Millwall 1's 0 Maldon 24

It is true, we are beset with practical issues these days, minibus logistics and no showers available on Millwall Park, we perhaps should not have been surprised to arrive at Hackney Marshes to discover our allotted pitch had been deemed unplayable by the referee. The 14.30 KO then became 15.20 while we waited another game to finish which felt ominous in the gathering dusk.

Containing an inform and battling at the top of the table Maldon felt like it was going to be a tough ask, particularly as we didn’t have our usual back line out.  However, the pack rose to the challenge decently in the first half.  The 0-5 score-line at half time was genuinely something to be proud of, despite a scrum moving in the wrong direction and defending deep in the trenches of our half for most of it, a committed and mostly successful defence in those circumstances was admirable.

The second half predictably began to show the toll all the defending had taken on the team, despite some really nifty sniper tackling from just about everyone in the back line* Maldon were able to up their try rate and come away with a bonus point.  We only really looked threatening with ball in hand a few times and it was disappointing to be denied a try (held up) when we did get over the line.

Working with a backwards scrum called for real effort at number 8 and scrum half.  Antoine Ragueneau at number 8 was rightly awarded man of the match for his rescuing of the ball at the back of the scrum and making back lost ground on the occasions experienced scrum half Mike Taylor wasn’t deftly distributing the ball away from the carnage. 

Notwithstanding the score line, it was an improvement on recent performances, still work to be done in getting the scrum right but a better penalty count and improved tackling across the team are positives to take.   However, my main question from the game is why on earth did Maldon feel they had to remove one on of our props shirts in every scrum?  It felt like we were watching a non-aggressive form of eye gouging. I guess it was a sort of compliment to Jamie Smiths propping they felt they had to do that..

* a wallop delivered by Kazu having drawn justified admiration from the Maldon spectators in the first half