Threes Overcome Stiff Character Test to Take League Opener

It might have been sunny and dry but, for the first ten minutes, Ignatians ran the serious risk of being swept away by the Welwyn monsoon. The Hertfordshire side were all over Ignatians like a bad rash in the first Herts-Middlesex Merit Table Three clash of the season.

Consequently, an Ignatians' side, which took to the field with 14 men, leaked two tries, one of which was converted sublimely from the touchline, as a rampant Welwyn went 12-0 up. The hosts certainly proved their own worst enemies on one of the scores when their defence was simply nowhere to be seen.

Yet Ignatians showed great character and resolve in this game. Once the unavoidably detained Michael Gorham had caught up with his team-mates after missing the first ten minutes, another bonus manifested itself as the gnarled heads in the blue and gold pack, with the likes of Phil Sanders outstanding, started to take charged.

Resorting to a shrewd percentage game, Ignatians kept matters tight, very tight even, and were rewarded with a mega rumble which began in the home side's 22. After the ball had been gone through 15 phases, Anthony Clare made the decisive dent before releasing skipper Bish Galloway for the try as Ignatians trailed 12-5 at the break.

The successful forward blueprint was adhered to faithfully in the second-half when two tries resulted from scrums close to the Welwyn line; Galloway, gliding past his opposite number, converted his own try to tie the scores, before Ignatians went in front for the first time after Chris Byrne executed a trademark pushover score which Galloway again converted.

However, Welwyn were always dangerous in this game and the visitors came back to within two points of Ignatians after the visitors' outside centre whistled clean through.

Upping the tempo once again, Ignatians made the game safe after winger Ayong Ebai (ex St Ignatius College) used his strength to go over.

Welwyn certainly had their moments in the half yet there was no way Ignatians were going to let this slip and, as the game reached its conclusion, the blue and golds stuffed the ball up their jersey in the final three minutes to achieve a famous victory – a win which they will be anxious to emulate at home to Hackney IIs next Saturday.