THREES' OUTLOOK BRIGHTENS FOR HACKNEY WIN

The mood of captain Steve Renny dipped considerably before kick-off. However, all was right with the world after the threes, having
lost the corresponding fixture at Donkey Lane, lifted the gloom after cleaning up 36-13 in the Herts-Middlesex Merit Table Five return clash against Hackney IIIs, writes Jonathan Landi.

The skipper said: "I wasn't best pleased when I was informed that we would going to uncontested scrums shortly before the kick-off. It happened before Christmas, and again last season, and so has been a sadly recurring theme. Despite the setback, we decided to be positive and take the game to Hackney, and the cry 'black-ball' was a familiar part of our game.

"Although we were denied the platform of the set-piece, we made our superiority pay in other areas and notably our driving mauls and
the lineout, and smashing-up via the forwards paid dividends as we crossed for six tries."

Hackney had no answers to return of the Goose and Robin Ward, the former first team lock whose appearances are now of occasional
nature due to professional commitments, celebrated his recall to arms with a brace of tries.

The presence of scrum-half back Andy Roper was huge boost for the side and he was another to hit Hackney for a couple of tries. He caught the hosts napping after running a quick tap penalty, and also sniped his his way over from a ruck.

Others to make hay were Ignatians' 'Flying-Dutchman Dave Korthals and Erin Dottin-Wilson

Johnny Cunningham added three conversions as Ignatians maintained their promotion push. They have three games left, including
two home Derby clashes with Southgate and Old Grammarians, and a cup quarter-final to look forward to. But, in their current form, they
will think that anything is possible from their vantage point of third in the league.