Seconds Out of Merit Cup

On the weekend of the merit cup Watford and Royston faced each other for the third time this season with the score at 1-1 this was going to be a tough game for both sides.

Royston started well attacking Watford from the start but Watford's young side showed some superb defence to thwart Royston's best efforts early on. The game was played for most of the first half in the middle of the pitch with both teams rucking hard and putting in some monster hits. It was the away side who scored the first points of the game with a penalty in front of the posts 0-3. Royston then got a try with some good work out wide to score and convert 0-10. With only 5 minutes left of the first half Watford came straight back at Royston Watford once again destroyed the oppositions set piece a special mention to a very young but explosive back row of Giddings Pinnell and Connelly and allowed scrum half number nine and man of the match Hill to pick up from the back of the scrum and ship the ball out to Portway who then popped to Connelly who dotted down out wide to put Watford back in the game with the conversion missed the score was 5-10 at the break.

The second half started and a pumped up and determined Watford attacked Royston's line Watford using their strong pack to attack Royston after several big scrums Watford got a penalty and young fly half Williams pinged a kick in the corner. Watford used the line out to drive the away side over their line and debutant 17 year old flanker pinnell scored out wide 10-10. Royston came back and got a penalty in front of the post to go back in the lead 10-13. Watford yet again attacked and some superb play from the home sides backs pinned Royston down on there own try line but some superb defending from Royston denied Watford another try but a penalty was given and Williams slotted it over to make it 13-13. For the next ten minutes Watford threw everything at the away side but just couldn't manage to get it over the line. With just 4 minutes left Watford lost one of their only scrums of the day and Royston's fly half received the ball and jinked through several Watford tackles to score under the posts and converted it to make it 13-20. For the remaining few minutes Watford showed true passion and desire and never gave up but unfortunately just couldn't penetrate a solid Royston defence. Final score 13-20 to Royston.