Hertford 3s 63 – 26 Hitchin: Generational quality as Gen Zs run riot

Rugby clubs love to see the next generation coming through. It is a validation of the effort that is put in to ensure that a club has the structure to develop talent and give it an opportunity to shine, and it is a great relief for the older generation players to see youngsters use their pace and fitness to score tries. Hertford has done incredibly well to bring through wave after wave of great players, and it will need to continue doing so into the future.

We were all the future once. Indeed, the Generation Xers and Boomers, will remember the excitement as a group of very hirsute (albeit unmulleted) youngsters came through in the late 2000s and provided a core of players that represented the club at all levels for the following decade. (There is always something about these pesky kids that means they have to hair shame the establishment. The historical attached pictures don’t quite tell the whole story). Richard Hale made a big contribution in those days, and they continue to do so under Coaches McNamee and Hicks as their current 1st XV team has achieved national success this season.

Notable amongst the 2000ers was Stuart Smart, who had a lengthy 1st XV career and success with Hertfordshire. After a stint of coaching, Smarty was back with a vengeance for the Hoes. Relegated to openside flanker as fellow 2000er Will Stacey had bagsy'd the centre slot, Smarty was on a mission all night as he cut down the Hitchin players along with several searing breaks and a try that was more in tune with his former back life.

The Friday evening game hosted at Hitchin was not about the old guard; it was all about the next generation: the teenagers that will take the club into the future and keep the rest of us entertained.

With a pack of Veterans (apart from Galvin) and pace a plenty in the predominantly youthful backline, the team was keen to give them the opportunity to run.

Hertford showed their intent from the very first phase of possession, with the pack still creaking upwards from a scrum the ball had already been shifted wide to Noah Verdin on the half way line and his long strides took him round the Hitchin defence to score. Great start.
Hitchin were a robust and sizable team, and came straight back at Hertford with their very direct and very effective quick rucking with forwards coming at pace onto the ball. They scored pretty soon afterwards.

We didn’t want to keep it in the forwards too much, so out the ball went to the backs as we fashioned a score – Josh Bullen out wide showing the type of pace that Bullen Senior could only lie that he had possessed.

More juggernaut than 'hedgehog', the big Hitchin side came right back and battered over for another try.

There was an almighty tussle in the forwards, where things were very evenly matched. They even managed to lift and drive back the South African wildebeest that is Van Der Ryst. Hertford were much in debt to Sean Galvin, who played his usual non-stop rugby – and who played his way into the 1st XV for the week after! The ever impressive travelling Hertford support will have sent back very favourable reports.
The back and forth nature of game carried on for the first half as the teams exchanged tries.

Our backs were everywhere, with Anstead showing admirable attacking zeal as he repeatedly took on the Hitchin backs with great effect. He went over for one try and set Bullen up for another.

When Albon wasn’t kicking the ball away, the backs were rampant in possession. The back three of Bullen, Verdin, and Hunt, and Anstead at outside centre are all 19 or under, but were leading the way.

Verdin went over for second, and when Anstead made another break and had the option of giving Bullen his hattrick, Anstead quite rightly kept hold of it to score his second.

At some point there was some rearranging amongst the forwards, and Freddie Morris (another Colt) came on in the backrow. It is not surprising to hear that he is very physical player, but it was the soft hands as he had to try and take account of the erratic passing from his elderly Hoe teammates. There will be a lot more to come from Morris Junior.

With the forwards feeling a bit left out of the action and unused to not scoring, they made sure they got involved. Hollis 'Hundred Percenter' (not a darts name, and even by his own admission one of the lineouts went astray) thundered through for a try, and 'Go Jerry' Van Der Ryst made up for his earlier dumping to score.

At some point Ellis Roberts also scored, but will probably have enjoyed his stint in the second row even more.

It was a pleasure to see the next generation in action and ready for the future. Great players, some dodgy barnets. The Colts in the team went on to win their league by beating Ampthill the week after in a 3-0 nail biter. Congratulations.

Back to the Old School, and Hitchin hosted some Friday night awards in the bar afterwards.

Player of the match: Anstead
DoD: Smart
Team: Van Der Ryst, Hollis, Galvin, Church, Dixon, Gawthorne, Smart, Roe; Ellis, Bullen, Albon, Stacey, Anstead, Hunt, Verdin.
Next gen: Morris, Pizzey, Murphy
Tries: Verdin 2, Anstead 2, Bullen 2, Smart, Hollis, Roberts, Van Der Ryst