Backing up performances and consistency. Those key mantras went firmly by the wayside as Enfield Ignatians paid dearly for a poor first-half performance which ultimately consigned them to a 50-25 defeat to Hampstead in London Two North-West.

The fine win against Harrow the week should, in theory, have been the spur to better things. So much for the theory. Instead, a very lethargic display in which Ignatians were caught cold fatally handed the initiative to Hampstead and they paid for it as the visitors ran amok by scoring five tries.

Ignatians' lame response in this period was a solitary Jake Bates penalty when Hampstead were penalised for coming in at the side, and the half-time deficit of 36-3 tells its own story.

The rousing half-time talk by coach Ali Cook clearly had a great effect as Ignatians delivered a much improved second-half performance. Although forced into a damage limitation exercise, the blue and golds showed character in adversity and their four try salvo at least garnered a losing bonus point.

Buoyed by fine performances from Man of the Match Aaron James-Nicholls and Wes Warren, Ignatians, having turned up to the game 40 minutes too late, at last started to play some decent rugby; and the concerted pressure was rewarded on 49 minutes when Warren went over.

Hampstead were kept on a much tighter rein and, either side of the visitors' sixth and seventh tries, Ignatians landed their second five pointer which was signed-off by George Cox.

To their credit, Ignatians kept playing and a fine break from Harry Massini proved the catalyst for the third. Key to the success of the movement was the quality of the support play and Warren underscored this by going over for his brace.
Bates chipped-in with the conversion before, on 71 minutes, Ignatians claimed their all important fourth try from a successful catch and drive executed by flanker Luke Stack.

Captain Jake Bates said: "We were non-existent in the first-half when we offered nothing. We failed to win the collisions and kept falling off tackles. We were on the back-foot for practically all of this period of the game.A few home truths were said at half-time and, consequently, we started to play we should have. We at last re-discovered our patterns of play and were altogether a more cohesive unit. It was all very frustrating."

Ignatians will be hoping to get out of the blocks that much quicker on Saturday when they are away to Hemel Hempstead.