Hertford 28

Old Millhillians 11

After last week's cup success, it was back down to earth with a clatter as Millhillians produced one of their more inept performances of the season.

These sides were contenders for promotion in the run up to Christmas, but with Harpenden undefeated, their chances have gone and both looked happy to occupy the comfort zone, Hertford doing so rather more effectively than the lacklustre visitors.

Millhillians started superbly with plenty of recycled ball and some strong running. Not for the first time though, no points came from this early pressure and 20 minutes into the game it was Hertford, on their first serious excursion upfield, who took the lead with a penalty.

Jaime Renvoize evened it up soon after, but the Millhillian error count was already looking ominously high with poor passing and aimless kicking out of hand.

Hertford took advantage with two quick tries as half-time approached. The first came from a missed pass to their strong running left wing and the same player notched his second minutes later when he managed to get a boot to a horribly loose Millhillian pass.

The referee was the only person on the ground not to see the knock on as the player failed to gather cleanly but another kick ahead saw him home and with the conversion added, Hertford took a 15-3 lead at the break.

Nothing much went right for Millhillians after that. There seemed to be no purpose, no living signs of a game plan and no original thought.

Hertford meanwhile, though scrappy in much of their basic work did at least look as though winning had entered their minds. Their lead was extended with a drop goal and a penalty before Renvoize kicked one for Millhillians, but it really went completely pear-shaped with another Hertford try after some excellent build-up work.

Nick Propper's consolation score on the stroke of full-time did little except conjure up thoughts of what might have been.

Millhillians are away to London Nigerians in the cup next Sunday and that will be a competitive game with little room for error. |Hertford 28|

|Old Millhillians 11|

After last week's cup success, it was back down to earth with a clatter as Millhillians produced one of their more inept performances of the season.

These sides were contenders for promotion in the run-up to Christmas, but with Harpenden undefeated, their chances have gone and both looked happy to occupy the comfort zone, Hertford doing so rather more effectively than the lacklustre visitors.

Millhillians started superbly with plenty of recycled ball and some strong running. Not for the first time though, no points came from this early pressure and 20 minutes into the game it was Hertford, on their first serious excursion upfield, who took the lead with a penalty.

Jaime Renvoize evened it up soon after, but the Millhillian error count was already looking ominously high with poor passing and aimless kicking out of hand.

Hertford took advantage with two quick tries as half-time approached. The first came from a missed pass to their strong-running left wing and the same player notched his second minutes later when he managed to get a boot to a horribly loose Millhillian pass.

The referee was the only person on the ground not to see the knock on as the player failed to gather cleanly but another kick ahead saw him home and with the conversion added, Hertford took a 15-3 lead at the break.

Nothing much went right for Millhillians after that. There seemed to be no purpose, no living signs of a game plan and no original thought.

Hertford meanwhile, though scrappy in much of their basic work, did at least look as though winning had entered their minds.

Their lead was extended with a drop goal and a penalty before Renvoize kicked one for Millhillians, but it really went completely pear-shaped with another Hertford try after some excellent build-up work.

Nick Propper's consolation score on the stroke of full-time did little except conjure up thoughts of what might have been.

Millhillians are away to London Nigerians in the cup next Sunday and that will be a competitive game with little room for error.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.