VERULAMIANS RFC 21 ---- MILL HILL 17
An overcast day with threatening rain greeted both teams on what was going to be a definitive game of their season. Vees wallowing at the bottom of Herts/Middx League 1 and their opposition just a few places higher. Not daunted by the size of Mill Hill’s front row Vees set about attempting to stop the inevitable pressure that Mill Hill were going to place on them in the opening quarter. After a stuttering start Vees managed to gain a penalty which their young full back Jake Lawrence converted, but Mill Hill responded with a lot of forward pressure and scored a good forward, converted try to make it 7 – 6 in their favour. The rest of the game took on the guise of a ‘ dog fight ‘ similar to those desperate days in the 2WW when the superior foe was eventually beaten back in a David and Goliath scenario. Good to watch, but gruelling to take part in. Somehow or other Jake Lawrence was able to slot in another penalty to make it a creditable 6 – 7 at half time.
As Vees in the past have been prone, they started the second half off the pace and the eager Mill Hill ran in another converted try to make it 6 – 14, which was then followed by a conceded penalty to stretch the Mill Hill lead to 6 –17. Then miraculously the tide turned and the Vees ‘young gun’ half backs James Ryan and Jack Hegarty started asserting some control which produced yet another Jake Lawrence long distance penalty that narrowed the score to 9 – 17.
Jack Hegarty then found a gap and tore through the Mill Hill defence for a try to make it 14 – 17. The spectators sensed ‘ game on ‘ and something might happen. So it did with the Vees whole back division combining smoothly to put the recently returned Adam Russell away to score a perfect 50 mtr try which sure boot Jake Lawrence converted from way out to secure a glorious, hard worked for Vees victory.
This was a merited come back against the odds and Vees owe a debt of gratitude to the three ‘young guns’, ably backed up by the returning Mr ‘ Cool ‘ Mike Ainsworth and the ever present rugged Tim Fretter, the ageing 100% Darren Westhead and the front row who are unlikely to take on such a weight disadvantage again until possibly the return match in 2020.
Mill Hill gained a bonus point for their efforts and Vees now look forward to their next game away against Old Thamesonians RFC in two weeks time before the Christmas ‘ clash ‘ at home on Dec 14th against local rivals St. Albans RFC. “