The 24-14 win on Saturday, March 28, means the Raiders, needing a win to secure eighth place, are now safe from the relegation play-off zone.
The game was Raiders’ last away fixture of the campaign, and they made only one change to their squad, with Max Ravaudet replacing the injured Sam Cook.
Hammersmith and Fulham, benefiting from a strong wind at their backs on a dry pitch, kicked off the game.
Despite playing against the wind, Raiders spent most of the first half deep in the home side’s territory but struggled to convert this into points.
The first scrum saw the visitors take the ball from the home side’s put-in, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Raiders dominated both position and possession, but Hammersmith and Fulham’s stout defence kept them at bay for most of the half.
After 20 minutes, Raiders’ skipper Elliott Luke received a yellow card, followed shortly by Luke Gill, but the visitors still looked more likely to score.
Finally, in the 35th minute, Raiders capitalised on their possession with a converted try.
After building an attack over many phases, Tom Meyer touched down, and Ed Hartley converted, giving them a 0-7 lead.
The first half concluded with no further score, despite numerous chances for the visitors, with a combination of Hammersmith and Fulham’s solid defence and Raiders’ errors keeping the score low.
Raiders restarted the game after the break, now with the wind behind them, and quickly built on their lead.
In the 10th minute, Joel Andrews scored after a 25-metre dash, with Hartley adding the extras to extend the lead to 0-14.
Despite being in control, Raiders made errors under pressure, allowing the hosts to score a converted try, narrowing the gap to 7-14.
However, Raiders quickly extended their lead again with a well-worked catch and drive, with Luke Gill touching down.
The conversion was missed, but the lead stretched to 7-19.
From the restart, Raiders secured the ball, and after a high kick from Tom Meyer, Jared Penfold dived in at the corner for another try, securing the bonus point.
The conversion missed, but the lead looked secure at 7-24.
Hammersmith and Fulham, choosing to run the ball from everywhere on the field, were rewarded in the 35th minute with another converted try, reducing the deficit to 14-24.
However, Raiders’ defence held firm in the final few minutes, bringing the game to a close.
With one game left in the season, Raiders will play Bracknell next, the outcome of which will determine who finishes in seventh place.