Watford 62 – 8 Hackney 07-01-2006

Watford resumed their league campaign last week with a comfortable victory away to Hackney. With prop Trevor Hickey returning from injury, hooker Danny Hassett making his first start for the 1^st team this season and scrum half Simon Maney returning from injury, Watford were almost back to full strength for this the first game of the second half of the league. The away team looked to start the game at pace after the Christmas break, and direct from the kick off put pressure on the home team.

After a few minutes Watford were awarded a penalty in the Hackney 22. Instead of kicking the 3 points skipper Peter Nelson elected to take a scrum. From this Watford were awarded a further penalty as the home team infringed. Again the scrum was taken and after a further infringement the referee awarded a penalty try. Scrum half Maney converted this to make the score 7 – 0 to the away team.

From the kick off Watford looked to attack again. Good work from the forwards secured lots of ball for the backs who tried to run everything, but the final pass didn’t stick which resulted in the game breaking down and set piece work for the forwards. From one of these blindside flanker Dave Mitchell managed to get the next score under the posts. With Maney converting again it was 14 – 0 to Watford.

The next score came from the home team, who were awarded a penalty almost direct from the restart just outside Watford’s 22. The Hackney kicker converted this to make the score 14 – 3 to the away team. The rest of the half continued in the same vain, with Watford trying to attack at every opportunity, with rustiness preventing the final pass going to hand numerous times.

An injury to winger De Klerk resulted in a reshuffle for the away team with reserve hooker James Sedgley coming on, starting hooker Hassett going to the backrow and open side flanker Ossowski moving to the wing. It took Watford a while to settle after the reshuffle, but after a while number 8 Mark Patterson got the first of his 3 trys for the game. This again was scored under the posts and again was converted by Maney to make the score 21 – 3 to Watford.

The last score of the half came from fly half Ian Butcher, who utilised dummy runners to break through the defensive line and score under the posts. With the conversion added by Maney the half time score was 28 – 3 to Watford.

The second half began in much the same manner that the first finished with forwards exerting pressure on their opponents. This resulted in 2 more trys to number 8 Patterson, with more than a helping hand being given by fellow back rower Mitchell and with both conversions missed this made the score 38 – 3 to Watford. With inroads being made by the forwards, in particular second rower Jon Stevens and the front row of Hickey, Sedgley and Nelson, Watford looked to move the ball amongst the backs and get in on the try scoring feats of the forwards. Good ball off the line outs from second rower Matt Sharpe meant that the backs were getting plenty of ball. The next score came from inside centre Peter Cox who managed to touch down after good work again from the forwards and with the ball moved wide he managed to round the defence to score.

The conversion was missed again to make the score 43 – 3 to Watford. Just after this a second substitution was made with coach Mick Mealing senior coming on for backrower Mitchell. Against the run of play the home team were the next to score after being awarded several penalties they managed to squeeze over the line. With the conversion missed the score was now 43 – 8 to the away team.

Watford went straight back on the offensive from the kick off and this resulted in the next score. The ball was moved from forwards to backs and outside centre Quintas Van Bosch burst through the line to dive over to the right of the posts. The conversion was added to bring up the half century and make the score 50 – 8 to Watford. This spurred Watford on and the next score was probably the best of the game. Number 8 Patterson broke from the scrum, fed scrum half Maney who in turn fed full back Peter Jenkins who burst down the right hand touchline. He managed to pass back inside to Maney who fed fly half Butcher who in turn fed winger Jon Portway who had cut in off the right wing to score to the left of the posts. The conversion was missed to make the score 55 – 8 to Watford.

With the home team not giving up Watford had to maintain concentration so as to keep the score board ticking over, especially after the sin binning of hat-trick hero number 8 Patterson.. The last try of the game came from Man of the Match Van Bosch who attacked the space brilliantly so that scrum half Maney could unload to him after taking a quick tap penalty. He managed to get back to his feet after a last ditch tackle and then keep his composure to touch the ball down. With the conversion added this gave a final score of 62 – 8 to Watford.

Watford take on Hayes this week at home in a friendly, but their next league game is a top of the table clash at home against Saracens Amateurs on Saturday 21^st January 2006. 

Team: Hickey, Hassett, Nelson, Stevens, Sharpe, Ossowski, Mitchell, Patterson, Maney, Butcher, Portway, Cox, Van Bosch, De Klerk, P Jenkins. Subs used: Sedgley and Mealing senior.