The Old Westminsters 1 have been busy over the course of the last few weeks, going on a three match Division 1 winning streak before coming unstuck 2-1 against league leaders Berkhamsted at Highgate this week. Five points out of six in home and away matches against Olavians 2 and a 3-0 home win over Olavians 1 had seen the OWs surge up the table into second place and a win against Berkhamsted at Highgate would have been enough to send them temporarily top of Division 1. Ed Rose and Laurie Brock - semi-finalists at the London Tournament a couple of weeks earlier - got them off to the dream start with a terrific first pair 3-0 win over Ant Theodossi and Ryan Perrie, a victory as impressive as it was comprehensive. At second pair, dominance at the set piece and steadiness under fire were the key ingredients in George Campbell and Jeremy O'Neill's win over John Reynolds and Robert Wilson. Third pair was a tight battle between four young players who are all inexperienced at this level and in the end it was the recent Berkhamstedian school leavers Alex Rattan and Charles Holroyd who managed to win in four tight games against ex-Oxbridge captains Will Illingworth and Peter Kennedy for the Westminsters.

The win for Berkhamsted tightens their grip further on Division 1. The Westminsters are two points behind but have only two matches left and it would seem that the only club who can possibly still pose a threat is the Old Harrovians, who picked up a crucial 3-0 win over the Old Millhillians in November. With Alex Poole playing his first match of the season and Ed Hewens showing his ability in the OH Barber Cup team to complement the existing core of Tom Dunbar and co, the Harrovians could be the ones to watch after Christmas, but even they acknowledge that it will take a mighty effort if they are to catch the high flying and unbeaten Berkhamsted team.