Old Hales march on
Unbeaten Old Halesonians have shredded their fair share of scripts so far this season - and they were at it again when they saw off Northampton Old Scouts 22-14 in the fifth round of the EDF Senior Vase.
Unbeaten Old Halesonians have shredded their fair share of scripts so far this season - and they were at it again when they saw off Northampton Old Scouts 22-14 in the fifth round of the EDF Senior Vase.
The club that elevated the talent of England winger Ben Cohen, which plays in the league above the Wassell Grove side, could not compete with their supposedly lesser opponents and tries from skipper Seb Rose, a brace from John Tideswell and a final score from Matthew Webster capped off a memorable display.
Scouts, incredibly, were the fourth team playing in the division above Old Hales to have been beaten by them in the competition. Ludlow, Daventry and Old Laurentians are the other sides beaten.
A huge effort from the visitors' forwards, allied with some punchy running and the most determined defence, helped secure the victory that takes Old Hales into the national stages of the competition, the furthest the club has ever been.
Old Scouts, currently mid-table in Midlands Three East, threw everything at Hales but, just like every other side to come up against them this season, failed to keep them down.
What makes Hales' hitherto remarkable cup run stand out even more is that three of the ties against higher league opposition, including this one, have been played away from Wassell Grove.
Rose said: "I have been at the club through lows and highs and this is as good as I have known it.
"But something like this has been brewing for 15 years because many of the current first team have come through the youth system and because of that we have formed a special bond.
"We are all mates off the pitch and that has helped us gel as a team, as we have shown."
Having brushed their rivals aside in Midlands Four West – promotion is effectively guaranteed – it has been the cup that has provided Hales with sterner tests. And it is about to get even harder.
Rose added: "The competition becomes a bit of an unknown quantity now because it goes national.
"Traditionally the sides from the North are stronger, we have been told.
"We do not care who we get but, having played most of our games away, a home draw would be nice.
"We do not want to be travelling four hours to the Scotland border on the day of a game."
The catalyst behind Old Hales' terrific season, says Rose, is the team's work ethic - but he made special mention of Alan Hubbleday, who toured South Africa with Jonny Wilkinson and England at under-21 level.
Rose said: "He has been great for us. He played hooker when he was with England but he plays back-row now.
"His composure has helped us a lot this season. It is not necessarily that he stands head and shoulders above the rest but at key times in games everyone responds to him."
Hales needed calm heads on Saturday in order to get through a torrid first 20 minutes of pressure.
Rose said: "I was really proud of the way the lads dealt with the onslaught at the start of the game. The spirit is great and we believe we can win the thing."
The team returns to action this weekend at mid-table Veseyans, whom Old Hales beat 75-0 earlier in the season.
