So it was onto game number 6 and our 5th County Final in successive years. Our opponents, well you wouldn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to guess!
Harpenden had once again been very impressive in reaching this stage and whilst this was their first County Final we had played them in umpteen other Cup Finals (with success!) over the past few years. They are a well drilled side and both sides have enormous respect for each other.
We kicked off and immediately had the opposition on the back foot. Morgan, Gus and the returning Harry A worked tirelessly up front to secure the ball whilst Cameron and Adam kept it moving. Alfie used the large pitch to good effect by pinning the opposition back and we enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges. Some of the tackles were just brutal and both sides were feeling the effects of a long day before Keir inevitably produced a trump card in another final. His trade mark combination of power and pace being too hot for the Harpenden back line. Whilst we were 1 up at the break and had spent the whole first half in Harpenden territory, we were still quite a way from the title.
In the second period the Harpenden boys borrowed the Kitchen sink from Tring and threw it at us! They really came out all guns blazing and whilst our defence stood firm we gave away a series of penalties nearer and nearer to our line. The final one of these opportunities was converted when the referee felt that the Harpenden player had grounded to bring the scores level. Some of the boys knew that the forward had actually dropped the ball over the line and were quite aggrieved by the decision; however they channelled this emotion into regaining the lead. They got their rewards when Alfie chassed down the Harpenden full backs kick to side step the on rushing Harpenden winger , before unselfishly offloading to Eddie to crash over the line. The try was scored with just 30 seconds left on the clock and in the first breakdown after the restart , our impressive forwards regained the ball and Jack jubilantly kicked into touch to secure our 5th County Title in a row! Final Score Welwyn A 10 Harpenden A 5

Close match report.

The Semi Final was against Tring and we were looking for a repeat of our comprehensive win against them at their own festival. We also knew however that they are an excellent side and our patched up team would need to be at its very best if we were going to progress to the Final. To Tring's disappointment, there was no stopping the Welwyn Express as we were gaining momentum and coming into form at just the right time. With Alfie orchestrating things in front of the back line he used the great ball he was receiving from the Forwards and Jack at scrum half to pin point our plan of attack. Callum took advantage of the open space to sprint home for number 1 before Johann made it two and a good lead to go into the break. We knew the second period would see the Tring side respond with all but the kitchen sink; however any question of a comeback was dispelled when the impressive Keir took a pass from Saul into his stride to plough his way through the yellow and black wall.
Final Score Welwyn A 15 Tring A 0

Close match report.

Our reward for topping the pool was a Quarter Final match against Bishops Stortford. They had lost narrowly to Harpenden in their group and were looking to upset the form book against us. Unfortunately for them, the game was laid to rest in the first 7 minutes of the match as we blew them away with a tornado start. Cameron drove over to put the forwards on the score sheet before Eddie, Callum and Johann each profited from Alfie's precision kicking. Unfortunately we picked up two bad injuries in this game with both Jack and Harry suffering from blows to the knee. However we are lucky to have an exceptional set of replacements that eased onto the Welwyn train and into the Semi Final. Final Score Welwyn A 20 Bishops Stortford A 0

Close match report.

The final game of the group was against a resilient Camelot side that had held Hertford to just 3 scores. Therefore we went into the final group game needing to win by 2 tries to top the pool. As with the Tring Festival just 2 weeks ago, the boys really went through the gears in the early stages (Sorry Hemel!). Again our back line was too fast for the heavier Hemel pack and the spaces were exploited by Messrs Lloyd and Schymanski. We went into the break 4 tries to the good and a further 2 were scored by Alfie and Keir to give us a comprehensive 6 try win. Final Score Welwyn A 30 Hemel Camelot 0

Close match report.

Game two was against a Hertford side who are equally as impressive with the use of the ball and like ourselves play a very fast game. Both sides hit the rucks with real gusto and this proved to be a battle of two tough gladiators looking for the smell of the line. In fairness, the Hertford pack were more effective by getting quicker to the breakdown in the first half and whilst they never really threatened our line, they were able to turn over the ball into their hands. We huffed and puffed and had a couple of opportunities to convert some sustained pressure into tries but the brave Hertford back line stood firm and the match finished all square. Final Score Welwyn A 0 Hertford A 0

Close match report.

In game one we played Tabard and came out of the traps much faster than the opposition. Early possession for the lightening quick back line was converted into tries by Calum, Johann & Keir to give us a 15-0 lead at the break. In the second half we were equally as dominant and despite playing against a considerably bigger pack, our forwards maintained their work rate to out manoeuvre their opponents. Johann again using his pace to great effect before our fly half, Alfie, threw in 4 sidesteps to bamboozle the defence into submission. Final Score Welwyn A 25 Tabard A 0

Close match report.

In the Cup Final it was perhaps less surprising to see that our opponents for the 3rd year in succession were Harpenden. They had once again enjoyed a faultless qualification that had included wins over Hertford, Fullers, Tring B, Bicester and Old Albanians.
We started down the ramp and spent the whole half in the final third closest to the Men in Black line. Twice we were held up on the whitewash by some gusty forward play and it seemed that our possession would count for nothing going into the break. However, with the last play of the half Alfie released Keir into the space that he enjoys and exploits so effectively to drive into the corner and send us in to the interval one try up.
The second period was becoming a war of attrition as both teams long day of Rugby was beginning to take its inevitable toll. Although Harpenden never really threatened our line with the ball, they did force us to use some intelligent kicking to push them back on 3 occasions. One of which was from Second Rower Cameron! However despite being out of position he managed to send an effective long ball over half the length of the pitch giving our speedy back line time to race up field and secure possession again. We spent the final 4 minutes in midfield to secure the game and our 5 years of success at Tring continues. Final Score Harpenden A 0 Welwyn A 5

Close match report.

The boys ensured a Cup final berth with a confident win over a decent Bishops Stortford side. 2 early tries from Keir and Cameron were enough to allow us to rotate our players positions and give some a much needed rest with our injury list lengthening due to the hard ground. In the second half the opposition kept us on our toes with a well taken try before our impressive forward pack gave Harry A the opportunity to restore our two try lead and ultimately secure the 3 points. Final Score Bishops Stortford A 5 Welwyn A 15

Close match report.

Before our fourth game we had watched the Tring side run 3 tries past the shattered Chinnor team. Our game had obviously taken its toll on Chinnors forwards and the Tring result meant that a win and a draw from our final 2 games would be enough to ensure Cup Final qualification. First up were Camelot and we had told the boys that try difference would be an important factor in the final group standings. Unfortunately for Camelot the boys really exploded in this game and ran riot with 8 unanswered tries (Keir 1, Callum 2, Cameron 1, Johann, Eddie 2 & Saul). The best of which were from Eddie and Callum who ran the perfect angles to whiz past a stunned defence. Final Score Camelot A 0 Welwyn A 40

Close match report.

Game 3 now appeared to be the pivotal game of the Group as Chinnor had also despatched their opponents without conceding a try. In fact they had scored 12 unanswered tries in their two games and came into the game in equally confident mood. Something very strange happened in this game as the opposition scored FIRST! A burst of pace down the slope from their impressive winger was just too hot to handle despite Saul's brave tackle on the line. 5 nil down but plenty of time to pull things round and pull things round is exactly what they did! We dominated the play both up and down the slope from there on in. Unfortunately we only had one try to show for our efforts despite scoring three times in the first period. Two of the tries were not awarded by the referee who found himself out of position and unsighted so we went into the break all square. The second period was played like a cup final and we went for the proverbial jugular by mounting a series of attacks. However the Chinnor side bravely put their bodies on the line (literally!) to stop our try scoring attempts and the match ended all square. Final Score Chinnor A 5 Welwyn A 5

Close match report.

Next up were Cheshunt and it was a case of deja vous as the boys once again ran in 4 tries against a battling Cheshunt team but this time the execution was carried out in the first half. Again Keir 2, Johann and Alfie were the try scorers but as before the forwards were very impressive with their work in the loose. As we have said many times in the past "Forwards win matches but Backs decide by how much". The second half was a slower affair as the team took breathe from the whirlwind start to see the game across the line. The opposition deserve great credit for hanging in there too when it was clear that they had put in an enormous shift in trying to contain our rampant back line. Final Score Cheshunt A 0 Welwyn A 20

Close match report.

In game one were up against the Tring A side that we had beat in last years County Final so we knew this was probably going to be the toughest of starts. However what was too follow was truly outstanding as the boys set about their task with some of the hardest and fastest Rugby that they have played all season.
In the first half we converted our pressure going up a considerable slope to lead by two tries to nil at the break. Keir scoring both with some powerful bursts from inside centre past the bemused Tring backline. Jack Briars used the clean ball that our efficient forwards were providing to release our back line time and time again. Alfie and Johann both benefiting from smart lines of attack to cross over twice more in the second period.
If the boys wanted a bench mark of standard to adhere to, then they certainly set the bar as high as possible! Final Score Tring A 0 Welwyn A 20

Close match report.

With qualification for the Grand Finals now assured, the boys played a Bromley side that were looking to avoid finishing bottom of the group. Unfortunately for them, we were in no mood to be sympathetic to their cause! In the first half, tries from Keir (2), Jack and Saul gave us unassailable lead and a further try from Keir completed his hat trick and gave us a comfortable win. The forward front rowers (Gus, Harry A, Bradley R & Morgan) deserve particular praise for the unselfish work they did throughout the morning but in truth it was difficult to single out anyone from the 14 stars that performed so well on the day. Final Score Bromley 0 Welwyn 25

Close match report.

Game two was against Upminster and with both sides winning their opening games it was the pivotal match of the group. We again started in an authoritive manner and starved the opposition back line of any clean ball for the whole of the first half. On the other hand we had plenty of possession and used this well to go through the phases. We finally broke the Upminster final line of defence when a series of rucks edged us close enough to the line for Scrum half, Jack Briars to pick and drive over. We continued to press forward and the majority of the first half was played in the Upminster final third. The second half and the game was effectively wrapped up when Alfie's smart inside pass allowed Johann to sprint away from the despairing tackles and put us two tries up. The second try cushion gave us enough room to relax for the final 4 minutes and we held a determined Essex side away from our line to complete a 2nd win. Final Score Upminster 0 Welwyn 10

Close match report.

First up were one of the Kent sides, Edenbridge. We had met in last years qualifiers and the result of this game was to prove equally as comprehensive as before as our boys really hit the straps from the start. Our Captain fantastic (Alfie), led the way with the first try before Keir added the first of the 5 he would score during the morning to put us 10 nil up at the break. Soon after the restart Calum dived into the corner to finish a smart move when Cameron unselfishly offloaded from the back of a ruck. Johann burst through from outside centre for number 4 and Cameron drove over for number 5 before Keir outpaced a tiring defence to make it 6. A really efficient display by us as the holders and despite the treacherous conditions we stilled managed to use the whole of our back line. Final Score Edenbridge 0 Welwyn 30

Close match report.

Playing back to back matches, game two was a much better game as the Fullers side were looking to take advantage of the weary Welwyn legs. In the early stages, both teams made uncharacteristic handling errors and despite some good possession we did not use our backline with any real authority. However after 7 minutes Keir finally broke the deadlock and Alfie duly converted to give us a 7 nil lead. Both teams battled hard and the game was still in the balance whilst Welwyn were only 1 try up although the majority of the half was played nearer to the oppositions line than our own. The second half was a different story however as whatever the coaches said at the break seemed to inspire the boys to a marked improvement in their play and handling. In the end we ran away (well Keir did!) with proceedings as 4 more tries were added between Keir (3) and returning skipper Alfie. The later running half the length of the field (even the coaches looked out of puff watching!) after using the blindside to good effect. Alfie regained sufficient breathe to keep up his 100% conversion rate and give us the win. Final Score Welwyn 35 Fullerians 0

Close match report.

Barnet RFC were first up for the team and were looking to get their first points on the board having already lost to Fullers by 6 tries to 1. Unfortunately for them, the Welwyn boys came racing out of the traps to finish the game in the first 10 minutes. Tries from Adam, Johann, Cameron & Saul punishing an over worked Barnet defence. Jack Briars added 3 conversions to give us a 26 nil lead at the break. The boys were in very confident mood and mixing free open running with excellent phase ball almost at will. The Welwyn forwards had a very enjoyable second half as Gus and Harry A (2) both chose to pick and go (pick and score!) before James Woolley ran an intelligent line to finish off another powerful run from Keir playing at inside centre. Jack Briars converted another 3 tries to give the team a 52 point win.
Final Score Welwyn 52 Barnet 0

Close match report.

Our final game of the night was at about 8.30 pm so it was starting to get a wee bit chilly! We were concerned that this may make it difficult to have a fluent running game but how wrong we were! Again the Cheshunt pack was bigger than ours but we were strong enough to keep them at bay and used our possession more intelligently than our opponents. We did however have 3 or 4 stabs at crashing over the line but after being held up on the line on each occasion we eventually turned to recycling the ball! This was to prove far more effective as Keir ran in two tries and Johann completed the evening with a 3rd Welwyn try to give us the win. It was a tough game but our pace on the ball eventually told and proved to be the difference between two good sides.

Final Score Cheshunt A 0 Welwyn A 15

Close match report.

Game 2 was against a Hemel team that started the game in confident mood by using their bigger pack to try and gain ground. However it was our pack that had the first joy as Harry A finished some good work by Cameron, Gus, Bradley R & Andrew to drive over the try line. After this point we reverted back to quicker ball and this was to prove far more effective. Indeed the pace of our back line was too hot for the opposition to handle and we ran away with game. Keir made it 10 nil with the help of Jack, Alfie & Saul. Cameron added try 3 when stealing the opposition line out ball to crash over the line. Alfie added try 4 when he benefited from the unselfish work of Johann who had already beaten the last man before offloading and giving Alfie the simplest of tries. Alfie grabbed his second and our 5th before the final hooter sounded to end the game.

Final Score Hemel A 0 Welwyn A 25

Close match report.

In game 1 we were up against the hosts Hertford. Matches between us and Hertford are always very competitive and have even been County Finals in the past. This game was to prove no different and was also played out at a very fast pace.
With both sides preferring to use their backs to gain ground it was a very entertaining affair whilst neither side came close to scoring until the last play of the half saw us take the lead. Having been awarded a penalty (our only one of the game!) around 10 metres from the line, we executed a well drilled set piece that led to Keir cutting through his opposite centres territory to score past the last ditch Hertford defence.
The second half was equally as quick and with both sides cancelling each other out with well timed tackles, most of the play was in the middle of the park. Alfie kicked very intelligently in this half, giving us territorial advantage on each occasion. Hertford never really broke into our half and it was Johann who came closest to scoring before a great last ditch tackle thwarted his explosion towards the Hertford line.

Final Score Hertford A 0 Welwyn A 5

Close match report.

Our Final game was against Twickenham and with the warning from the coaches about playing as a team ringing in the boys ears, they certainly took note.
Cameron opened the scoring when taking possession from the oppositions line out to power over the line. Keir added try two with a complete phase of passes from the confident back division. Harry A added number 3 from the restart of the second half after Morgan, Gus and Bradley R had mauled their way impressively to the try line. Keir added number 4 after Saul's good run and offload. Calum made it 5 when he chased down Alfie's kick after being ably supported by Eddie and Andrew.
With Twickenham clearly stunned and shaken, number 6 followed directly from the restart as Johann, now playing at full back, collected the ball and used his frightening turn of speed to dash pass the flailing arms of the Twickenham pack. Calum also made the most of a dejected opposition to run in try number 7 before the referee blew for full time. Another bonus point to Welwyn!

Close match report.

After a very short break we were up against New Milton. Again, we sealed the game in the early stages with tries by winger Johann and our second row powerhouse, Cameron. The first try was once again made by the forwards and finished by the backs with two splendid offloads from Alfie and Keir giving Johann the space to exploit. The second try was scored when Louis powered forward before Cameron dived on the loose ball on the oppositions line.

We took our foot of the gas in the second half and New Milton also stepped up their efforts to keep things tight. Whilst the opposition never threatened our line we also did not make any further scores. This was mainly due to a host of positional changes being made by the coaching team but also because the boys stopped playing as a team and opted for a "one man rugby" approach.

Close match report.

In game 1 we met a huge Lewes side that had both a height and weight advantage. However the boys were not fazed by the size of their opponents and started the game at a blistering pace. Johann opened the scoring by finishing a smart backs play and with the forwards winning the majority of rucks it was no surprise when Jack took advantage of this to score try number 2 before half time. The third Welwyn try came shortly after the restart when Keir dived over in the corner. Our scrum half, Jack Briars, was having an increasing influence on proceedings. He took advantage of our forwards good work to add 2 more tries to complete a memorable hat trick and also a comprehensive Welwyn win. Bonus point to Welwyn!

Close match report.

The final group game was a one sided affair as we tore apart a plucky Chess Valley side. The pick of the tries was by our winger Johann, who finished a smart move that was started by Calum & Jack by racing into the corner to score. Further tries from Keir, Cameron & Morgan were enough to keep the scorers busy, whilst Alfie converted 3 of the tries to give us a resounding win and the Cup. Final Score Chess Valley 0 Welwyn 26

Close match report.

Game 3 turned out to be the competition decider as we met a Cheshunt side that had won their 3 opening games. It was a bruising encounter with very little open play. Both sides cancelled each other out with a series of fine tackles and effective mauling. Playing up the slope in the first period was draining but we held our shape and line to keep any threat out. The winning try came in the first play after the restart as Alfie's drop kick was charged down by a marauding Cameron. His pressure was enough to force an error on the Cheshunt line and he dived over to score. Alfie again converted and with our tails up we comfortably spent the rest of the game deep inside the opposition half. Final Score Cheshunt 0 Welwyn 7

Close match report.

With the coaches clearly trying to get their message across during the break between games, it was good to see the boys respond with a much better performance in game 2. Our forward pack of Bradley, Morgan, Gus, Cameron, Adam, Harry A & Andrew giving our backs much quicker ball and they ran havoc. 3 tries by Cameron, Keir then Adam were more than enough to see off a huge Finchley pack. Keir's try being the eye catching one as one of our set plays completely threw the opposition's defensive line, thus allowing him the time and space to score in the corner. Alfie added one conversion to give us a 17 - 0 victory. Final Score Finchley 0

Close match report.

In game one we met the hosts who had already warmed up by playing Chess Valley. Too be honest it was a poor showing from our boys as we did not manage to get our back line into play, preferring to have an arm wrestle in midfield with the bigger Barnet forwards. Playing down a huge slope in the first half we did manage to take the lead when Kyle finished off our only backs move of the game. Alfie put over the drop kick conversion (something new and worth 2 pts to add to the 5 for a try). We were rocked however when Barnet deservedly equalised by scoring from their rolling maul. However they missed their conversion and we led 7 - 5 at the break. Despite playing up hill, things improved for our boys in the second half and Cameron scored to give us a sizeable lead. Alfie converted the try and we won the game. Not a great display but a winning start all the same. Final Score Barnet 5 Welwyn 14

Close match report.