It was a sunny day for the first open age outing of the season, and Elmbridge brought a squad with a good mix of youth and experience along to Acton. We welcomed Wes Heath along for his senior debut.

We were faced with a tough draw, with reigning champions Hammersmith Hill Hoist’s ‘Green’ along with beaten finalists Try Tag Allstars. The format also meant that we were due to face them both back to back, with minimal rest.

It took the team a couple of minutes to adapt to the pace and intensity that these teams brought to the table. We were able to complete and went toe-to-toe, and the group stage culminated with us being inches away from scoring the winning try versus Try Tag Allstars.

Sadly, we lost and were consequently put into the plate tournament. The guys were disappointed, however, our performances were put into perspective by the fact that both teams went on to contest the final, and we were certainly competitive and put up a great showing. Notable performances from young guns Charlie Whitaker, Wes Heath and Tom Hunt, were cheering. Along with the Muat brothers linking up for what will hopefully be the first of many occasions. Chaz Kelly and connor Ashwin also showed they have spent the winter developing well.

We went into the plate due to face our nemesis from previous seasons, and opponents next week, West London Sharks, along with Hammersmith ‘Gold’. It is an indication of how far we have come that we were able to defeat both teams and come away with some silverware for the day.

We can take the positives into our first league match next week versus West London, on our return to the Premier division after a two season break.