Cuffley 1st XV 26 v Hitchin 3rd XV 19

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Hitchin 3rd XV suffered their first loss of the season against Cuffley 1st XV.
Playing with the slope and the wind in the first half, Hitchin bossed the play, although struggled in the scrums.

We were hoping to turn around at half time with a healthy lead but a break away try, on their only forrage into the Hitchin half, meant a 7-5 deficit. Our try coming from an outstanding passage of play including a quick ruck, a beautiful back move and Mark Dinofrio touching down in the corner. Why he didn't give it to his captain outside him, I'll never know!
The second half opened with Cuffley rampaging all over us and they scored a couple of quick tries to go 19-5 up. One of their tries was outrageous...Micky Jones kicked the ball twenty metres...their centre tried to catch it but knocked on ....he picked it up and burst through to run 60 metres for a try.....'Surely a knock on' ..I asked the ref politely....'Oh no', he said, ' that was a charge down!'
Playing up the hill and into the wind, I thought we had had it, but our game plan of running everything started to work. A well worked back move allowed our debutant speedster Marlon Banton to beat 4 players and score under the posts.
A typical Magic Jones try.....pace, agility, skill, flair and quality were all to be seen as he went over under the posts and suddenly it was 19-19.
The game was for the taking.
Two minutes to go, the ref awards Cuffley a scrum in their own 22.
Actually it should have been our scrum but never mind...I'm not bitter.
They kick the ball down to our end and after a backs move end up with a scrum five metres out to them. They wheel it 360 degrees and fall on the ball, convert it and the ref blows the final whistle. We lose 26-19.
It was disappointing to see the ref being slapped on his back and being bought beer by the Cuffley players after the game in the clubhouse.....still I'm not bitter!
Great performances from Sean McGinnity, Marlon Banton and Nick Panton.
They are all from our colts section of the club but did not look out of place on a seniors pitch.
Come on Royston on Saturday!
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