Watford 1st XV 36 vs. 0 Northolt 1st XV

Man of the Match: Paul Wilson

Despite being slightly off the pace after the festive break, Watford were soon on the scoreboard following a penalty move which allowed Lee to score under the posts. Kiely added the extras to put the Stags 7-0 up within the first 5 minutes. The hosts were dominating territory and possession, with the forwards exerting a huge amount of pressure on the Northolt scrum. This meant the visitors were rarely able to secure any meaningful ball, and Watford’s dominance was soon rewarded by a further 7 points. Clean lineout ball, followed by a strong drive from the pack took the hosts into the opposition half. The ball was shipped out to the backs, and with Kiely committing the Northolt centres Lee ran a good line to take the offload and scoot under the posts. The extras were again added to put Watford 14-0 up in the first 15 minutes. With the Stags threatening to run away with the game, a combination of poor decision making and gutsy Northolt defence kept them at bay until the 30^th minute, when a delightful chip from flyhalf Hopkins was well gathered by Paul Wilson who scored his first of the match. Watford nearly secured the bonus point before the break, however Hammill knocked on with the line at his mercy. The Stags were not to be denied, and good pressure from the imperious McClennon at a Northolt lineout 5 metres from the line allowed Munday to swoop for his first senior try.

With the bonus point secured before the break, Watford were guilty of taking their foot off the gas in the second half. A number of changes disrupted the fluency of the game, however two further scores were added. Paul Wilson scored his second following good work from Walker and Kiely, before Lee completed his hat trick following a trademark Watford lineout.

Skipper Flint was satisfied with his teams efforts, though warned that improvements had to be made if momentum was to be retained. “The lads did a job today, no more. Whilst it is always satisfying to nil a team, we were sloppy at the breakdown and our game management requires some attention. The set piece was an improvement, however we need to ensure good numbers at training over the coming weeks in order to keep moving up the table.” Flint also singled out first team debutant John McClennon for praise, following an inspired display.

Watford 1^st XV: G. Wilson, Flint, Hicks (Philpott 50), Hammill, McClennon, Munday, Dunlop, M. Lee, Bennett, Hopkins, Kiely, Walker, Gilmore (McGee 41), James, P. Wilson (Reeve 60).

Tries: M. Lee x 3, P. Wilson x 2, Munday

Conversions: Kiely x 3