Hampstead 7-17 Hitchin
Hitchin travelled to Hendon to face Hampstead RFC. Hitchin had a youthful look to their squad, with 3 members of last year's league winning Colts side in the starting lineup.
7th placed Hitchin had won the last 3 encounters, but 11th placed Hampstead came out of the blocks firing, with first half slope and wind advantage on a heavy and slippery pitch.
Hendon scored the first try after 10 minutes, poor line speed from Hitching permitting an offload and a missed tackle allowing the winger to score under the posts.
Hitchin responded and Winger Max Jarmain, on his first start for the 1XV, finding space on the left edge, only to be thwarted by a last ditch tap tackle before being bundled into touch.
Hampstead had the nudge on in the scrum, but ill discipline gifted Hitchin penalties that allowed territorial advantage.
A terrific kick from Captain James Bolter put Hitchin on the Hampstead five metre line, and Bolter sacked the receiver in the lineout, a successful jackal earning a penalty. Bolter quickly tapped the penalty and had the power to surge over the line for Hitchin's first try. The conversion unsuccessful, the visitors trailed 7-5 after 25 minutes.
The remainder of the half was an ugly affair, with Hitchin unable to escape their own half, but Hampstead lacking the fluency to string together multiple phases.
Hampstead were awarded a penalty inside the 15 metre line, but the attempt at goal was missed and the halftime score remained at Hampstead 7-5 Hitchin.
Fly Half Dan Wiggins found Centre Simon Taylor on a hard line, and Taylor offloaded out of the tackle to Number 8 Frazer McGown at full pace, who was hauled down 10 metres out, but offloaded to Scrum Half Elliot Gibson to squeeze over in the left corner to give Hitchin a 10-7 lead.
The Hedgehogs were far from the finished article, and nearly allowed the visiting 10 to dance through their entire team with a poor kick chase.
Wiggins kicked a penalty deep into Hampstead territory. The maul was successfully halted and Hitchin failed to get play out to the backs before losing the ball.
Hampstead had a player sinbinned for a deliberate knock on when in a try scoring position. This galvanised the host, who came closer to scoring a try up the hill than Hitchin had in the first half.
Taylor found Centre Dan Barnes on a terrific angle, and Barnes could only be tackled by the full back. This ultimately gave Hitchin the momentum for their third try. Barnes found Winger Aiken Verschuur, who stepped inside his opposite number and broke the covering tackle from the 10 to finish an excellent individual effort for metres out. Wiggins converted for a 10 point advantage with 15 minutes to play.
From this position Hitchin were left disappointed not to have picked up the bonus point fourth try, but satisfied with a solid defensive effort to thwart Hampstead efforts to secure a bonus point of their own. Final score Hampstead 7-17 Hitchin.
Hitchin remain in 7th place in Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex, and travel to Hackney Marshes to face Old Streetonians on 24th February. Meanwhile, Hitchin Veterans XV host Tabard Occasionals in a 19:45 KO on Friday 23rd February.