Hitchin 2s 15 – Cheshunt 2s 26
The Hitchin 2s have enjoyed a good run of results in the past few weeks that came to a disappointing end against a familiar opposition in Cheshunt who arrived at King George’s keen to avenge an earlier loss to Hitchin at the start of this season.
It was always going to be a physical battle and the Hitchin side was looking strong with the late addition of Duane Brand into the back row things looked promising. However within 10mins of the start there was an obvious strength within the opposition (mainly a very capable looking centre partnership) and a weakness with the Hitchin defence that was going to prove to be the ultimate deciding factor in what was a very hotly contested game.
In what almost seems a blink the Cheshunt side were two converted tries up, both scored from breaks that covered half the field and both following very close (but no cigar) attacks on the Cheshunt line. The Hitchin side , who had started slow, didn’t let their heads drop and with some great forward play an early mention to Pearce McGinnity and Duane who led the Hitchin response with aggressive attacks always gaining valuable yards up the field. The backs now started to join the party and with Iggy distributing what ball he did get clean, and even some he didn’t, the side moved closer to the Cheshunt line.
The first Hitchin score of the day came from a well worked lineout 10mtrs from the white line. Mark Tidey (who had stepped in to play a full 80mins of rugby at late notice) can always be trusted to hit the right ball and Duane took the invitation to set up a maul setting a great platform for Sean McGinnity to power over the final yards to register 5 points in the corner.
The nature of this try, and the realisation that the Hitchin pack had a clear edge gave fresh hope to the Hitchin side. If sloppy tackling errors could be cut out this game was ours to win…….however it’s one thing to state the obvious but another to execute it and before half time the Cheshunt centre partnership had added a further 5 points.
Half time talk from today new 2s captain, ‘Lex’, was all about belief….the better rugby side were behind and it was all about the next score
Unfortunately that ‘next score’ came shortly after the re-start and, for the Hitchin 2s, at the wrong end……same story….poor defence vs a quality opposition. So 26 – 5 down and things weren’t looking good.
However what happened next will surely prove to be a turning point for the Hitchin 2s, maybe not in the final score of this game but in the realisation that when they stick together as a team, play for each other then the quality rugby they produce comes to the surface. As you may note with the scoreline the Cheshunt side had finished their scoring for the day…….not because they had this game won (far from it) but because the Hitchin 2s never let them have another sniff of the scoring zone.
Elliot Gibson (aka Tank) had come in at 9 for the 2nd half, he and Iggy were starting to pull the strings and the centre partnership of Sam Underwood and Ashley Cochrane had decided that….OK they have left their tackling at home……but not their willingness to attack the Cheshunt defence, ball in hand, and keeping the Hitchin side moving forward. The rest of the Hitchin pack had also stepped up to the level of Duane, Pearce and Sean to ensure that support was at hand and the opposition always on the back foot.
This constant barrage from Hitchin soon led to another Sean McGinnity try, the prop sliding over to score from his favoured ‘wing’ position, quite honestly unstoppable from 5mtrs out. This game wasn’t over and the tension between the players started to boil up.
The following restart set Hitchin back on the front foot and the back row ate up yards of the pitch to put Cheshunt under more and more pressure. Dave Archer, back from injury, was starting to find his groove……..Jason Livings never tired of clearing rucks and ably supported by James Drury (till he had to leave the pitch early with a hip injury)……his replacement Nick (get the guitar) Chirgwin didn’t let the side down and started to add his own flavour of aggression into proceedings.
Tidles (ex first team winger and self confessed Hitchin Rugby Club legend) had found a new definition of painkillers and was playing like a man 20 years his junior (that would be Tommy Tidey then) and as you would expect a game that was so hotly contested soon started to reach it’s limit and a number of ‘hugs and kisses’ were exchanged between the two sides……all in good spirit and well handled by the game officials.
As the game came to a close the frustration of missed chances (Matt Lippard ….double movement …. I don’t think so!) were still being turned into positive attacking play from Hitchin and with 5minutes to go Seam McGinnity hit his customary 5mtr charge and scored what seemed like a hat-trick and there was a sense of….just maybe!
However in a bizarre turn of events, that over time will become one of the most exceptional stories of ‘jug avoidance’ the referee ‘re-considered’ his decision and called the Hitchin players back from the half way line, told Iggy to put away his kicking tee and called a knock on …..scum down, Cheshunt ball.
As captain I can now say the next few minutes are a bit of a blur (thanks to a sweet uppercut from a Cheshunt forward) however I do remember discussing the merits of ‘changing ones mind’ with the ref but having accepted the scrum ……Tiddles (having spent the longest time this year out of a romper suit) won against the head and Jason picked up from 8 and restored the missing Sean try……..so the final moments went something like:
- Jug avoidance from Sean
- 1st Hitchin try for Jason
- As someone said it then ‘went off’
- Followed by the ‘sweet uppercut’
And that was it…….Hitchin 2s went down on the score board but with massive pride and a great team spirit. These two sides meet again in the cup later this year and everyone involved will look forward to facing an opposition that deserves huge respect for their part in a great game of rugby.
Man of the Match was easy to call and credit to Pearce McGinnity as on another day 6 or 7 players would have had a shout but his all round play made him stand out. The ‘other’ award given on such an occasion was probably even easier, he knows who he is and why he gets it…….he now even has his own song!
Team Sean McGinnity, Mark Tidey, Dave Archer, Richard Lucas, Jason Livings, Pearce McGinnity, Duane Brand, James Drury, Adam Howard, Robert Vivian, Marlon Banton, Elliott Gibson, Ashley Cochrane, Matthew Lippard, Michael Painter
Subs Nick Chirgwin, Samuel Underwood
Scores T: Sean McGinnity (2), Jason Livings (1)
Player(s) of Match 1. Pearce McGinnity
League Tables