Stortford came away from this hard fought Herts and Middlesex League fixture knowing they had missed opportunities to get one over on the visitors from West London. On a bright, sunny morning Stortford started excellently with forwards crashing every ruck and the backs showing slick handling and invention - this led to the opening try for Matt Furrer who once more showed that his power and pace is hard to stop.

Hampstead took advantage of some sloppy defending from the blues and crossed the line twice before some excellent rugby from Stortford led to a powerful break from Samuel Faiers. The Hampstead fullback made a fantastic last ditch tackle to stop Sam 5 yards short of the line, but an excellent support run from Fabian Dowell was rewarded when he received a pop-pass and dived over to score. He then added an excellent conversion from wide.

Stortford reclaimed their lead when Matt Furrer crashed through for a second try, however Hampstead scored again to give the visitors a slender 21-19 lead at the break.

The second half was a much tighter affair, and as the game progressed Stortford dominated possession, putting constant pressure on the Hampstead defence. Some poor handling and a lack of invention saw us squander a number of clear scoring opportunities, before a break away try saw the visitors extend their lead. The boys battled on fiercely, but it was the Hampstead players and supporters who greeted the final whistle with cheers and a degree of relief. Player of the match went to George Cox for another niggling performance at scrum half.