Hertfordshire lift the Bill Beaumont Cup

Posted on May 28, 2012 in Bill Beaumont Cup

Hertfordshire 38-20 Lancashire

A Chris May brace helped Hertfordshire to a comfortable victory over Lancashire in the Bill Beaumont Cup Final at Twickenham, exacting revenge for their 2011 Final defeat to the Red Rose in the process.

Lancashire enjoyed the better of a cagey opening quarter, but after Chris Johnson and Hertfordshire’s Tom Newton had exchanged missed penalties, the northerners fell behind to May’s first try on 23 minutes.

Hertfordshire’s centre pairing of Chris Lombaard and England U20 international Ben Ransom combined well in the middle of the field to release Old Albanians winger May, whose perfectly weighted kick ahead allowed him the space to touch down in the corner.

Lancashire, seeking their fourth straight title, retaliated within six minutes as May’s opposite number Warren Spragg cut a superb angle and weaved his way over the try line, with Johnson on-target with the extras.

Replacement Tom Coleman edged Hertfordshire back in front with a 30-metre penalty as the interval approached, but Johnson’s strike on the half time whistle ensured that the competition’s most successful county held a two-point lead at the turnaround.

Hertfordshire’s start to the second period was as blistering as the South West London heat as Newton raced home under the posts just 43 seconds into the half, converted by Coleman.

Their opponents then lost substitute Simon Griffiths to the sin bin and it proved costly as Hertfordshire bagged 10 points in the giant prop’s absence.

Coleman slotted his second penalty before Saracens’ impressive Irish second row Eoin Sherriff burst through from the subsequent restart for five more points, which the former converted into seven.

Johnson and Coleman traded penalties upon Griffiths’ return to the field to make the score line 28-13, before May all but sealed the win with his second effort of the day on 65 minutes.

(more…)