Watford 13 - 27 Old Grammerians

Watford went into this home league game against Old Grammarians buoyed by their previous 2 weeks victories. The game couldn’t have got off to a worse start for the home team as Old Grammarians went on the attack direct from the kick off. It became apparent early on that the away team were going to use their big well drilled pack to try and strangle the life out of the game and look to keep the ball away from Watfords quicker backs. From a line out the away team got their rolling maul moving and managed to touch the ball down and with the conversion missed it was 5 – 0 to the visitors. Almost directly from the kick off the away team had another line out in the Watford 22 and looked to use their forwards again. With Watford trying to defend this there was a gap that was exploited for a try to be scored under the posts. The conversion made it 12 – 0 to the away team.

Watford managed to get hold of some ball and a move involving fly half Ian Butcher, winger Jamie Traxon and inside centre Quintas Van Bosch would have led to try under the posts for Van Bosch but for a last ditch effort to get under the ball. With Watford exerting pressure the away team gave away a penalty which captain Peter Nelson elected to take the points. The successful penalty by scrum half Simon Maney made the score 12 – 3 to Old Grammarians. In between two more replica tries for the away team with one being converted, Watford managed to score a try in the corner through outside centre Russell Banton, scoring his second try in 2 league games. With Maney missing the conversion the score was 24 – 8 to the visitors. A flare up between Maney and the opposition prop led to both being sin binned before half time. With no further score in the half the whistle blew for half time with the score 24 – 3 to Old Grammarians. The talk at half time by Nelson was that Watford had to secure ball and get it out to the backs as that was were the home teams strength was.

The second half kicked off with both teams still down to 14 men. Direct from the kick off Watford went on the attack and were camped in the visitors 22. An injury to the away teams full back led to a hold up whilst he was carried off. Both teams knew the next score would be vital. Watford managed to get this score though Craig Wadey who had moved into the back row from the wing at half time, to score in consecutive weeks. The conversion was missed again to give a score line of 24 – 13 to the visitors. It was all Watford now but resolute defending by the away team meant that Watford could not get another score. On one of their few trips into the Watford half Old Grammarians were awarded a penalty which they duly kicked to make the score 27 – 13. Despite Watford trying to run nearly everything in the last 10 minutes they could not finish off any of their moves. The final whistle went with the away team winning 27 – 13. Watford took a valuable lesson from the game in that they must play for the full 80 minutes and not get drawn in to a slow forward orientated game.

Team: Hickey, Sedgley, Nelson(c), Moore, Sharpe, Bridge, Chapman, Patterson, Maney, Butcher, Wadey, Van Bosch, Banton, Traxon, Jenkins. Subs used: Portway for Bridge. Subs not used: Cox, A.Kiely.