St Albans First Team

St.Albans 22  Bishop’s Stortford 28 .

 

Last Sunday Saints welcomed  Bishop’s Stortford RFC  to Boggymead Spring  for a quarter final of the Herts President’s Cup .Two years ago the two sides met in the Cup at Stortford’s  Silver Leys ground where Saints won. Bishop’s Stortford RFC was founded in 1920 and are a well respected senior Hertfordshire club who have been Herts President’s Cup  finalists three times - winning it twice.In contrast Saints have been finalists just once in 2004. Stortford have always been a league or two above Saints and are currently 8^th in Powergen London  League 1 immediately above Saints in London North 2 also in 8^th place.

History and form make the visitors clear favourites but this is the Cup and Saints will be looking to add another senior Cup scalp to go with the historic Old Albanian one in the previous round.

 

Conditions were excellent, brilliant sunshine , 6C no wind and a firm pitch.

 

A full team of 3 Match Officials all from the Herts Referees Society,led by referee Mr Paul Nolan  took charge of the contest which kicked off at 2pm in front of a crowd of only about 60 .

 

Stortford kicked off from the Vet’s end towards the westerly Oaklands end there being much frantic to and fro as both sides sounded each other out inside Saints’ half.

Stortford’s pack hammered away up the middle all to no avail as Saints soaked it all up,second row Donald Onyuma and centre Phil James (picture 1) getting some good hits in, and sending full back Joe Shaw on a storming run out of defence.

By 10 minutes,No 8 Ollie Cooper-Millar had stolen a Stortford lineout and had helped Saints claw themselves to just 5 metres from the Stortford line.

Referee Nolan was hot on lineout and scrummage technical infringements and offside all game.  Saints gained  a free kick,opted for a scrum which they squandered as they were penalised for their league prop,Farren Mahoney, driving upwards.

Saints came away empty handed and on 15 minutes were defending well on their 22.

Stortford’s pacy winger looked clean through 10 metres out  but a magnificent try saving tackle by flanker Richard Louw stopped him in his tracks.

Stortford kept Saints under pressure,their pack pumping a rolling maul well finally forcing a penalty wide out on Saints’ 22.

Stortford’s young No 10 Tom Coleman,hot stuff indeed, kicked a fine 3 points for the visitors to take the lead.

On 20 minutes,Saints 0 Stortford 3.

Stortford were soon back on the attack and ,shades of Hadleigh last week, Saints conceded another penalty head on to their posts for offside.

A formality relished by the Stortford outhalf to double the lead.

On 22 minutes Saints 0 Stortford 6.

Do it once –do it often was clearly everyone’s script as Stortford attacked again.Saints’ backs were penalised for offside head on to their posts again ,Tom Coleman spicing things up for the third time in a row.

On 25 minutes,Saints 0 Stortford 9.

Saints finally broke out of their vicious circle of indiscipline and forced a lineout on Stortford’s 22.

Stortford’s prop was penalised for offside near the touchline but No 13 Mark Kentish missed the penalty attempt on 27 minutes.

The game became a midfield stalemate as Stortford took their foot off the pedal,their pack visibly easing off but Saints now doing the very opposite.

Patient pick and go by Saints,scrum half Gareth Day going well, won them an attacking lineout 5 metres from Stortford’s line.

A classic captain Dan Hillier catch and drive at the front of the lineout, we think he does them in his sleep,led to the rolling maul for No 8 Ollie Cooper-Millar to score  the first try of the contest,unconverted.

On 37 minutes it’s game back on, Saints 5 Stortford 9.

The first half finished with Saints in the ascendancy,Joe Shaw stealing  an attacking Stortford maul and making a fine clearance.

Stortford made one last attack ending in a lineout to Saints on their 22.

A rare quick throw in by Joe Shaw,having a stormer today,to No 13 Mark Kentish kept Stortford on the hop.

On 41 minutes Stortford were offside again and Saints worked the touchline.

Good off the top ball fed centre Phil James,revelling in his first full start at inside centre, who attacked at pace  but Stortford just survived.

 

Half time score. St.Albans 5 Bishop’s Stortford 9 .

 

Stortford had easily won the first half in terms of territory and possession because of Saints’ serial indiscipline -the visitors sensing an easy cricket score ,letting Saints well and truly back into the game their defence holding up well.

Your Match Reporter on the top touchline with Stortford’s management ,and sociable gentlemen they were too,detected the visitors had all suddenly gone rather quiet and serious.

Saints started the second half with a rousing attack,Phil James blasting into their centres with right wing Ed Coy supporting but the final pass was badly knocked on.

At the ensuing scrum Stortford’s No 8 was penalised for offside and Saints’ No 10 Jack Stevenson prodded the hosts down to Stortford’s 22 for an attacking lineout.

Dan Hillier ,having an excellent match,caught and drove yet again  before feeding the backline.Centre Phil James at pace angled his run to perfection through despairing tackles to score under Stortford’s posts-the conversion by Mark Kentish.

On 49 minutes Saints were in the lead for the first time,Saints 12 Stortford 9.

Saints’ purple patch continued as Joe Shaw ran the Stortford dropout back and was prevented from releasing.Jack Stevenson plied the touchline for another Saints’ attacking lineout 30 metres out from Stortford’s line.

Another textbook catch and drive by Dan Hillier was spun all the way down the line to give left wing James Dickinson a rare moment to shine.Pinning his ears back he flew like a supersonic ferret on the outside making 25 metres before feeding a slick pass inside to ever present flanker Richard Louw who fed scampering No 8 Ollie Cooper-Millar for his second try,converted by Mark Kentish.

On 52 minutes,Saints 19 Stortford 9.

 

By now both sides were making substitutions,but Stortford were penalised again.