Following weeks of persistent rain, it was a credit to London Welsh that they were able to secure a pitch rather than a bog for their meeting with Weybridge Vandals U14s - it might not have had the lines drawn out correctly, but it was nothing a bit of creative-thinking couldn’t resolve. The day was dry with only a slight breeze and the ground was soft – not bad for the highly competitive and muddy contest that was about to take place.

Vandals got off to a strong start, having plenty of possession during the first few minutes, but a strong Welsh defence made it difficult to make advancements into the opposition’s half. London Welsh’s secure handling of the ball and persistence allowed them to take advantage of our handling errors and take the first try and conversion – 7-0.

Vandals came back strong: A line-out followed by a powerful maul and secure passing all along the line took the ball out to the wing, signalling the beginning of a series of attacking waves that brought the Vandals to within 5 metres of the Welsh try line. Although the Welsh were able to turn the ball in the ruck, it was small errors which prevented the Vandals from securing a try which onlookers felt was only a matter of time. However, London Welsh impressed with their speed in turning fortunes around and, with quick offloads, were rapidly able to draw the ball back down into Vandals’ half. A penalty kick, awarded for offside, enabled London Welsh to go into half time with a 10 - 0 lead.

The Vandals boys came back feisty and initially dominated play in the Welsh half. A further retracted period of pressure from Vandals enabled Ben H to make the break and sprint across the line, followed by a successful conversion, 10 - 7. London Welsh were quick to respond and increased their attacking pressure. While both teams appeared equally matched in the scrums, London Welsh impressed with their admirable kicking skills, enabling them to gain advantage down the pitch, combined with secure, quick passing and were able to take their second try, 15 – 7. Vandals kept battling, with consistently outstanding tackles from the forwards throughout the game. Not once did the boys drop their heads, but, on this occasion, it was not to be, and the game finished 15 – 7.

Paul Hollingshead, Coach, said: “The boys were back in the game this week and the result really could have gone either way. We have really made a step in the right direction and are learning how to match the pace and pressure not experienced in previous seasons.”

Our boys were, however, champions of the post-match cracker eating competition, demonstrating a focussed, strategic and determined approach which will be taken into the next match.