Harrow 31 Hitchin 15 Hitchin went down on their travels in their first league game of the new campaign. They started slowly with Harrow playing to their strengths and using their bulk in their forward pack to dominate the early exchanges. From a lineout i

Harrow 31 Hitchin 15

Hitchin went down on their travels in their first league game of the new campaign.

They started slowly with Harrow playing to their strengths and using their bulk in their forward pack to dominate the early exchanges.

From a lineout inside the Hitchin 22 on the five-minute mark, Harrow secured ball and drove the 10 yards to the line.

Hitchin struggled to get their hands on the ball and get out of their half for the first quarter.

Following another series of rolling mauls up the field, Harrow then moved the ball out into their backs with their centre crashing through some poor defence and scoring close to the posts. The try was converted.

From the resulting kick off, a similar ploy by Harrow saw the same result with the same centre crashing over for his second of the afternoon. This left Hitchin chasing a 17-point deficit.

Hitchin finally began to formulate some constructive forward play of their own culminating in a try for openside Stewart Roberts following a number of driving mauls.

The second half saw the loss of Aidan Barnett, taken away in an ambulance following some over-enthusiastic late tackles.

Further injuries to Roberts and Aaron Johnson and the sin binning of James Bull saw Hitchin finish the game with only 12 players.

This seemed to inspire the players left on the field.

With Harrow having already scored two converted tries early in the half to lead 31-5, Hitchin came alive and started to play some expansive rugby.

Following blistering runs from James Scott, Jeremy Heath and Dan Squire, the remaining forwards eventually found a way through with blindside flanker Chris Ramsden scoring his debut try for the club.

Hitchin started to throw the ball around with confidence and again made significant inroads into a non-existent Harrow defence.

Chris Martin rounded off further clever play with a try in the corner to complete the scoring.

Captain Paul Howard remarked: "Maybe we'll have to start the game with 12 men this week as we seemed to come alive in the last 10 minutes.

"We've got Barnet at home this weekend and we need the forwards to stand up and be counted and provide a platform for the backs.