Michaelhouse - March 21: Laird Hamilton-Brown from Michaelhouse showing a clean pair of heels for the First XV (Photographer Martin Ashworth)

A cold, wet, and rainy Baileys set the stage for a fixture that kicked off with intense physicality right from the first whistle as Laird Hamilton-Brown chased down the kick off and forced Northwood to knock the ball on. Northwood stood strong defensively early on, but our structure held firm in the difficult conditions. We managed to secure solid front-foot ball from the set pieces, allowing the backline to create some promising attacking phases. 

The breakthrough came in the 11th minute when Reece Cole crossed the whitewash for our first try, which was successfully converted by Alex Jankowitz. While Michaelhouse created several more opportunities before the break, we couldn't quite capitalize on our chances, and the teams went into halftime with the score sitting at a tightly contested 7-0.

Michaelhouse - March 21: Alex Jankowitz getting away from the defence for the Michaelhouse First XV (Photographer: Martin Ashworth)

Michaelhouse came out determined in the second half, mounting heavy pressure and capitalizing on penalties to extend the lead. A crucial momentum shift occurred when our captain, Nicola Salamousas, executed a brilliant pick-and-go to crash over for a decisive try. The attack continued to click as James Mallett sniped smartly through the ruck defense on their tryline to dot down right under the poles.

Refusing to fold, Northwood fought back and applied sustained pressure. While our squad showed immense character and fitness to weather the storm, an ambitious attempt to run the ball out of our own 22-meter line resulted in a costly interception. Northwood capitalized on the mistake, gaining some late confidence and bringing the final score to 28-14.

Michaelhouse - March 21: Aphalele Chamane smashing through the Northwood defence (Photographer: Martin Ashworth)