A successful day was had by the U10s at the London Welsh Festival with both teams coming away with medals.

U10A

An early start and the clocks forward meant a very early real-time start for this distant and challenging festival. So it was always on the cards that waking up would be a problem for the first match. And so it proved; in the first game, against a large, able and well drilled Llanishen, the only Welsh side in the tournament, we came a cropper from the outset, going down to a try on the wing scored from the first break-down. The shock wasn't terminal, though. Our defence woke up. Waves of Welsh runners were contained, in one case alarmingly close to our try line by Fin and Charlie Mayhew. Despite attempts to break out by Xav and Fin, there was no doubt we were on the back-foot and up against a classy foe, and a powerful surge from their pack took them over for a second before half time. But that was their lot. Our defence held firm, the tackles getting bigger and fiercer. We were awake now. But we couldn't break through, and our line never really looked convincing in attack. A 2-0 defeat; far from a disaster, against a very able team and the strongest opposition of the day.

Salisbury 0: Llanishen 2

Next up, Bank of England (how does that work then ?). This time we engaged them from the off, with some very determined attacking. In no time, we were attacking their try line. Gus made a great run on the right wing to get there, yet somehow the ball was held up when we piled over. We stayed camped tantalisingly on the five metre line. Xav had another go on the other side of the pitch, only for the same thing to happen; held up, despite his contortions. A third time we nearly did it, this time with Gus hustled into touch. So near and yet so far. We deserved it. And a better organised line and some more passing would have got it. The second half was tough and scrappy. Rucking was good (and a bit of a speciality, these days), tackling was very solid, but we still lacked shape and structure in attack, repeatedly went one on one, and sideways, so couldn't penetrate. The game finished dramatically with a big break by the Bank of England winger. He looked set to score, but Charlie Smith took him out, heroically at the last minute, to save the match, at a lairy 0-0 draw (sadly leaving no scope for any deficit puns).

Salisbury 0:Bank of England 0

London Wasps next. A slow start and another scrappy first half, but there was promise now. Xav broke out and went close before half time. In round two he was at it again, taking us deep into enemy territory. More great rucking finally took its toll, as our old friend teflon Fin took it at fly-half and, dodging and weaving on the diagonal, somehow beat the entire Wasps line to score a stinging try in the corner. We held the counter-attack, with dogged defending and rucking, then once again it was time for Xav to put his head down and break out, from half way. He ran into to a maul of sorts, but it was a short-lived affair, since he just kept going; over the try line he went. A great win;

Salisbury 2: Wasps 0.

And so to our hosts; London Welsh. Tremendous rucking and mauling worked us up the pitch to within range, eventually freeing Josh to pile over convincingly at short range. But it was hard won, and there were warning signs. Runners were forever going it alone rather than moving it wide, and compounded the problem by forgetting that the try line, not the touch line, was their target; lateral running was not what was ordered. The second half brought a big London Welsh counter-attack. We gave them room by standing off, and they knew what to do about that; a try on the wing was the consequence. Fin took us back into their half, but we were losing set pieces, so progress was slow. Still, Fin very nearly contrived to steal a last second intercept on their try line, which would have tipped the balance, but perhaps made us ungrateful guests.

Salisbury 1: London Welsh 1.

So - a mixed day. Some great defensive play all round, some brilliant rucking, but still too much standing back and not enough structure in the backs; still too little passing; and still too much lateral running (these things are connected !). At first sight, it was perhaps surprising to be having these problems at this stage in the season, but then again we were up against some tough opposition here, and the things we did well we did very well. Just a bit more shape, and hunger, and who knows how it might have been. Well done boys.

U10B

Salisbury B 7-0 London Welsh C:

Scored by (in order): Dan, Tom, Jordan, Oscar, Josh, Jordan, Ben. Over the first game blues in style with a good attacking platform and distribution culminating in converting opportunities into scores. Good strong scrummaging and passing.

Salisbury B 8-2 Bank of England B:

Scored by: Ben, Bobbie, Bobbie, Bobbie, Ben, Sam (?), Ben, Bobbie, Oscar. Everyone worked hard to move the play up the pitch and take advantage, it risked being the Ben & Bobbie show at one point but Oscar got one in towards the end.

Salisbury B 1-1 Wasps B:

Scored by: Oscar. Serious and brave defence from our boys and Wasps managed to sneak one in first, more brave resistance from Salisbury resulted in a good break and conversion to level the score and complete a group winning draw against the main contenders.

Salisbury B 1-0 London Welsh B:

Scored by Bobbie. Everyone tired now but fought well, lots of strenuous defence on our line with a potential LW score spilled on the line due to a corner interception by Max and Dan (heart in mouth time). Bobbie went over early in the second half and then more superlative defensive effort from our boys with everyone tired and a few injuries in the second half with LW fighting hard to even the score tried everyone's larynxes but Salisbury held off the attack(s) and took the game.

Thelast gamewas probably the most rewarding game of all. To see the whole team work so hard for each other at the end of such a long day was a cerdit to the boys. It was not just the nine boys on the pitch at any one time but the whole squad that stood up to be counted. Those that have scored have been mentioned but the whole squad worked hard throughout the day and the defensive effort in the second half to deny London Welsh a score was superb. Everyone stepped up and didn't allow the Welsh time to exploit the options out wide.

We tied with Wasps for the title with three wins and a draw, but with such a high score count won out as winners of the group and came back with the silverware.

Well done to all concerned, it was a great festival (as always) and the boys done good.