Loan watch: Hartpury deliver incredible fightback

GKIPA Championship
Hartpury 39-31 Nottingham

Aristot Benz-Salomon, James Williams, Joe Jenkins and Jac Lloyd all featured as Hartpury produced one of the biggest comebacks in recent memory after conceding four tries in the opening 25 minutes.

Nottingham fired out the blocks, scoring after just two minutes. A fast paced kick return eventually led to Harry Graham scooting in the corner for the opening score. Hollingsworth missed the conversion but soon had Nottingham back on the Hartpury line after a series of penalties led to a lineout drive in the corner. The referee, who had been switched in just before kick off, deemed an illegal sack by Sam Lewis and awarded a penalty try and a subsequent yellow card for Lewis. 

It wasn’t long before Nottingham were soon again on the offensive. Another penalty against the home side led to Cheesum taking the lineout well and the pack rumbled over for a Dickinson try. The conversion was missed but the visitors had a 17-0 early lead. 

The pattern continued and after multiple phases and some slick handling, scrum half Slatem was on hand to canter under the sticks for a converted try. Bonus point in the bag on 25 minutes was well deserved for the visitors. 

Hartpury finally got some possession and worked their way towards the Nottingham line. With McNab breaking through and being held up just short a series of drives led to a penalty under the sticks which Eadie quick tapped and darted over. Barton kicked the easy conversion and Hartpury were on the board. 

There were two further tries as the half came to an end, with Williams going over for Nottingham and then Shipp from a lineout drive gave Hartpury something to smile about as they headed into the sheds. 

Who knows what was said at half time in either dressing rooms but the game was turned on its head after the break. Hartpury looked sharper, keener and more efficient, with Barton at 10 getting control of the game. Hartpury’s scrum also began to get on top and the tide was changing. 

Hartpury’s first comeback score came from replacement 9 Matty Jones, supporting a Mitch Eadie break and chasing his delicate grubber. The conversion was missed, but Hartpury had changed the momentum of the game. 

Mitch Eadie was next to score with his second of the game and the score was now 22-31, both teams with the 4 try bonus points in the bag.  

Hartpury’s set piece dominance then led to another 5m attacking lineout which Shipp was on the back of to get his second of the game and Hartpury’s 5^th. With the conversion added Hartpury were within 2 points at 29-31.  

From another dominant scrum Hartpury gained a penalty 30m out which Williams knocked over to give the home side the lead for the first time in the game. 

Hartpury weren’t done and an excellent backs move led to McNab breaking down the touchline to feed inside to the supporting Barton to dive into the corner. A superb touchline conversion from Williams gave Hartpury a crucial 8 point lead at 39-31. 

Nottingham had one more chance to snatch a losing bonus point but Bunting skewed a penalty attempt wide.

GKIPA Championship
Caldy 19-34 Jersey Reds

The Reds maintained their winning start to 2022/23, recovering from a half-time deficit to take maximum points after a powerful second-half display.

Charlie Powell and James Dun both started for the visitors, who were in the ascendancy in the early stages. Playing his 50th game for the Reds, full-back Brendan Owen burst through the first line of Caldy defence and worked a ‘one-two’ with the supporting James Mitchell before powering to the line.

Caldy were galvanised by going behind and hit back through Nick Royle and Dan Bibby, who beat the last defender and raced to the line.

Trailing by seven points, the Reds immediately found themselves without the services of back rower James Dun, sin-binned by referee Charlie Gayther after a late hit on fly-half Ezra Hinchliffe during the build-up to Bibby's try.

But the deficit in numbers didn’t stop the visitors trying to attack, and when Tomi Lewis went close in the corner and looked to pass back inside to skipper Macauley Cook, the Caldy defence could only flap the ball back over the try-line, with Cook pouncing on it for the try.

The visitors continued to build pressure and TJ Harris powered over for a well-worked try from an attacking lineout. The bonus point try soon followed through Jordan Holgate before Ryan Hutler and Sam Grahamslaw added further scores.

Caldy did have the last word with a replacement prop’s try between the sticks of their own – Ryan Higginson the scorer – but in the 90 seconds that remained were unable to gain possession and bid for a bonus-point score.