A cool cloudy and breezy day greeted players and supporters alike to Northampton Road. Both teams arrived with good early season results, Harborough winning five of their first six games and Leicester Forest four.

Harborough set off playing into a wind that was strong enough to make the touchline flags flutter 'eagerly'!

The early exchanges saw the sides jostling for territory in the backs, and the forwards looking for ascendancy in the contact area. There was little between the teams in the first ten minutes. However, an early Forest indiscretion led to a Monty Maule penalty and Harborough led 3-0.

The forwards started to get some momentum and Henry Moss, it's reported, stepped an opposition payer and thundered in from 15 metres. When interviewed after the match and asked how far he had run the try in from, the answer was 'long enough'! The stars were aligned for Henry in this match, excellent line out jumping, a thumping tackle, and try to boot. 8-0

This was proving to be a golden spell for the home side and it wasn't many minutes later before the forwards were at it again. Jack Digby drove deep into the visitors 22, but was tackled just short of the line. No fear, help was at hand, as Will Leebrook juggled the sublime Digby offload to score beneath the posts. Monty Maule duly converted. 15-0.

A further Maule penalty saw Harborough stretch their lead to 18-0, but it wasn't all one way traffic. Leicester Forest moved up through the gears and established an attacking filed position inside Harborough's 22 metre line. A few short sharp forward thrusts saw the ball recycled and thrown out wide right. A deliberate knock on in the backline saw a yellow card for Harborough, and a penalty try for Forest.
Forest had tightened up their defence and supressed a number of Harborough's skirmishes into their territory.

Half time - Harborough 18 Leicester Forrest 7

The early exchanges of the second half were deep inside the Harborough quarter of the pitch. It was home side who had to up their defence now and they did so with aplomb. Tom Herdman, Jack Burrows and Sam Staff set to the task industriously. Indeed during the second half it seemed as though Staff, had been reading the 'Day of the Jackal', as he turned over ball from Leicester Forest attackers stranded on the floor!

For the first fifteen minutes Forest's defence held firm and they made Harborough work hard for territory. The wind allowed Harborough to clear their lines a couple of times and the stoic front row of Blades, Waterfield and Digby was beginning to gain the upper hand in the set piece scrums.

A penalty for a Forest infringement saw Monty Maule extend Harborough's lead to 21-7 and it gave Harborough some breathing room. Had the visitors scored early in the second half to bring it to 18-14 it could have produced a different feel to the game. As we have seen a few times this season 'the energetic and electric' Joe Lafferty broke upfield with the acceleration of a Scalextric car. A high tackle thwarted the move and Harborough kicked to the corner from the resulting penalty. After the lineout and a flowing backs move Harborough were awarded an attacking scrum. Lafferty was back of the track to speed over the line in the left hand corner close to the clubhouse. 26-7 became 28-7 when a wide conversion was brought in on the wind by Monty Maule.

The Harborough 10 was now orchestrating, the young and dangerous Harborough backs, but was somewhat surprised to see a rampaging Jack Digby turn up at inside centre to crash over the line. Digby wearing shirt number 21 had obviously decided to switch the numbers around and play at 12!!. In time honoured fashion, when interviewed after the game, Jack was was indifferent about the try and wanted everyone to know that he had provided t the offload for Will Leebrook's try. Harborough lead now moved out to 33-7 with a Monty Maule conversion.

Harborough were now in the ascendancy and had a few more opportunities to score but misplaced passing and a few grubber kicks didn't quite round off some exciting attacking rugby. When the home side did get it right Jack Rowlett grabbed the attention of five Forest players as he drove towards the whitewash. He took three of them over the line with him to score a fine try (see album below). Rowlett had a strong and powerful game. Harborough 40 - Forest 7

There was time for Ben Richards to get a run out in the front row and the return of the 'travelling' Josh Ford, came on for a ten minute cameo. Both players will strengthen the squad over the coming months.

Whist the scoreline was a fair reflection of the game, Forest were combative throughout and the home side had to earn their points. It was fitting that the Forest scrum half rounded of the scoring with a try in the final minutes.

Full Time Harborough 40 Leicester Forest 14

The coaching staff were delighted with the performance, "one of the best of the season, tough and gritty up front and a big defensive effort when called upon. Leicester Forest tightened up their defence 15 minutes either side of half time and made it difficult for us to breakdown. Credit to the lads they went through are processes and produced a top performance."

The 1sts travel to table topping Lutterworth on the 4th November and your support would be much appreciated.

It's also time to start gathering numbers for the Christmas lunch on December 9th v Oadby Wyggs. Please contact Garry Brewster to book your place. Lets create a great atmosphere in the clubhouse.