Abbots have ‘Gordge’ of tries to stay on top
Quins given no respite as rout starts in fourth minute RUGBY UNION
NEIL Gordge scored two tries as Hillingdon Abbots blew away their opponents on Saturday.
Both of his touchdowns came in the second half as the Abbots finished the year in style.
Stuart Parkin began the rout after four minutes with an unconverted try. Quins earned their only points of the game through a penalty soon after, but then scrum half Liam McPherson picked up the ball from the back of the scrum and ran over the whitewash.
Elliot Wake pegged back the opposition with his kicking ability and, by chasing one down, grabbed his first points of the afternoon.
Brad Buckingham followed suit just before half-time with a 60-metre kick, which he charged down before weaving through three defenders and scoring the bonus point try to make it 20-3.
The second half continued in a similar fashion and forward Gordge burst through to score his first, converted by Wake.
Winger Hayden Elliot then received the ball wide after some expansive passing play by the Abbots and raced up the line to touch down, Wake again converting.
Ben Foster split the Quins’ defence with a powerful run before releasing Gordge, who made no mistake in getting a second try of the afternoon, before Dave Francis completed the rout with a mazy run to outwit the Quins’ back-line.
The result keeps the Abbots five points clear at the top of Herts/ Middx Two as their march for promotion continues.
Their next fixture is on January 10 at neighbours Uxbridge, who are 12th after being on the wrong end of a 58-0 hammering by Watford last weekend.
In the same division, Ickenham, who start the new year at home to London French, were given an early Christmas present as they picked up their first win after their scheduled opponents, Quintin, failed to raise a team.
In London Two North West, ninth-placed Old Merchant Taylors’ slipped to another defeat at Hampstead (5-24). They finish 2014 at leaders Harrow on Saturday.
In London One North, Ruislip hammered Woodford 90-0 to lift them into 10th spot. Their final game before the Christmas break is at Old Priorians this weekend. A FORMER Hillingdon schoolgirl is to receive a special award from Beaconsfield Golf Club.
Gemma Dryburgh, who was selected to play for the GB&I Curtis Cup team last summer, will be awarded a club bursary tomorrow (Thursday) in recognition of her amateur career to date.
The 21-year-old has been a member of the club since she was 13 and still retains her membership, despite spending most of her time 3,000 miles away, playing and studying at Tulane University, in New Orleans.
Course general manager David Cliffe said: “Gemma is such a powerful player. If you get into the Curtis Cup side, you have to be at a decent length, the like of which you would expect from a male player.
“She’s not especially tall, but is still such a powerful player. She has also got perfect timing, and is so consistent in what she does.
“We already knew she was a talented player when she arrived, as she had been representing Scotland U14s, and we always thought she would go on to be something special. There is a thought going around the club that she is playing the right standard of golf to be a professional, but I don’t know her exact plans in that respect.”