Hitchin U14 ‘B’ 15 vs Fullerians U14 ‘B’ 10 (HML Division 6)
Team: Maitiu, Toby, Charlie, Joe, Huw, Taylor, Ashley G, George E, George V, Sam R, Aaron, Matthew, Luke, Will J, Will M
Subs: Will M-W, Dion, OJ, Conor, John
Tries: George V, George E, Aaron
Conversions: none
The last league game of the season saw Hitchin ‘B’ come up against Fullerians ‘B’ in a match that they needed to win or draw to ensure their continued presence in Division 6 of the Middlesex & Herts league. Despite the bitterly cold conditions a good crowd bolstered by the presence of many ‘A’ team members turned up to cheer the side on in a closely fought affair. Recent previous meetings between the two sides had been very tight and this match proved to be no different as both sides took turns in taking points off of each other throughout the game.
Fullerians started well when a threatening run by their big No. 3 saw him elude several Hitchin tackles before being held up. A knock on then forced a scrum and from this some good passing from the Hitchin backs saw the ball move swiftly along the line and up into their opponents 22 before winning another scrum close to the Fullerians goal line. Despite a great Hitchin drive from the scrum the hosts conceded a penalty and it was from this that the Fullerians No.3 once again seized the ball and ran at the Hitchin defence with menace before being put into touch. A good line out from Hitchin then saw Matthew receive the ball and cut inside to make good ground through the centre to keep the ball in the Fullerians half. This was quickly followed by good runs up the wing firstly by Taylor and then by George E. Hitchin then moved the ball inside through the backs and this pressure quickly bore fruit as a series of mishandles the visitors whilst trying to clear their lines eventually saw George V snatch the ball and run through a gap to notch the first points of the game and put Hitchin into a 5-0 lead.
There then followed a period of scrappy play in the middle of the pitch as a series of poor line outs coincided with both sides conceding unnecessary penalties but eventually Hitchin managed to get the ball back into the Fullerians 22 and a good holding tackle by Will J saw Hitchin turnover the ball near the goal line. The visitors were able to clear though and a great kick into the Hitchin half forced a mix up in defence that allowed a Fullerians player to collect and go through to score in the corner to level the tie at 5-5.
Hitchin came back at Fullerians immediately from the restart as Maitiu collected the ball and went on a run to make 20-30 yards and move the ball back into the opposition half. Another good drive from the forwards kept the pressure on and when the ball eventually came out it was followed by a series of passes that moved the ball across the park and towards the goal line. This pressure was finally awarded with a try from a move that involved great work from Huw plus support from Maitiu before the ball finally fell to George E who ran over to score and restore Hitchin’s lead just before the half time whistle. HT 10-5
The second half started with Fullerians almost scoring in the corner directly from the whistle but good defensive work by several Hitchin players ensured that the threat was repelled and the player put into touch. Hitchin managed to clear well from the resulting line out but Fullerians kicked the ball back into the Hitchin half and forced a succession of penalties in the Hitchin 22 which helped to put pressure on the home defence. It was evident that Fullerians had changed their game plan in this half as they chose the run the ball at Hitchin far more than in the first half and this tactic soon paid off when a clearing kick by Sam was collected by a Fullerians back who took advantage of some non-existent Hitchin tackling to run the ball back in to score and level the game at 10-10.
Hitchin responded superbly to this setback as first Aaron with a kick and charging run and then Luke with a strong run saw the ball back in the Fullerians half. A good drive saw Dion make ground as did Ashley too before the ball went out of play for a Hitchin line out. The third Hitchin try followed from this as good work by the forwards at the line out saw the ball come out to the backs who moved the ball sweetly across field for Aaron to finish the move superbly with a leap over the line to move the hosts ahead 15-10.
Hitchin then tried to increase their advantage with good runs from Dion, Sam and Matthew moving the ball forward and a kick and chase by Hitchin nearly caused panic in the Fullerians defence but they dealt with it well and kicked clear. The visitors then attacked Hitchin in search of an equaliser following a series of penalties but Hitchin worked hard to defend the lead with the forwards working effectively in the maul. A penalty kick into the corner deep into the Fullerians half helped to relieve the pressure and George V was unlucky not to have scored a second try from the lineout following a George E run.
As the game moved into the final quarter Hitchin needed to ensure that they didn’t concede any more tries and they managed to do this by keeping the ball in their opponents half with the forwards mauling to good effect and Will J mopping up any kicks efficiently. A final few nail biting moments at the end of the game saw Fullerians playing the ball into the Hitchin half but pressure by the Hitchin players forced the ball into touch and the final whistle was blown to give Hitchin the hard earned win to ensure their division 6 status for another season. F-T 15-10
Man of the Match: George V – lead from the front with a fine captains display
Honourable mentions to: all the unused subs who were unable to get on the pitch (due to the circumstances and importance of the match) but whose support was greatly appreciated