Disappointing Derby Defeat

A battling performance by an injury-hit Stortford side was, unfortunately, not enough to upset a strong Hertford team, whose bonus-point win reinforces their position at the top of the table.

Stortford started strongly and the first threat came from them, when left winger, Ed Merrivale was given room out wide but his chip ahead didn't go to hand. Hertford responded with a period of concerted pressure, but were held out, initially with a tremendous one-on-one tackle by Merrivale on his opposite number and subsequently by their own knock-on in the Stortford 22. The first score came the visitors' way after half an hour, when Tom Coleman kicked a penalty for a breakdown offence, following a great dummying break by himself down the middle of the field. The gap was widened to 6 points after 37 minutes with another Coleman penalty from just inside the Hertford half after a strong midfield tackle forced Hertford to hold on in the tackle. Hertford then launched a concerted assault on the visitors' line, forcing three penalties close to the line, the first of which also brought a yellow card for Coleman playing the ball at a ruck from his knees. Having run the first 2 kicks, they rather surprisingly opted to take three points from the third. Immediately before halftime, Hertford drew level with a second penalty for offside, after a try was disallowed for crossing by the home side.

Hertford started the second half strongly and after five minutes registered the first try of the game after good penetration through the centre set up their 13 down the right wing and two untypically ineffectual Stortford tackles allowed him to touch down easily. A good chase of the resultant drop-out, however, brought an immediate penalty to Stortford and Coleman took the three points. The referee then intervened crucially, when penalising Stortford's young centre, Ben de Grandis for a very robust tackle. To deem this tackle, at no stage in which did the tackled player's head sink below his hips, a spear tackle seemed extremely harsh, given the automatic yellow card that went with it. The resultant sense of injustice was only heightened when, later in the half, a Hertford player was apparently deemed to have stopped a threatening Stortford move with a trip, but the anticipated yellow card did not follow. The reduction in Stortford's numbers was all the invitation a resurgent Hertford backline needed and within seconds they had burst through the visitors' disorganised midfield for a converted try, taking the score to 18-9. Stortford's 14 men dug in, though and were the next to score, with Coleman after 30 minutes converting the second penalty awarded in short order for offside by the home side. Five minutes later and the gap was further narrowed to only 3 points with yet another Coleman penalty after another two penalties were awarded in quick succession. This time the second offence of not releasing at the tackle brought with it a yellow card for Hertford's substitute backrow. Unfortunately, Stortford failed signally to capitalise on the extra man and, in fact quickly conceded a third try after first failing to clear from their own 22 and then compounding this by turning the ball over through a careless pass. The home forwards used their superior strength to force their way over the line and were awarded the try, much to the defenders' disappointment, who clearly felt that the ball had been held up off the ground. There was no doubt whatsoever, however, about Hertford's bonus point-winning fourth try on the point of full time, when the home team turned over a Stortford lineout on the Hertford twenty two and ran the length of the field with excellent interplay between forwards and backs brought a quality score by substitute, Allen, which was converted.

Although Stortford disappointmant at the 30-15 scoreline was understandable, having been only 3 points down some 10 minutes earlier, the victory was certainly deserved. Had Stortford not fought as hard as they had against Hertford's dominant scrum and backs, who in the closing phases showed the side to be far from one-dimensional, however, the margin could well have been bigger. With reinforcements to return, Stortford will be looking to turn the tables in the return fixture – as we did last season. Next, though, comes a hard home game against Dorking's adventurous young team, who also seem to have started the season well.