MIS-FIRING WARRIORS SCRAPE HOME.

Missing Scrum half Jess Lane through illness, Welwyn Warriors looked like an orchestra without a conductor, yesterday, when they played Hertford at Hobbs Way. Hertford always provide Warriors with their toughest encounter and yesterday, at times, their much vaunted unbeaten record was in severe jeopardy!

5 minutes in from a scrum on the Hertford 5m line, Megan Williams, deputising at scrum half, collected the ball and ran over to score, only to see the try wiped out because she had knocked on picking up the ball. Welwyn then won the resulting scrum, spread the ball wide but an awful pass to Michelle Brophy left the Welwyn back groping at air as a Hertford player collected the ball on her own goal line, raced the length of the field to score a fine try. Missed Welwyn tackles on the way rubbed salt into the self inflicted wound! Instead of being 7-0 up Warriors found themselves 0-5 down.


Once again the Warriors front row of Emma Cramphorn, Hannah Marques & Carley Simpson, 'fronted up' where it mattered and consistently battered Hertford at the breakdown. Catherine Gilbert, making her return after months off with a back injury, made her presence felt with some fierce tackles. The disruption they caused allowed Mel Harcourt through to even things up and when Skipper Charlie White's solo run try was converted by Megan Williams, normal service looked like being restored.12-5 to Warriors.

Early in the second half Williams scored and converted her own try. 19-5. From the re-start Brophy collected the ball on the Warriors 10 metre line and broke tackle after tackle as she raced through the entire Hertford team to score, 24-5 Warriors. Now indecision set in. Time and again dithering back play meant balls were not cleared and Hertford notched up the pressure. It was widely felt amongst the spectators that Warriors never had any luck with the 50/50 decisions but not withstanding that, time and again poor handling and kicking kept the Welwyn girls back on their own 5m line. Hertford scored twice in final minutes to make the final score 24-15.

With their French tour looming, Warriors need to see Jess Lane back fit and work needs to be done on handling and kicking or the tour could give the Warriors 'Les bleus'!

Team: Charlie White, Hannah Marques, Emma Cramphorn, Mel Harcourt, Claire Foster (Hitchin), Mel Waites (Hitchin), Michele Brophy, Sarah Steadman, Catherine Gilbert, Jordan Pearcy, Lana Block, Carly Simpson, Emily Matuszcyk.