The U13s competition was played out between six high quality teams on a round-robin basis. The scenario was simple, win your games and win the trophy.

Things didn’t get off to the greatest of starts on the Saturday morning, when it appeared a dodgy (and expensive) Burger King had done for Brad Wilks, though he did manage half a game on the first day and an early night meant that he was raring to go on the final day.

Benefitting from advice given by previous OLs age groups, our U13s were first on the bus from Butlin’s Minehead complex. The extra time gave the team plenty of time to settle in and prepare for their first encounter against the host team, Minehead Barbarians.

Match 1 – v Minehead Barbarians

Although touring without a number of key players, OLs still arrived with a powerful U13s squad and a strong starting team was selected for the opening fixture. Despite opening the U13 proceedings against the host team on a pitch sloping like that of a typical Rhondda Valley club, the match turned into something of a dream start.

The forwards were on their game from the start. By consistently getting greater numbers to the breakdown than the opposition, the talented backline was allowed to reform itself quicker than the opposition. This lead to a number of overlaps or gaping holes in the opposition defence. In recent weeks, the focus of attack has been around the outside centre position and again this proved effective. In a one-sided encounter, Joe Dick scored two trys, while his centre partner Archie Semple matched him with a couple of his own. We were also treated to a long range Dom Woolvine special as he broke away from a scrum from deep in his own half.

Minehead did manage to squeeze in for a consolation try with the final move of the game, but the match proved to be the perfect start for the tourists.

Final Score : Minehead Barbarians 5 – 25 Old Leamingtonians

Match 2 – v Western Bandits

A sizeable break between the first two fixtures allowed for a bit of basking in glory. It also gave us a chance to put a stop to the blatant kitty abuse by some of the more thirsty parents. With the kitty now placed in the vice like financial grip of Simon Evans, we were now in a position to concentrate on the rugby.

This time the opposition was the Western Bandits, an invitational side made up of the best players from three local clubs. They had also started the tournament in fine fettle, with a draw against a powerful Taunton side.

OLs started as they left off in the first match and it wasn’t long before Brad Wilks, playing his only half of the day, opened the scoring with a try that belied his medical condition. A defensive mix up then led to the Bandits levelling matters, before Joe regained the lead with a fine piece of elusive running.

The second half continued in much the same vein and but for a couple of missed chances the score line would have been more convincing. We did see, though, the first sign of the new tactic of keeping our fastest winger on the higher side of the sloping pitch, as Ethan Fotheringham sped over, exploiting the extra space provided by play being drawn to the opposite, lower touchline.

Final Score : Western Bandits 5 – 15 Old Leamingtonians

Match 3 – v Lutterworth

The final match of the day one was against the Leicestershire club, Lutterworth, who, like OLs have enjoyed a very successful season.

From the outset, it was clear to see where Lutterworth’s success had come from, as OLs faced possibly the biggest pack of forwards of the season so far. OLs missing their two biggest players were under severe pressure in the line-outs and particularly in the scrum, yet they still managed to control the breakdown and set the early pace. A couple of chances were spurned, but flanker Matty Evans was quick to support a drive towards the right hand corner and touch down.

The weather deteriorated during the second half and this suited the forward oriented game of the Leicestershire side. A slippery ball led to a number of handling errors and OLs were up against it in the resultant scrums. After OLs appearing to break free, a couple of missed tackles led to Lutterworth levelling the score as their powerful centre broke from distance.

The match continued, with OLs always looking the more threatening, but struggling in the set piece. The wet conditions stopped the Blue and Golds from gaining any real momentum, but, as the seconds ticked away, we were treated to an Ethan Fotheringhame special, as he was presented with a half chance, which he converted with a thrilling chase to the line from halfway.

Although it wasn’t the most convincing performance, the nature of the victory provided a great way to end the day’s play and go into the second evening of the tour.

Final Score : Lutterworth 5 – 10 Old Leamingtonians

The second day began with the welcome sight of a rested Brad Wilks tucking into a decent size breakfast. An early night, not the easiest of choices on a rugby tour, had done the trick and he was raring to go for the final two matches. Unfortunately, this good news was tempered by the sight of a hobbling Dom Woolvine, who had lost a fight with a climbing frame the night before. Fortunately, Dom did manage to kit up for the games, and played in both, where he made up with a slight lack of mobility with some outstanding defence.

Match 4 v Bromsgrove

Bromsgrove, like Lutterworth, were blessed with a giant pack of forwards. These forwards also appeared to be very well coached and backed up a fearsome scrum with a well drilled breakdown game. Their backs, however, couldn’t match up to the flair and cohesion of the OLs three-quarters, so what followed was an intriguing battle between the two West Midlands outfits.

OLs started spritely, but inaccurately, as a couple of clear cut chances were spurned. However, it wasn’t too long before Brad W burst clear for the first score of the day. The rest of the half was played under Bromsgrove’s terms as they exploited OLs lack of size, particularly in the second row, to give the OLs scrummage a fearful battering. They were next to score, as they levelled matters by powering over.

OLs backs did have a significant advantage in speed and guile over their opposition, and as the half drew to a close, a terrific effort at the breakdown from the battered OLs forwards led to a fine finish from Joe Dick, restoring the lead.

The second half continued with Bromsgrove again dictating matters at the set piece, but there were signs of them beginning to tire and as the match continued, the OLs back row started to gain a significant edge at the breakdown. With an increased supply of ball allied to some determined defending, OLs always looked the more likely to score, which they duly did, courtesy of another Ethan Fotheringhame dash to the corner.

The match concluded with a convincing, if not entirely comfortable win by three trys to one.

Final Score : Bromsgrove 5 – 15 Old Leamingtonians

Match 5 v Taunton

Following four outstanding victories, OLs were pitted against a powerful local Taunton team. Fittingly, with Taunton having won three and drawn one of their games, it was a ‘winner takes all’ encounter. Simply put, a win by either team would see them lift the Tigers Challenge trophy, but a draw would be good enough for Old Leamingtonians.

OLs did have the luxury of a complete set of replacement front row players and following the pressures of the Bromsgrove game, it was all change in the coal face. For the third match in succession, OLs were significantly outsized in the forwards, though this time they did manage to secure good possession from the scrummage. Taunton did have a couple of big, strong running forwards, who they used to make dents in the Blue and Gold defence.

Taunton were certainly a quality team, they combined their big, hard-running forwards with a classy set of three-quarters. However, in this encounter, they were to meet their match in the forwards, where OLs edged them at the breakdown and in the backs, where OLs haven’t been matched in a remarkable winning run of seventeen matches.

A highly motivated OLs team were quick off the mark and opened the scoring when Brad Wilks finished off a lovely set move. Taunton weren’t lying down and they used their powerful forwards to force their way over from a short penalty and level the scores, despite a tremendous defensive effort from the OLs forwards, where Matty Evans paid for his bravery and had to be substituted after getting a bit of a shoeing on the floor. OLs were still holding most of the aces and more breakdown recycling led to the now familiar sight of Ethan Fotheringhame sprinting over at the top of the pitch.

OLs were by now on top form. The first score of the second half came from a thrilling long range run from Brad Wilks. This was then followed a great score from Joe Dick, who expertly opened up a desperate Taunton defence, who were simply faced with too much threat across the park. Taunton weren’t quite finished and they did score a fine try themselves, when their centre found a rare gap in OLs central defence.

It was, though, too little too late for the Somerset team and before long the referees whistle signalled the end of the tournament. The end of match scene was also something to treasure, with a pitch invasion from the rested subs bench, and a few Bob Stokoe impressions from the odd parent and coach.

Final score : Old Leamingtonians 20 – 10 Taunton

And so ended a tournament of stunning success. A tournament in which OLs faced a string of quality sides and prevailed on each occasion.

A quick look at the final table shows their dominance. As well as winning the title by a clear eight points, their overall score difference was a remarkable fifty-five points, a full forty points more than their nearest rivals.

There can be fewer better ways to cap such a remarkable season, than to win such a prestigious trophy in such emphatic style. I accept that a fair portion of the credit should go to Rob Scott’s inspired tactic of befriending the match officials, though he did have some ground to make up after his kitty abuse during the first day’s play.

In danger of sounding like a bit of a broken record, the overriding factor of the tournament and indeed of the season as a whole, has been the way in which the lads have learnt to play for each other.

I’d like to take the chance to pay a tribute to our forwards. Though a lot of their work is unsung, nothing happens without their selfless efforts. Looking at the weekend’s matches it’s easy to wonder why our backs always seem to have more space to work in than the opposition. This is largely down to their ability to reform their line following a breakdown and this can only happen because the OLs forwards work so hard to get more numbers to the breakdown than the opposition, so allowing the OLs backs to free themselves up and get back in line. It is also telling in defence. We did concede a few trys to some very good sides, but not one of them came from the opposition finding an overlap in our defence.

Anyway, roll on next season.