Welwyn 4th 10 - 21 Black Horse

After a late postponement of their league fixture by an unwilling to travel Harpenden, a short notice game was arranged to play a friendly against a Welwyn side anxious to avenge their early October defeat dished out in style by the Horse. The Horse were on the road for a 4th game running, which has suited them as since that fixture the Horse have remained unbeaten and were in confident mood from the off, enjoying the majority of possession and territory during the opening quarter of the game. However, it was the home side who opened the scoring however with a breakaway move for an unconverted try.

This score galvanized Horse and they took the lead shortly afterwards with a try that began with a line out won in their own half and the ball passed down the line to find Isaac Aitken on the outside who touched down with a try converted expertly by Adrian Lee. Within 10 minutes Isaac Aitken scored again this time under the posts from a turnover of Welwyn possession, followed by a precision pin point kick from Adrian Lee, once again converted by the skipper.

Half time saw the arrival of Horse's only substitute of the day, "Good" Aaron Paea, having spent the first half watching Hertford at Hoe Lane wondering where everybody else was! Despite continued dominance of possession, the Horse conceded again as Welwyn took more and more risks to come back at the Horse, which came to haunt them towards the end of the match as an interception was passed to "Spud" John Cockerell to score a try, again converted by Adrian Lee who kept up his 100% kicking game. Indeed Horse could have scored again when Isaac Aitken seemed clean through, inexplicably avoiding a hatrick jug by spilling the ball with no one left to beat!

In truth the boggy conditions, a referee having his first game (which showed), an unfamiliar front row, lottery like lineouts from both sides and uncontested scrums for most of the 2nd half due to a Welwyn injury, led to a feeling that The Horse had maybe slipped back a notch in performance levels, which will need to be reversed at Cheshunt next week.

MOM: Isaac Aitken for scoring so often
WOM's: Isaac Aitken for not scoring often enough leading to jug avoidance; Being ejected from our own pub last week for despicable behaviour; Being a kiwi; And anything to ensure he had to down 3 pints...making it 4 WOM's from 4 for the mercurial Kiwi! "Dangerous" Dave Lowe for leaving the field injured in the 2nd half only to go play the last half hour for Hertford on another pitch.