Hertford 7 Harlow 8

Merit Table

Leaving Harlow in the glorious sunshine, the 4ths set off for the last league game of the season.  We had good numbers and were able to lend the 3s a player before we left.  We made the long journey and got there with an hour to spare, sat in the changing room talking tactics and other important things.  One of the new guys got changed and popped outside, quick as a flash he came back asking if we had seen the weather as it was terrible. We took the mickey out of him saying “a bit of rain never affected us!”

Changed, and out onto the pitch, we started warming up, then it started to hail, we decided to retire to the changing rooms leaving our opposition outside.  When it had finished hailing, back we came and the game got started.

The weather was a critical factor in the game as it led to handling errors in both sets of backs, there were several knock-ons and balls going forward.  Naturally this led to a massive amount of scrums, Hertford were not overly happy with the scrum constantly going backwards.  Their scrum half got nailed several times by Gaggy as the ball shot out of the back of the scrum, this happened when we did not take the ball off them.  Having warmed up in a howling gale, the wind died down enough to let us completely dominate the line-out.  Hertford only had one jumper and Barney just nicked their ball as well as keeping ours.  We opened the scoring when Karl stepped up to kick a penalty; we had spent most of the opening 20 minutes in their half and just could not finish the moves off.  The Hertford backs were the usual quick lads and were up on our backs very fast.

Hertford however scored their try against the run of play, they kicked to our 22 winning a line out, taking it quickly they ran over pretty much unopposed.  Gaggy asked the referee if the line had been formed but he said that he did not see our players.  We said very little about it and just got on with the game.  Half time and the score at 7-3 was not good, we had played with the wind behind us and had little to show for it.

The second half saw us ploughing up the pitch, the whole pack getting in on the act, Chris stealing the ball at the line out, Danny and Pete bashing up the pitch, Ben and Barney tackling everything that moved.  Me, Swampy and Aunty caused a nuisance of ourselves throughout the game.  From a penalty we opted to kick into touch for a line out.  A catch and drive saw us grind up the pitch with Gaggy coming off the back of the maul to score.  We missed the conversion unfortunately, and we spent the next 20 minutes defending.  Hertford threw everything at us, our backs stepped up and hit every tackle, Rob, Mumbles, James, Hammer, Rob S and Karl stopped every attack thrown at us.  Us forwards, stopped a couple of close run attacks as their younger forwards tried to crash through, they were no match for age, treachery and a bit of a weight advantage!  Neal had replaced Danny Fitz due to an ankle injury by now and he scrimmaged hard against their very young, fit looking replacement prop who was glad to see the back of Danny.

The pressure was finally released, when the referee penalised 3 Hertford players, for diving over the ball about a metre from our line.

The final whistle saw us celebrate our win, having done the double over Hertford, much to their surprise.  After the game, a team chat apologised to those who did not get on, but a big thanks to our supporters who travelled away with us.  Bring on Ely I reckon.

Comedy moments- The hail storm in the 2^nd half which saw all the backs nearly weep, and the forwards just scrummage for longer in a bid to keep warm.

The Hertford fly half show the ref the bruise on his arm from an alleged bite, and the ref ask him what he thought he could do about it! I spoke to the alleged biter who wondered how there could be teeth marks, when he had not removed his gum shield, very strange!

The same fly half calling me “old” and throwing a bit of mud at me, nasty young man!

The Hertford team not quite knowing each others name during the game.

Hertford wanted uncontested scrums, well the fly half did, having realised there were problems up front, some of the Hertford team not realising, and reminding him that they did have subs, and they did have spare front row.

The referee, not happy with the flow of the game, suggesting that the next person to fly hack the ball and not fall on it should be penalised.  Unfortunately at that moment, due to a severe ricochet,  one of the Hertford backs was curled up on the floor clutching his bits going green, we advised him to count them not rub them, although I suspect the hail was not helping.

James, who in the changing room looking like he had severe frostbite, soon warmed up with a chilli vodka.

MOTM- Barney had his new scrum hat on, not able to hear a thing, but who won all the line outs and popped at all over the place.

Swampy and Gaggy both had massive games.  Swampy had stored his energy from last week, when he was off, and tackled anything that had the ball.  Gaggy was all over his opposite number, nailing him every time the ball shot out the back of the scrum.

COTM- Although he denies it, we have a new “fumbles,” not quite catching the ball and managing to knock it on in our 22, unlucky Chris.  By the way, trying to tell a different story to me on Sunday, hoping I had forgotten, will never work.

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