East London's 1st XV put in a spirited performance on Saturday (26 March) but lost 7-24 at home at the Memorial Ground in West Ham to London 3 Essex second-placed side Harlow.

The team welcomed back regular first teamers Chris Brown, Hamish Veitch and Max Stanyard for the final home league game of the season and were looking for a stronger performance than in recent weeks in a match where fitness and defensive play would come into question.

The first-half was tough with East London defending well and asking a few questions of the Harlow defence. Harlow had started strongly and opened the scoring with a unconverted try and the 0-5 lead was deserved. East London had to dig in and they upped the tempo with many half chances created. Unfortunately the maroon and blues had a player sent to the sin bin for a high tackle and Harlow took full advantage to make it 0-10.

With a player off the pitch the maroon and blues tried to play on the front foot but a misplaced offload allowed a Harlow player too catch the ball in open space and race away to score under the posts for a 0-17 lead at the break.

The second-half started with Harlow playing a kicking game that kept putting East London deep into their own half. Full credit must go to the East London back three of Kevin O'Donoghue, Liam Flaherty and Max Stanyard who returned the ball with interest and stretched the Harlow defence on many occasions.

Despite East London having the best of the third quarter, Harlow scored their fourth try and secured the try bonus point from a scrum 30 metres out. East London had turned over the scrum but the ball was kicked back illegally, unseen by the referee, and a Harlow player picked up and went to the blindside, passing to the wing who scored under the posts.

The score was against the run of play but East London regrouped and set out to get something on the scoreboard. They produced the best try of the game on 76 minutes with backs and forwards combining for Will Brown, usually a scrum-half but playing at fly-half, scoring near the posts. Th conversion by Stanyard was successful to make it 7-24. East London continued to attack and it was fitting that when the final whistle was blown they were camped ten metres from the Harlow try line.

Head coach Eddie Gooby said: "Respect to Harlow who have had a fantastic season but they knew they had been in a tough game. We will look back on the season with frustration and a question hanging over our heads of what might have been."

East London next go to Campion for the final game of the season kicking off at 3pm and are looking to finish the season on a positive note.

On Friday evening (25 March) East London's ladies team the Vixens had rare match under the floodlights at the Memorial Ground in West Ham but lost 7-41 to an efficient Barnes Ladies team.

The Vixens also have been hit by illness, injury and unavailability but put in a spirited performance against more settled, experienced and clinical opponents.

They held the visitors to a 0-15 score at the break before but Barnes were able to introduce seven players from the bench while East London could only muster only two replacements. Their only try came three minutes before the end from the impressive left wing Yinka Omodayo, which was converted by scrum-half Aoife Farrell.