This was the first and only outing for the North boys this season, largely due to bad weather cancelling the previous fixtures. The match was played in mixed conditions, starting and ending in beautiful sunshine, sandwiching a heavy hail storm in between!

The pitch though was in very good condition and contributed to a fast and hugely entertaining game.

The Midlands opened the scoring in the opening minutes with a delightful show and go from their lively stand off, who scored under the posts. The conversion made it 7-0. The North then had the upper hand for most of the rest of the match, scoring on the left hand touch line when the ball was worked well to the left winger. Half time saw the North trailing 5-7. The second half resumed with the North again having slightly the better of things; firstly scoring in the left hand corner to take the lead 10-7 and then extending the lead to 17-7 when a penalty try was awarded following a superb 35 metre rolling maul which moved at a rate of knots and was only stopped short of the try line by the Midlands illegally pulling it down.

A further try was disallowed, somewhat harshly in the view of most supporters from both camps. A superb 50m break from the North prop was ruled out after the referee deemed the supporting winger had obstructed the Midlands' defender close to the line.

The final score at 17-7 was in the end just reward for the Northern boys' efforts.

Rory Hill, of Wilmslow RUFC and Wilmslow High School, started the match at Blind side flanker, and despite giving away the first penalty of the match at the first scrum, he went on to perform reasonably well. Having missed much of the season through injury, Rory was puffing heavily at the final whistle. Never the less he was immensely satisfied to be awarded his Northern Counties tie at the post match presentations.