Griffins soar to top of the league with 60-0 win

Hackney RFC maintained their superb start to the season with another away win, this time at Saracens Amateurs.

The Griffins made the short trip north to Saracens expecting a tight game and the visitors started brightly by putting pressure on the home team from the off.

Hackney were creating a solid platform from which to attack and created a couple of early chances for tries, only to be squandered through lack of precision.

However, the visitors continued to press and were rewarded with a penalty kick which was converted by Alex O’Hara to put the away side into an early lead.

Hackney’s pack then stamped their authority on the game with a powerful scrum on Saracens’ own five-metre line, sending the home side backwards.

Flanker Ben Chamberlain then put pressure on the Saracens half backs who were unable to clear their lines and Chris McMahon pounced on the loose ball for Hackney’s first try of the afternoon.

The pack were well and truly dominant by now and Hackney had the majority of possession and territory with Saracens struggling to clear their lines.

More powerful forward play forced another turnover and a couple of phases later, Hackney created the overlap and Charlie Williams ghosted through the covering defence to score under the posts.

O’Hara converted the try and direct from the kick off sent a long kick down field.

With a good chase by the Griffins’ backs, Saracens were forced into an error with O’Hara gathering to run 50 metres to the line to score.

Saracens were struggling to maintain any sort of possession, allowing Hackney to dictate the game.

The visitors then came close to scoring another try close to half time, only for a last-ditch tackle to prevent another score.

However, from the resulting scrum, an almighty push by the forwards resulted in a win against the head. Centre James Dawson then crashed into the Saracens defence leaving a gap for Chamberlain to dive over to score a bonus-point try, giving Hackney a 27-0 lead at the break.

After the interval, Hackney continued their dominance with Saracens having no answers to the visitors’ pace and power.

And five minutes into the second half, the ball broke to Williams, whose mazy cross-field run created space for the backs, allowing wing James Davis to finish in the corner.

Soon after, from another scrum, Neil Cunningham scored the Griffins’ sixth try of the game, with O’Hara once again adding the extras.

With Hackney’s set piece now completely dominant, McMahon crossed for his second try from a five-metre lineout, before John Tully crossed to score try number seven.

However, the last word went to Hackney captain O’Hara, who completed the scoring with his second try shortly before the final whistle.

Hackney: Mills, Beno, Bobin, Hart, McMahon, Chamberlain, Crocket, Prowse, Cunningham, O’Hara (c), Williams, Dawson, Rowbottom, Williams, Davies. Subs: John Tully, Tim Cox, Paddy Walsh.