Watford - Reilly, Hicks, Vincent, Andre, Smith, Steve, Andy Lee (Rose 10 mins), Mikey, Thompson (Tucker 40 mins), Jenkins, Wilson, Johnson, Creed, Burgess (Thompson 50 mins), Frankish.
Watford kicked off their final league game up the slight slope and against a wintry wind with great momentum and won turnover posession from the home side in a great attacking position. After multiple phases of play the ball was eventually moved wide to the number eight Andy Lee who was able to ground the ball in the left hand corner dragging defenders with him. The conversion was missed but this gave Watford a five point lead without I think the ball going out of play. The Hertford kick off was regathered well by second row Jamie Smith and as before Watford were able to work their way into the Hertford half through some strong positive play by both the backs and forwards. Adam Creed at outside centre twice nearly put right winger Burgess in through placing clever kicks behind the full back forcing the winger to ground behind his try line and kick football style into touch.
Another testing kick forced Hertford into a line out near their own line, in the face of driving sleet they caught their own ball and kicked long and deep into the Watford half. The ball was just about caught by full-back Frankish who managed to make ground before ruck ball was recycled to Burgess who ran strongly through a couple of defenders and recieved support from both his centres before the ball was able to be popped up to supporting skipper and scrum half Thompson who was able to ground in the right hand corner. The conversion was added by Johnson to take Watford twelve points in front after ten minutes and they had hardly had to make a tackle as Hertford had enjoyed no real posession to date.
Almost straight after the score disaster struck as Andy Lee who was his usual effervescent self had to leave the field due to a dislocated finger. He initially left to get it patched up but after returning realised he couldn't continue and James Rose deputised in the back row for the remainder of the game.
Possibly Watford relaxed, but perhaps Hertford who had so far been starved of the ball began to realise that they knew what to do with it and they began to make inroads and break the Watford cover in dangerous areas. Although there was a hint of fortune in the first try as a kick rebounded of a Hertford player very fortuitously, the home side upped their game considerably and began to take control scoring three tries (two converted) making the half time score 19-12 to Hertford.
At half time skipper Thompson exhorted his troops to play with the confidence they had shown in the first quarter, and most importantly of all for everyone to take responsibility for their own tackles and to hit low. Tucker came on to the right wing in place of Burgess who moved inside one whilst Adam Creed moved to scrum half to replace Thompson. The second half continued in a very open fashion and though perhaps Hertford enjoyed slight territorial dominance, Watford, in particular through thier pacy wings continued to look capable of breaking through to score. A further set back occurred on 50 minutes when Burgess who had ran strongly throughout and already suffered a bloody nose had to leave the fray due to a suspected cracked rib.
Hertford managed to score a further try through exploiting a stretched defence though Johnson almost immediately responded and showed pace, strength and determination to score a long range try that was all of his own making, though he was unfortunately unable to add the further two points. This left the score in the final quarter at 24-17 to the home side. Watford sensed that they were on the final play of the game and managed to secure a string of penalties against a desperate home defence who continued to infringe at the rucks. Though they were still in their own half they continued to run the ball rather than kick to the corner and scavenged and battered their way up the pitch through multiple phases, unfortunately the ball became slow and desperate passes began to be thrown one of these hit the ground and was seized upon by a Hertford player who was able to run unopposed to score under the posts and finally put the score out of Watford's reach.
In the final analysis the game was almost a microcosm of Watford's league season which though they started strongly they were ultimately out fought by more experienced opponents who were a little more streetwise. Watford were competitive throughout and their largely youthful side never stopped fighting and showed spirit to the end, however an already under-strength pack suffered greatly from the early withdrawal of their number eight whose dynamism around the pitch was sorely missed. The game also followed a similar pattern to the recent defeat against Harrow and other games where an early lead was surrendered, only for the final fightback to be too little too late. The side contains a talented spine of players, and on the positive side they are mostly youthful in years, however the problem appears to be maintaining the level of performance, particularly in defence for the full 80 minutes that is required.
Tries
Lee
Thompson
Johnson
Conversion - Johnson
Man of the Match - Smith
Report by - Andy Frankish
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