Hatfield Queen Elizabeth starts season with a stuttering win

Hatfield QE RFC started our 2017/18 season with a win over Tring’s third XV that went down to the wire with only one point in it.

Playing at ourr home pitch at Roe Hill, we were eventual 19-18 winners, but we didn’t have it all our own way and had to come back from behind at the half way mark.

The game started in typical Hatfield style with the forwards absorbing pressure from a dominant Tring pack. However in Hatifled’s half of the pitch early in the game we won the ball and it went to Rob Jack at Fly Half who sidestepped the opposition and ran 45 yards with the Tring backs chasing to score under the posts, with Charlie Gibbs converting.

Tring fought back instantly and were putting pressure back onto us. They eventually broke through the dogged defending to score a try, but the conversion was missed.

Tring weren’t stopping there. They followed that up when their Centre broke through the Hatfield defence to score again. But, like before the conversion was missed.

As halftime was approaching we found ourselves attacking and getting close to their line, a strong maul saw the pack push over the try line for Damien Poulter to touch down. Gibbs, who seemed unstoppable was unable to convert the difficult kick from the corner.

Before the halftime whistle blew, Tring were awarded a penalty when Hatfield were deemed to have not rolled away in the tackle. And they scored to make the halftime score 13-12 in Tring’s favour.

The second half was uneventful until twenty minutes to go. Tring were awarded a scrum which they won, as the ball was passed to the fly half, Hatfield charged and Centre Toby Garrett stole the ball from the opposition. Quick thinking from Garrett saw him pop the ball to winger Niall Easdale who stormed down the touchline. In close support was flanker Laurel-Evrard Tchangou, making it a two-on-one for the attacking Hatfield. Easdale drew in the opposition and then effortlessly passed the ball to Tchangou who blized to the try line to score under the posts. Once again Gibbs scored the conversion.

Tring then attacked and as the clock wore down it looked like time was running out. They managed to cross the line during the 80th minute. This made the score 19-18 in Hatfield’s favour. The Tring fly half stepped up to take the conversion and the win, but an horrific kick saw him miss and Hatfield took the win.

First team captain George Stone said: “It was good to see the team play for each other and grind out the win. To start the season this way is really encouraging and it gives us a solid platform to push forward with in our next game.”

Our next fixture is on Saturday 23 September away to Hendon’s second XV.