Tour - Bournemouth Mini Rugby Festival, Sunday 15th April 2007

The U10’s tour programme appoints me as ‘gutter press’ for the day – gutted to be pressed into such a role, yes, but it involves drinking and it’s in print, so it must be true – here we go…

Big festival, four pools of five teams per age group. Big site, sunny day, single portaloos (not big) - avoid if at all possible. Big parrot amongst the piratical parents turns out to be Reg, Reece’s granddad.

Arrived 9am, our first game scheduled for 10am. By 10.02 Greg is somewhat frustrated – and the boys aren’t even playing yet. Someone’s switched the order of play, so the boys warm down and then up again. Actually it’s so warm that the whole U10’s Twickenham entourage soon move base into the shade, so that players, supporters and beers can all be kept as cool as possible. Soon we’re playing the home team, getting off to a slow start until Andy livens up the pace. It’s a tough, physical game and the team works well together, determined not to let Bournemouth ‘try’ anything. Jack R. scores our first try, followed by another sprint over the line by Callum. At 0-2 and the last play of the game, the pirates (and parrot) are already smiling when Ellis made it 0-3. A great first match of the day.

Rest awhile, then playing Hemel Hempstead. Two minutes into the first half it’s Ellis again, running straight through the opposition to score – at last he’s been listening to his coach, or at least his mum! Soon after, Sam G. gets the ball and isn’t going to let anyone take it from him, not until he’s over that try line. Alex must have been listening to Greg too recently – he runs wide and fast and succeeds in making the score 3-0 at half-time. Hemel play a much more aggressive second half. There seems to be a lot of mauling going on and the ball going nowhere fast, until a Hemel throw-in near the centre-line where Twickenham gets possession and Thomas B. puts the ball over the line, scoring his first match try. Final score 4-0, well done!

Third game – Ellingham and Ringwood. (Hmmm, two teams at once, no matter, we’re Twickenham, the name of rugby. Where’s the bottle opener? In baby Ellie’s bag, naturally. Love her mini-supporter’s kit, by the way. Now, remember it’s left-handed drinking or a snitch finds you and fines you). In truth, I can’t recall any of this game – but only because I was watching the U7’s several pitches away, honest, Cap’n. I am almost reliably informed that the boys again won 4-0, with Callum scoring a cracker of a try, then ‘Coca-Cola’ Sam G., with the Coke repeating on him because he then scored a second time, and Ellis managing to fit in a try just before the final whistle.

Fourth match – Aberdare (it’s near Cardiff). Our toughest match in the pool but we still dominate the game. Alex makes a fantastic run, with three guys failing to stop him – this turns out to be the only try of the match, but there was a lot of good defensive teamwork, and a mention must go to Sam G. for treating his opposition like skittles, to be bowled down and sent flying. 1-0 at the whistle, that’ll do – the team have won all of their four matches and not conceded a single try! Top of the pool – let’s drink to that.

So, to the cup semi-final against Upminster. What can I write? Tensions are high, the ground is hard and unfortunately Upminster have two up on us by half-time. We have good defensive teamwork from Callum, Andy and Sam G., but Upminster are a strong team with excellent passing skills and they hold the 2-0 lead until the end. I hear whispers of ‘We was robbed’ and ‘How much did they bribe the ref?’ but – we lost this one. Time to adjourn to watch the U7’s play the tag final of the shield (they lost 4-3) and then some very well-earned refreshment (watching is so exhausting!). Roasted parrot, anyone?

I’ve only really mentioned the try-scorers above, due to my limited rugby vocabulary (drink, ball, try, score, line, scrum and now ruck and maul) but I was very impressed by every single player doing their best as part of the team, for however long they were on the pitch. Kieran played while in agony with raw blisters – and cannily used an opponent to lean on as he stood back up after a ruck. Others were also brave, taking injuries without complaint. The boys were well behaved off the pitch too, though I can’t say the same for all the parents! We can be proud of all of all the squad –

VERY WELL DONE TWICKENHAM U10’s TOURISTS, FOR A BRILLIANT TEAM EFFORT.

From Lynne ‘Journo’ Judge

PHOTOS OF THE GAMES