Wheatley started started the game well moving the ball around but were unable to breach the Harwell defence and after coming up short in the first 20 Harwell began to demonstrate their intentions, putting together a strong 10 man performance.
under pressure and with little possession, Wheatley held on with strong tackling from back row forwards Dan Bland, Cailin Taylor and Jack Atkinson allowing Wheatley to ride out the storm.
Harwell had no answer to the Wheatley defence and even without the ball Wheatley were able to pin Harwell in to their own 22. Wheatley were now in the accendancy and were able to produce quick ball to give winger Gav Stanton the opportunity to dance around the Harwell fullback and score in the corner, Laman added the extras 7-0
Harwell responded well putting pressure immediately back on to Wheatley, with a rare visit to the Wheatley half and some probing runs from the Harwell centre. The pressure eventually resulted in Wheatley centre, Sanda 'nicest guy in Rugby' Mpanza decapitating the centre with a deft and swift roundhouse kick to the head* and so had to serve his first ever 10 minutes in the bin
Witnessing this most horrific of crimes seemed to galvanise the Wheatley players, with strong running from both forwards and backs, Wheatley were back in the Harwell 22 and Jack Taylor was able to show a clean pair of heels and cross the line, Laman added the conversion
The rest of the half bought more of the same from Wheatley, with the set piece performing well. Unfortunately Wheatley were unable to turn this pressure into points and their frustration boiled over as Alex Gabbidon was yellow carded for retaliation.
Wheatley were now accustomed to playing with 14 and despite the man difference, were still giving Harwell plenty to think about. When the ball was on the floor, there was no match for the predatory instincts of C.Taylor and Bland who continued to turn ball over and relieve the mounting pressure
Wheatley, despite not having much of the ball, ended the half 14-0 up and still a man down.
With Jaffa cakes and jelly beans taken on board, the second half Wheatley kicked off and the players settled into an attritional performance that showed they can adapt and play the 10 man style rugby. This however into Harwells strengths and Harwell were determined to keep the ball off the ground and continue to hammer the purple wall
Wheatley were not done though and after more pressure from Wheatley resulted in a scrummage on the visitors 5 meter line, a strong 8 man drive gave number 8 Atkinson a stable platform to pick and go before shippping to scrumhalf Laman who, rather than take the easy 5 yard pass to the open and waiting Stanton, jinked into and through 2 Harwell players and added 5 more to his tally. A successful conversion from Laman put Wheatley 21-0 ahead
The remaining 20 minutes summed up the game as Harwell relentlessly put pressure on the Wheatley defence but the men in purple stood fast and saw out the game to finish 22-0 and keep Wheatley's 100% record intact.
*not entirely true. No one really knows what Sanda was carded for.