Thrills and spills but no score on the board

A 0-0 draw is a collector’s item these days so we should cherish London Welsh’s scoreless London Three Northwest encounter with Old Streetonians in apocalyptic weather on Hackney Marshes last Saturday.

The two sides had racked up 319 points in their first five games but couldn’t get on the scoreboard for love nor money in their eagerly awaited top of the table clash.

“I’m a tight-head prop so to be honest the game didn’t feel much different to any other game, head down arse up,” says the Exiles Sam Mahoney.

“The weather was horrendous especially as all our summer training and early matches had been in perfect sunny conditions. I can scarcely remember a clean lineout take.

“At no stage did I think it would end 0-0 though. Twice we were held up over the line and a couple of times we pushed them over but failed to complete the score. They had a really good line break but our full-back Iwan Bowen Rees saved the day with a great tackle.

“Right at the end Rhodri Dawes, grandson of our president John, stepped up to kick a penalty about 40 yards out.

“The wind had been blowing right across the pitch but he seemed to judge it perfectly when right at the end the wind dropped completely and it sailed past a metre wide.

“So 0-0 it was, a first for everybody involved. Ultimately we must look on it as two points dropped against a team we felt we should have beaten on the day but it’s certainly one that will live in the memory.

“The star men on the day were our supporters, a whole coach load of them who got drenched on the touchline. They were all heroes.”