What a fantastic Saturday for Hertford rugby club. Through bruises and bribery, the club put out 4 teams (plus subs) on a bumper day bejewelled by the presence of the assembled Vice Presidents. This was no mean feat, and congratulations to all involved. Not only did we field the teams, it was a field of dreams as all 4 triumphed to secure a quadruple Ole - quadr'ole!

For the socially minded social team, the outreach programme to ensure full participation included calling upon Giddings in his first game since the Unders / Overs in December, Groves for his first in a year, Chris Bell since the 2022/23 season, and Preece claiming he hadn't put his very football boots on in 4 years. We also welcomed back itinerant docker boy, Ed Moss, from the south coast. A whole hearted congratulation to all those who made the effort for the Termite cause, and who then complained incessantly when making that effort to bend over to get their boots on.

This was also the first time in a very long time that the Termites have not had Messrs Gawthorne or Albon shouting at them on the pitch or from the sideline. They both put the 3s ahead of the Termites, and we look forward to their round robin apology letters. Roberts very ably and very affably took the Captain's armband, embracing his decorous country squire role. In case the ref thought he was going to have of an afternoon or polite discourse and Port, he was quickly disabused and abused by the one man verbal hurricane that is Johnny Hollis. Proud of his new found knowledge that there are laws of the game, and no rules, Hollis engaged in 80 minutes of Socratic debate with the very patient ref. It's a front row union thing that none of us need to understand.

Away at the Royston heath, this was a return for old boys Chris Ball and young Cody Ball. Cody played the wrecking Ball role, taking up the unfamiliar but very effective brutal inside centre position, whilst Chris provided the pin Ball precision on the wing.

A cagey first half turned into what our erstwhile Northen correspondents would have described as a 'right old arm wrestle'. Hard work is another description. Hertford had the edge in the scrum, which given the size and experience of the formidable Bell-Hollis-Van Der Ryst front row will be no surprise to the Hertford faithful. If in doubt, let the BIG boys sort it out; blessed are the BIG boys. Time and again they got us out of trouble, either putting the Royston scrum and backline on the back foot, or actually turning over the scrum. We even did well in the lineout with Scully disrupting or stealing much of the Royston possession. Walpole provided the granite in the team, hard as anything and as dangerous to friend as foe in the rucks. As for the well acquainted back row, the rain had stopped soon after kick-off which meant that Mossy could put in yet another turbo-charged non-stop ever-ready performance, and Douglas was able to provide his silky hip shaking distribution skills, with Church mopping up any mess. The appreciation of how other back row players play the game is probably a fairly niche facebook group, but complimenting complementary back row contributions is a worthwhile indulgence from time to time.

There was a Hertford backline, but no one watches rugby to see them play.

Nonetheless, after Royston had deservedly taken the lead 5-0 after a long period of pressure, the Hertford backs were finally able to make some attacking inroads. Ball had repeatedly battered at the Royston centres, but eventually found a bit more room to put Royston on the back foot, before releasing Risley from 20 metres out. Risley powered through the first tackle with a forthright hand off, and as two other players grabbed hold of him, he backed his leg drive to get him close enough to the line to stretch his arm out to score. After a really tough and tight first half, there was huge relief in getting a score on the board to make it 5-5 at half time.

In the second half, Price was on at second row in place of Walpole, getting straight into the action with his ball carrying and dynamism in the loose a contrast to Walpole's dynamite in the tight. Walpole's subsequent efforts as expletive laden touch-'judge and jury' was an entertainment in itself: put some fing effort in, you’re being fing lazy, you wimp, go on get 'em etc. etc. The Under 11s will be familiar with this encouragement.

Groves was on for Bell, providing his burst of action before his lungs gave out, and Bell rolled back into action.

The game opened up in the second half, with Preece increasingly pulling the strings and finding gaps in the Royston defence. One dangerous grubber got Douglas so excited that he pulled his hamstring, bringing the ever smiling Kemish into the game. From the resultant 5 m scrum, the BIG boys did their thing and provided a lovely comforting armchair ride for Church to score.

Unaccustomed as the Termites are to Albon conversions, eyes were raised when Cody slotted the ball over to make it 12-5 to Hertford.

Royston continued to offer a threat though their back row and centres, and the centre broke through to score under the posts to make it 12-12.

In a game that could have gone either way, especially as the wily Royston front row had managed to tie down the Hertford scrum, the backs grabbed the game by the scruff in the final quarter. Brewer, an incredibly strong but also deceptive side stepping runner, kept plugging away and the break was finally made. Giddings on in the unfamiliar position of wing, but playing with some very familiar people including a fellow debutant from 27 years ago, jinked and linked up with his support, the ball was passed round the back of the defence to Brewer who pushed off the defender and scorched through to score. Another conversation made it 19-12.

This was soon followed by O'Leary, who hadn't been able to show his pace for most of the day but had made sure everyone knew he wasn’t diseased, breaking through to score from distance. ANOTHER conversion 26-12.

With time running out and an opportunity to finish the game, Roberts insisted that it wasn’t in the Termite spirit to just kick the ball out – play to the end. Some teammates may have interpreted this as their opportunity to get their first ever drop goal in a 40 year rugby career. Lining up in the comfiest of pockets to get the ball, it became apparent that sneaky Welsh fly halves also like drop goals, and Preece snatched the ball and slotted the 3 points. Game over.

After sharing in some presentations with the Royston players, the team celebrated tremendously and Termitely back at Hoe Lane.

Team'ole: Bell, Hollis, Van Der Ryst, Walpole, Scully, Church, Moss, Douglas; Roberts ©, Risley, Preece, Cody Ball, Brewer, Chris Ball, O'Leary
M'oles: Price, Groves, Giddings, Kemish
Oles: Risley, Church, Brewer, O'Leary.
Les: Ball x 3
Stolen drop goal: Preece the Thief
Best and only match report: The Termites