Pettit’s hat-trick is a bonus for Hampstead in defeat at HAC
Hampstead's Will Pettit (centre) scored a hat-trick in the defeat to HAC. Pic: Paolo Minoli - Credit: Archant
Will Pettit scored a hat-trick in Hampstead’s high-scoring 65-28 defeat away at HAC, securing a four-try bonus point which helped to keep them outside the relegation zone in London Division Two North-West.
HAC put phase after phase together in a frantic opening 20 minutes, but they couldn’t cross the line and had to settle for a penalty.
When Hampstead did get their hands on the ball, they lacked some direction and an interception – the first of three on the day – led to the home side’s first try.
But Hampstead were up for the fight, hitting back with a Pettit try, and when Dan Dimoline slotted the conversion between the sticks with five minutes of the first half remaining, a tight, low-scoring game was unfolding.
However, a miss-hit clearance did not find touch and HAC scored with the last play of the period to take a 15-7 lead into the break – and the floodgates opened in the second half.
You may also want to watch:
There were 71 points scored in total – 50 of them by HAC, with many resulting from Hampstead errors and some awful tackling.
On the positive side, Pettit touched down twice more and veteran full-back Guy Dobson also crossed the whitewash to clinch a bonus point.
Most Read
- 1 Apology to Barnet mother for 'embarrassing' food parcel
- 2 Hampstead vaccination centre shoots for 1,000 daily Covid jabs
- 3 Kentish Town café fundraises to keep community spirit alive
- 4 Free Nazanin: Calls for clarity as West Hampstead mum's sentence draws to a close
- 5 Jeremy Corbyn launches Peace and Justice Project with calls to action
- 6 Hampstead families aim to raise £50,000 to feed Royal Free medics
- 7 Maida Vale florist starts weekly subscription to brighten lockdown
- 8 Joan Bakewell fires legal threat to government over second Covid jab
- 9 Keepers read bedtime 'tails' from London Zoo during closure
- 10 O2 Centre: developer Landsec 'looking to re-provide' Sainsbury's
“It was a bizarre game of rugby,” said stand-in captain Andy McEwen. “To be so close at half-time and then leak so many points is very disappointing. There’s a lot to work on in the new year.”