What an excellent Friday night of rugby from Hitchin against Cambridge

1st team pitch ready, floodlights on, score-board set, supporters ready. Game on!

An early thundering try from Arran got Hitchin hopes up of a possible run-away game but Cambridge very quickly showed that wasn’t to be.

5:0 to Hitchin.

Early knocks to both Felix and Gillie meant that we saw no more of their busy work and good carrying in the tight.
Outstanding play from Orson and Frank meant that Hitchin was always dangerous when we got the ball moving out from the breakdown and when we got it to Rudy he marshalled the troops brilliantly and when we got the ball to Ben and Luca we looked very dangerous. Eoin played the captains role leading from the front throughout.

Three tries in a row from Cambridge pulled the score to 5:15 to the visitors, but the game was end-to-end with nail-biting defence of the line, then bursting breakouts from Henry Nethersole and Arran keeping us in the game. Leo and Tom Souter were tireless in the scrum and the tight play, again and again carrying and doing the hard work and Ruari bringing his strength to bear at the breakdown.

Our tackling too often was poor and made the bigger Cambridge players look probably more dangerous that they were, Cambridge again and again getting to our line only to be held up there. By half time the score was 10:20 to Cambridge.

Some excellent kick-off and clearance work from Thomas gave our chasers work to do and Xander and Howard put in great shifts, covering and carrying.

Cambridge ahead, 20:30 with 8 minutes to go.

A couple of our most recent joiners – Kai and Eshaan both played important parts in the game – Kai showing excellent understanding of the game and skills and getting stuck in everywhere, Eshaan being instrumental in one of the closing tries, first to the break down, securing ball and pushing wide to oncoming runner.

Many stand out moments for Hitchin on the night, but visually Nicky Charnley’s galloping run, mane of hair flowing as he covered almost half the pitch before Cambridge winger came across and snagged him is near the top. Another crashing run from Nicky and an outstretched arm with 3 Cambridge players on him to score.

Cambridge ahead 25:30, 4 minutes.

And a closing symmetry – a direct, through any-one-who-dares-stop-me run from Arran, to crash over and score the closing try on the final whistle.

30:30, full time.

Pizza, cans of pop, player-of-the-match awards and lots of smiles under floodlights on a Friday. Great evening and thank you everyone that helped make it happen.

Thank you to those players who came to watch that were not playing on friday - great show of squad spirit, and finally thank you to all the support also.