The Masters (over 35s) season burst into life this Easter weekend as Adie Smith took seven of his Spitfires side up to Coventry to represent Southampton in a Southern Origin side cobbled tgether to welcome the midlands in their inaugural Masters fixture.

The Coventry bears hosted the event ahead of their first game in the pro ranks, which ended with a convincing home win against Oxford.

Adie, Pascual, Pete Watson, Kev Duckham, Steve Hill, Nigel Miller and on his Birthday Andy Pullar, all pulled on an Origin jersey taking on Yorkshire as Lancashire played The Midlands.

With the south scoring the only try in that game, after Adie's line break and big carry, the next play the ball came just 10 yards out right in front of the posts, giving hooker Pete Watson options both left and right. With a good step out and over lap Pete was able to create a gap for the South's Joe Eagan to run through and burst over.

The South stayed on the pitch to play Lancashire straight afterwards. This game wasn't as close after Adie's try under the posts was controversially disallowed and Lancashire then put three scores of their own on the board in what was otherwise another closely fought 0 - 0 masters draw!

After the two games the players all enjoyed corporate hospitality at the Butts Park Arena as Coventry Bears beat Oxford 32 - 10 in their very first home game in Championship 1.

Southampton Spitfires would like to say a big thank you to the Coventry Bears and the newly formed Midlands Masters Steering Group for hosting the event and remind all teams that they would be welcome at Station Road in the future and wish you all a great 2015 season.

Adie Smith