Rams looking for a goodhome run
A heart-breaking loss to Wainuiomata has left the Upper Hutt Rams desperate to take full advantage of three home games in eight days, including Anzac Day.
After losing a match which, with a 21-5 halftime lead, they looked to be owning the Rams will need to bounce back big time.
Upper Hutt need maximum competition points against Paremata-Plimmerton on Saturday, Avalon on Tuesday and Johnsonville on April 29 to push on to the all important Swindale top eight.
On ‘‘form’’ the visiting trio of teams, cemented at the bottom of the 14-team competition, are there for the taking.
However, after two opening wins, the Rams return to Maidstone Park facing their own demons following big defeats from Marist St Pat’s and Poneke and the Wainui close-call.
Wainui’s match winning fifth try on Saturday came in the 78th minute but, such was their domination for long passages of play, there was a sense of inevitability about it.
After a top class first 40 minutes into the wind which featured a 70-metre effort finished off under the posts by Mitchell Markov, Upper Hutt struggled in a number of areas.
Even with the gusting wind at their backs, for long periods they were unable to bring the game out of their 22 – either by hand or foot.
With Wainui eliminating their first-half mistakes the lack of possession and position meant, as manful as Upper Hutt were, they were finally unable to withstand the pressure.
The loss has ramifications for the future too with the influential Sam Wasley, who moved to the second-row, suffering a knee injury which will sideline him for six or more weeks.
Rams captain Hayden Schrijvers said suffering defeat from a position of strength was ‘‘very frustrating’’.
‘‘I sometimes think when we are up like that, that we forget to keep attacking and get too concerned about defence. We were choked at the scrum with a string of penalties against us so we didn’t have the ball.
‘‘Hopefully we can bounce back with these games at home and put ourselves deep into the top eight,’’ he said.
Upper Hutt CIty had a first win in Capital Premier football on Monday when they beat the previously unbeaten Lower Hutt City 3-0.