The rain-softened pitches, for one, proved meat and drink to the tackling machine that was Klaye, who was a constant thorn in the side of the opposition.

Coach Daley was clearly suitably impressed and he said: “Did you see that phase when Klaye turned into the terminator and made three tackles in a row, with the final one leading to a knock on – now that’s how you contest possession!”

Needless to say when you win possession you need to score points, and the winged boots of the Northwich U9s all took flight during the games with some mazy running angles and great scores.

We also came to appreciate the juggernaut effect and the direct running of the likes of "Tank", and consequently the tries, mirroring the elements, ‘rained’ in.

Still, all credit to the opposition as they, too, played their socks off, having put in an awesome final shift of the season, much to the delight of their travelling parental support.

Both set of teams were very well mannered and theirs was a near perfect display of the core values which underpin the game, and so the U9 coaches could not have been prouder of their teams.

The Stags parents comments sum up the progress being made by the squad:
"They have improved so much and played like a real team".
"A few of the tackles I wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end".
"Excellent spirit and commitment"

A huge thank you to our opposition a great morning was had by all. We look forward to many matches in the future.

Also thanks to our sponsors for their continued support.
Whitlow Engineering.
Coleman Canal Boat Services.