Match report for Hitchin Ladies Sunday 6th September 2009

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Friendly in name but not friendly in nature - the ultimate game of two halves...
Hertford 27 Hitchin 7

Does not look a great start but there is more to a match than meets the eye.
Hitchin had to make hasty changes to the team on the morning of the game due to unexpected injuries and no shows but the team had 15 players on the pitch at the start which was a good omen. Of the fifteen, several are new recruits so the team was almost half new players and half last season's core. One player Susie even ended up playing in borrowed kit having only come to watch after one training session - more of this little diamond later...

Hertford play in the league above us and so we knew they would be a powerful test and when they ran out with every player clearly weighing several kilos more than their Hitchin opposite, a hard afternoon was in prospect. Hitchin spent the first half camped in their own 22 defending like demons but leaking tries as the pressure told several times. It would have been easy to let their heads drop but Hitchin kept trying and trying and kept the score to 22-0 at half time despite having virtually no ball and being permanently on the back foot.

Someone obviously said the right things at half time because the team came out for the second half determined to put Hertford on their back foot and under pressure. Not giving them space and challenging harder in key areas did not do much to increase Hitchin's possession but at least meant Hertford made error after error when put under pressure and so could not convert possession into scores. Apart from one unconverted try from a clever chip through, Hertford became more and more frustrated as Hitchin got in their faces and stopped their progress. After a typical Mihi thundering tackle, recovery and turn-over, she galloped through and was only prevented from scoring by two head high tackles which the ref rightly punished with a penalty try converted by Steph so Hitchin won the second half 7-5 despite their lack of possession.

Although the score line was harsh, the play showed great promise. The new members of the squad - Lesley in the 2nd row, Vicky at prop, Susie as flanker, Siobhan on the wing and Carla at full back all did really well, exceptionally well in two cases. Claire B did well in a new position at flanker, Sally filled in well as hooker and Pesty returned from missing all last season with a shoulder injury to play like she had never been away.
With a combination of new players, returned veterans and seasoned campaigners from last year's successes, the season looks promising already.

Forward of the Match - Vicky
Back of the Match - Mihi
Player of the Match - Susie

Tim Bonnett
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07860 538823