Old Haberdashers 1st XV vs Aylesbury 1st XV

As morning turned into afternoon on a warm September Saturday, Old Habs celebrated their 100th anniversary with a 3 course banquet at Fortress Croxdale. However, players past and present were not just treated to a feast in the clubhouse, but also a feast of rugby on the pitch as the 1XV ran out against a strong Aylesbury side.

As "Croxdale Road" rang out across the pitch, the Habs got out to a lightning fast start. A dominant scrum and backline that can only be described as "flair" proved too much for the Aylesbury side and they conceded two tries in quick succession.

Aylesbury to their credit did not crumble and the momentum of the game evened out. The teams traded blows and the game that had threatened to be a walkover turned into a competitive spectacle. Despite, going down a man midway through the first half the Habs retained the lead thanks to superb tries from Joey Gatus and Will Dell, entering the sheds 22-7 up.

Following the oranges, it was Aylesbury's turn to show dominance and within 10 minutes had tightened the score line to a razor thin 3 point margin. Perhaps weaker teams may have folded but the Habs dug in and the teams were at a stalemate for the lions share of the second half.

The Old Habs faithful, buoyed by the heart showed by their team kept in full voice and were rewarded when Habs won a penalty deep into Aylesbury territory. Wisely, the points were kicked and Habs took a 25-19 lead.

With a 6 point lead and 15 minutes to go you'd be forgiven for thinking that end of the game would be a jittery affair. However, Habs kept their foot on the pedal and following an outstanding line break barely left the opposition 22 for the remainder of the game. As the final whistle went, the well lubricated Haberdasher choir once more serenaded their team with a rendition of "Croxdale Road" as the sun began to set on the Fortress. Final Score: Old Haberdashers 25, Aylesbury 19