Survival far from assured, says Hugo
Marlow Rugby Club: Jafari wary of relegation after Old Haberdashers loss
Marlow RFC find themselves in the precarious position of 10th as they enter the final stretch of the Regional 2 Thames season, with only five points separating them from relegation and four games left to play.
Their return to action after a two-week break ended in disappointment with a 40-14 defeat to Old Haberdashers – a game head coach Rory Greenslade-Jones had deemed a must-win.
Hugo Jafari, who captained Marlow on Saturday, said: “It was one of those where all the elements were against us – the playing surface, the weather, the way we wanted to play with the ball considering the team we had out.
“But I shouldn’t be making excuses. They were a much better side and deserved the win. We lacked a cutting edge at times.
“We conceded two penalties from the halfway line, and a very well-executed try from them, following a couple of good set pieces, put us near enough 20 points down within the first five or 10 minutes. At half-time, it was 28-0 to them.
“In the second half, we quickly brought the score to 28-14 – with me and Toti Taufa scoring – as the elements favoured us.
“They also picked up two yellow cards, so we really had the advantage, we were really pinning them in their half.
“However, a disallowed try from a box kick over the top halted our momentum.
“Had it been allowed; the score would have been 28-21. Like I said, we were in the ascendancy for about 10 minutes or 15 minutes of the second half. The scrums were doing quite a lot of damage for us, and we suffocated their play.
“But ultimately, they just showed their class to weather that storm and catch us on a few quick breaks. They were clinical in their finishing while we weren’t when he had the advantage.
“I think the better team won but I think the scoreline wasn’t quite reflective of how we played,” Jafari continued:
“We’ve got to do better when we’re in those positions to bring a game back level. We’ve got to do better. I think what is quite encouraging now is Marlow’s accountability. The players know where and when we should be performing better. We'll continue to fight until the end of the season. Despite setbacks like this one against Old Haberdashers, our confidence remains high.”
Adding to Marlow’s concerns of relegation, basement boys Fullerians put up a strong fight against Belsize Park at the weekend, narrowly missing out on a positive result with a scoreline of 22-24.
This close encounter suggests that the Hertfordshire-based outfit may have strengthened for the crucial run-in, intensifying the competition for survival.
“To be fair, they were really strong when they played us,” said Jafari.
“Their set piece was powerful so at no point do we think we’re safe. The narrative within the team is ‘we have to keep grafting; we have to keep working hard’.
“We do believe there’s at least one or two results left for us out of the four remaining games. We’ve got to be thinking that Fullerians, and we do believe they have got it in them, will pull out a shock result soon.”
Marlow's next match is against Aylesbury on Saturday, March 2 – their local rivals whom they defeated 34-28 in November.
■ Windsor return to action in the Counties 1 Tribute Southern North this Saturday and are looking to extend a lengthy unbeaten streak against lowlyplaced Rams 3rds. Andy Symons’ men were victorious in their last outing, beating Bracknell 2nds 6214 at Home Park (February 3), their 11th league win in a row.