Rugby Union: Nervous OAs edge a win

11:40am Friday 7th December 2001

OLD ALBANIANS returned to winning ways on Saturday, December 1, with a nervous victory against improving Met Police.

The return of the experienced Pete Harries at full back was instrumental for OAs, as he scored one try and 15 points with the boot to give his side the edge.

The first half was something of a midfield battle with neither side particularly threatening, and with opportunities limited to penalties. Harries' boot was enough to give OAs a slender 6-3 lead going into the break.

However, whatever was said by first team coach Phil Moyle at half time obviously did the trick as a much improved OAs dominated the second period.

As the line-out started to function and the scrum became more stable, the OAs ball-carriers began to get over the gain line more regularly and generate second and third phase possession.

From one such move, OAs made the breakthrough.

The ball was spun wide to outside centre Paul Wellington who stepped inside the covering defence and released Nicky Miller to score in the corner, with a difficult conversion following to make the score 13-3.

Needing to score twice, the Police began to run the ball from everywhere and attempting to break they knocked on. The resultant scrum provided an ideal attacking opportunity, and Chris Eke picked the ball up from the number eight and broke right before sending the scrum half, Gethin Jones, into space. Jones drew in the Police winger before releasing Harries to go over.

Harries capped a fine performance with the simple conversion to give OAs the 20-3 victory.

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