Hitchin 39-5 St Albans
Hitchin hosted long term rivals St Albans in their final pre season friendly.
The Hedgehogs were in the ascendancy from the start, and five minutes in they had their first score. Centre Ben Wiggins delivered a long pass to Winger Jack Maydom at full speed, who rounded his opposite number and offloaded to Lock Nick Panton to touch down.
Hitchin will be disappointed to have conceded a number of high tackle penalties, which stymied their progress for the next 15 minutes.
The second try came after a series of phases, and quick ball from Scrum Half Ryan Godfrey allowed Fly Half Harry Chater to find Hooker Gary Ayres, who proved unstoppable from 5 metres out.
After 30 minutes Hitchin worked play from left to right, and then put the ball through hands to the left. Lock Jon Welsford threw a dummy and stepped instead the sliding defence to score under the sticks. Wiggins converted for a 17-0 halftime lead.
From a midfield lineout 7 minutes into the second half, Chater found Flanker Callum Cload on an overs line and surged through a gap in the St Albans defence, rounding the Full Back to score a magnificent individual effort on debut.
5 minutes later and, after several phases, Chater spotted a narrow defence and kicked into the corner, a perfect bounce for Number 8 Frazer McGown to score try number 5.
The next try came quickly thereafter, as Wiggins threw a flat pass to Captajn James Bolter, who found a gap in the defensive line and, one-on-one with the Full Back, passed to Cload to score his second.
St Albans got the reward their efforts deserved as a floating pass was seized was seized upon, and from the next phase the winger rounded his opposite number to get their first try of the match.
Hitchin returned a goal line drop out with a series of powerful carries, and Prop Tom Tidey scored the last try of the match from a short pass on the blindside.
Hitchin have a week off before league fixtures commence, with the 1XV travelling to Chiswick and the 2XV visiting Bishops Stortford on 16th September.
Team James Akrill, Gary Ayres, James Bolter, Nick Panton, Jonathan Welsford, Adam Baird, Callum Cload, Frazer McGown, Ryan Godfrey, Harry Chater, Xander Szanto, Benjamin Wiggins, Ryan Fields, Jack Maydom, Greg Ranson
Subs Jack Sibley, Ewan Rawlings, Arron Aatkar, Louix West, Gary Wearing, Thomas Tidey, Ian Crompton, Charles Wood-Jones, Gavin McLeod
Scores T: Callum Cload (2), Frazer McGown (1), Thomas Tidey (1), Gary Ayres (1), Nick Panton (1), Jonathan Welsford (1)
C: Benjamin Wiggins (1), Harry Chater (1)
The league: Counties 1 Herts/Middx