere was amiss amidst the bonhomie. We weren’t overly concerned to learn George had played for Sarries on Friday and wasn’t on the bus. Jason was still in Cape Town and Brownies’ unexplained absence wasn’t of itself too alarming. With hindsight what was gnawing at us; the thing that disturbed the normal rhythm of our pre match Karma was that Pennerz was on the wagon; watching his first Dorking game in a state of sobriety since being floored by a ‘mystery virus’ after the 2003 Salcombe Tour. It didn’t bode well.

Albeit a league level below Dorking, Hartpury were always going to present a tough challenge. The Gloucester Rugby Academy side had been shooting up the league pyramid and had themselves savoured victory at Twickenham in both the Powergen Jumior Vase and then in Senior competition. They’d been coached by Alan Lewis who had coached Wales in the 90s. “He might well have, but that was when they were crap” suggested Thorners hopefully. Elite Performance Director Jim Evans commented; “With hindsight the draw hadn’t been that kind to us. Hartpury are the form team in the competition. While they were obviously going to be a young side, they were clearly no mugs. Our lack of match practice didn’t help. They were good all around the park, make no mistake about it. But at times we did play like a team who hadn’t had a game for four weeks.”

Hopes had nonetheless been high as we convoyed into the College campus President Ted taking particular covetous note of the stadium seating dimensions. It didn’t take long for the scale of the examination was to become crystal clear. Dorking got off to the worst of all possible starts conceding two converted tries within the first ten minutes. First the powerful centre (inevitably another albeit more spritely looking) Evans powered over. Straight from the kick off, the ball was moved wide and the pacey College winger won a kick and chase to dab down without Dorking having touched the ball since the restart. Somewhat shocked into life, Dorking started to throw off the festive lethargy. We certainly had the edge if not total dominance in the scrum as Adam Kelly certainly found the groove and Ted Watts was clearly relishing the physical contest with an entire side made up of his own age group. Matt Noble made a sniping break from a quick penalty. Ollie Cummings and Rob Clarke both made good yardage with individual breaks before running out of support. Kempy put in a big hit and Lovey another that saved a further home score to temporarily stem the student party. Chris Venn was forced into an early return to action replacing a concussed and confused Ben Lucas. Despite Ben Allard, who played well in a losing cause, missing a penalty, at this point the consensus in the VIP seating was that a score before the break and we’d still be in the mix for a second half onslaught. Instead Hartpury broke away and again kicked long to exploit their undoubted speed on the flanks. Kempy clearly had it covered and composed himself for the clearance, only Cipriani like to have his end over end punt charged down by a flying scholar. The conversion and a subsequent penalty and we were suddenly twenty four to zero and feeling more than a little hard done by on the scoreboard. Some consolation and reward for the efforts and endeavour eventually came on the stroke of half time as Ollie Cummings dummied his way over. Allard converted.

The interval update to BBC Southern Counties Radio (104.6 FM) during half time coverage of Aldershot’s trip to Macclesfield informed listeners the Twickenham dream held but by a thread; Cummings’ late try providing a limited reason to believe. The intrepid freelance reporter emerged from the broadcast studio in the Disabled Toilet in the Social Studies Faculty to find we’d already started the second half pretty much like the first, conceding straight from the kick off failing to cope with the directness and dynamism of the exceptionally well drilled hosts.

By now the pattern of the game was pretty well established. Dorking enjoyed a good degree of possession and territory but came up against well-organised and technically competent defence. Armand Roux and Qin Wiseman battled long and hard. In turn the Hartpury back row were outstanding, adeptly ensuring Dorking’s ball, while plentiful was invariably slow. With the ball Hatrpury had the skill and speed to convert pretty much every chance that they created and four further tries were to follow. With Hartpury’s strategy of playing on the edge at the breakdown, the game inevitably became punctuated by a series of flare-ups. On a different day players from both sides might have seen cards of one colour or another but the official instead chose to repeatedly admonish perpetrators from both sides, until his reliance on threatening to stop their grants finally ran out, dispensing the home number eight to ten minutes in remedial class. Dorking didn’t give up. Andy Gardner, Julian Baimbridge and Neil Failes all made an impression from the bench. Armand and Chris Venn both went close before Matt cross-kicked for Spencer Richards to touch down and Andy Gardner rounded off an impressive late contribution sliding over in the corner.

While disappointed Director of Rugby Richie Andrews found positives in the reversal; “ This is probably the closest that this squad will come to playing against a professional outfit. While the scoreline looks fairly emphatic, we pushed Hartpury pretty hard. We certainly had enough possession and territory to have produced a closer result. Where we couldn’t match them was in the ruthlessness with which they converted every single half chance they created. We wish them well in the remainder of the competition.”

Thanks for the insight Geoff>> I think you have come against an immovable brick wall with your campaign>> Every-one knows Hartpury are Glossy's outlet for their academy setup (inc the obligatory bursary) >>There is nothing more galling for a genuine club team to play against a team who field paid ringers.

Hello all West Hartlepool fans,
On behalf of Hartpury College RFC I am posting on your forum to say,that we look forward to welcoming you to our College in the EDF.We are delighted and proud to be hosting such a famous club.
I hope to see a lot of support from West and if there is any info you need on pubs, restaurants,accommodation etc please e-mail me.
Could I correct some of the misinformation and 3rd party lies posted on this thread .
-Yes we had to start in Glos 3 which clearly was too low a league, we tried to get in a higher league but GRFU would not support it.(unlike Richmond and L Scottish whose constituent body allowed them to start in a higher league I understand)
-we currently play 2 levels below West and by league should be in the Senior Vase the RFU put us up into this comp.
-No undertaking was given re not playing BUSA(now BUCS) players to anyone we field 3 BUCS teams and we couldnt raise a Saturday team without BUCS players,as a previous post ( touch judge) said our RFC team is a mixture of BUCS 1sts ,2cnds and 3rds.
-We currently have 8 Glos Academy students Jack Forster and Dave Lewis in the 1st team squad,Henry Trinder,Johnny May,Charlie Sharples,Charlie Simpson-Daniel,Jordi Pasqualin and Danny Williams on Glos Academy contracts. None of these players play in our Saturday team although they are eligible for our BUCS team., they are either in the Glos 1st team squad or on loan to Moseley and Cinderford for their club rugby.Johnny May could be released by Glos as he is not getting much game time at the loan club and may feature later in our Sat side.
-None of the RFC team are currently connected with professional clubs.
-We are most certainly a thriving and very proud RFC in the very best traditions of University/College athletic clubs where non of the team are paid to play unlike some of the clubs we have met in previous rounds(like most similar institutions we do give some sports scholarships in the form of fee discounts)
-not a penny of GRFC money goes into the RFC team although the close link does of course attract students to the College.
I am pleased I have had the chance to correct some of the misinformation, I look forward to what I know from previous rounds and playing clubs at a similar level will be a very competitive game which I hope is played in the true spirit of Rugby and may the best team win on the day. Good luck and we look forward to welcoming you all.
Malcolm Principal and Chair HCRFC

Thanks Malcolm - we're hopefull bringing a coachload of supporters down to the game so will be in touch nearer the time for details of pubs etc.