SHIPSTON-ON-STOUR  10 - 32  HEREFORD

Mayo Road, Saturday 2 April 2005

Powergen Midlands 3 West (South)

This was a game that Hereford dominated from start to finish but once again had a lapse of concentration for a fifteen minute period and allowed Shipston to make the score line somewhat respectable. Slow to start, Hereford continued to use their pace in the backs and Des White went over for the first after ten minutes. This was a culmination of inter passing between back and forwards, with virtually every team member touching the ball. Tim Harvey cut through the home defence to score the second after twenty minutes and then just before half time Jeremy Grisman added a penalty to make it 13-0 to the visitors at half time.

Hereford attacked throughout the next twenty minutes and were rewarded with a brilliant individual try from Des White. Grisman kicked the conversion to take the score to 20-0. Hereford were coasting and Tim Harvey added his second following sterling work from Andy Johnson and Ben Priday who were the pick of the forwards along with Ali McCall. The Shipston full back was then sent off for a dangerous tackle with ten minutes to go and Hereford relaxed instead of pressing home their superiority in numbers. Shipston came back to score a try under the posts which was converted. Following this an indiscretion by a Hereford forward gave a penalty under the posts which brought the score to 25-10. Hereford then regained the imitative and Des White completed his hat trick which Grisman converted to make the final score 32-10.

Hereford will lose two of their budding youngsters in Luke Clifford and Adam Knight to University next season but the club is in such a healthy position with younger players that three or four from this year’s Under 17s are expected to be drafted into the first team squad for next season. Chairman Guy Griffiths said “Although it will be disappointing for the club not to be able to develop Luke and Adam further I am sure they will go on to be strong rugby players. They have both enjoyed playing and along with the atmosphere of the club, I think they will agree that they could not have had a better grounding. The club has pushed them both, along with Ben Collier, into the Gloucester under 21 set up and they have all learnt a lot and developed as players. On several occasions we have lost them to Gloucester rather than play them in our own league games. However the ethos of the club means that we are as equally concerned with any player's personal development along with the club position in any league table. We have a good strong new batch of 17/18 year old players coming up and although we plan to play an Under 19 side to help keep them together, we will develop some of them into prospective first team squad members. I am excited about the youth and mini’s set up, especially now as we have a proper link to ensure that the players can reach their full potential. Although we may have missed promotion this season I feel that we are gaining strength quickly and the future is with Hereford RFC, especially for the younger players who want the opportunity to progress further”.

Next week Hereford take on Old Yardlians at Wyeside. K.O. 3pm.