Penalty only points as uni claim victory
IT may be an understatement to say the scoreline might not suggest a particularly exciting affair, looking more like the result of a one-sided football match than a game of rugby, writes Sam Carroll.
However, Nottingham and Hartpury gave us a tight, tense Championship game that came down to the final minute, with the visitors eventually emerging victorious thanks to a penalty midway through the second half.
The first half wasn’t without any big chances either. Both teams had their own swings in momentum where they looked like they could have mounted a serious chance but neither were able to hammer in that final nail and score.
A couple of mistakes from Nottingham in the first 10 minutes led to Hartpury winning a penalty deep in the Green and White half as home winger David Williams was sent to the sin bin for a tip tackle.
Hartpury kicked their penalty to the corner but some excellent try line defence from the home side kept them out.
Craig Hammond’s men grew into the game, though, and put together a nice attack in the following 10 minutes, eventually winning a penalty 30 metres out. Matt Arden opted to go for the posts but his kick smacked against the left upright.
Despite the missed penalty, the Green and Whites continued to put Hartpury under pressure but too many mistakes prevented them from getting anything on the board.
Mark Cornwell’s men had a huge chance to take the lead with only five minutes remaining in the first half, driving all the way to the Nottingham try line and winning a penalty.
Morgan Adderley Jones decided to make the seemingly easy kick for the corner but the ball bounced off his foot and sailed over the try line past the dead ball line.
When the second half began it became clear that the scoreboard operator would be just as inactive as in the first half, with neither team able to carve out any clear-cut chances.
That was, however, until Hartpury worked the ball up to within 30 metres of the Nottingham tryline and won a penalty. Trying not to replicate Arden’s effort earlier in the game, Mike Austin’s kick sailed through the uprights to put the first points on the board 61 minutes in.
Nottingham did their best to try and get back but with only five minutes to go, Hartpury mounted an attack to try and put the game out of reach.
They nearly had the try that would have prevented the home side taking a losing bonus point, their forwards pushing their way over the line. However, the referee ruled that the ball had been held up.
When Nottingham cleared their lines though, Hartpury mounted another long attack.
Not necessarily looking to score, rather kill time, they kept the ball until the clock hit the red and booted it out to claim the strangely remarkable 3-0 win.