Thamesians RFC
visited Old Hale Way, & having scored
53 points the previous week, were likely
to be tough opponents
Hitchin
kicked off into a stiff breeze and were shortly awarded a penalty which they
kicked for a lineout 7m out from the visitors’ lineout, but t the throw-in was adjudged
not straight. However, they kept up the
pressure and Sean McGinnity went over, but the ball was knocked on.
Thamesians were finding it difficult to clear
their lines, and from another scrum the ball went loose, Dan Wiggins dived in
to secure possession and the ball was passed along the backs to Carwyn Morgan
who scored between the posts, Ben Wiggins converting off the upright.
Thamesians
fought back, and Hitchin found themselves under pressure and a couple of
mistakes let the visitors in for an unconverted try, after charging down a
clearance kick
Good
attacking play by Hitchin got them back into the Thamesians 22 but they lost
possession, and the visitors attacked from deep, only to be stopped by good tackling 15m from the Hitchin
line.
However, a penalty
against Hitchin was converted to put the visitors in the lead 8 to 7.
In the dying
minutes of the first half, after a lot of good play by the forwards, flanker
Fred Rooney scored his first try for the team, and Ben Wiggins converted to
make the score 14 – 8 to Hitchin at half rime
Six minutes
into the second half, Thamesians were penalised and from the resulting lineout
on the 22, Hitchin set up a rolling maul from which Sean McGinnity scored an
unconverted try.
A rede card
for the visitors’ full back gave Hitchin a numerical advantage, and as the game entered the final quarter, a deft pin point kick through from Ben Wiggins saw Will Rooney scoop up the ball at the
corner flag for the bonus point try, ,the
conversion narrowly missing
More good
play by the forwards, who had dominated for most afternoon, ended with Sean
McGinnity scoring his second try, duly converted by Ben Wiggins.
Compared to the
win against Wasps the previous week, this was an undisciplined
and somewhat scrappy performance, with too many mistakes. Coach Adam Shaw commented”
always good to win , but this was ugly”
Hitchin travel to Harwich &
Dovercourt on Saturday, in the second round of the London & SE
cup
Team Sean McGinnity, Tom Tidey, James Bolter, Ryan Arbon, Matt Trussell, Frederick Rooney, Pierre De Rancourt, Armel Baufume, Daniel Wiggins, Ben Wiggins, William Rooney, Ruiri Shanahan, Carwyn Morgan, Chris Martin, Alistair Southward
Subs Stuart West, Dale Baines, Thomas Spratt, Mark Tidey, Adam Shaw, Mark Hoffman
Scores T: Sean McGinnity (2), Frederick Rooney (1), William Rooney (1), Carwyn Morgan (1)
C: Ben Wiggins (3)
Player(s) of Match 1. Frederick Rooney
The league: Herts/Middlesex 1