CHAMPIONS

ST IVES ARRIVED AT THE FESTIVAL IN CONFIDENT MOOD AFTER THE PREVIOUS WEEKS PERFORMANCE AT THE COUNTY CUP .DRAWN IN A GROUP ALONG SIDE THE HOSTS ST NEOTS , NEWMARKET, ELY , AND A BARBARIAN SIDE MADE UP FROM CLUBS AT THE FESTIVAL.
AFTER WINS AGAINST ST NEOTS(2-1), BARBARIANS (5_1), AND NEWMARKET(6-1)THE FINAL GROUP GAME WAS TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT AS ELY HAD WON 3 GAMES ASWELL AND HAD BEATEN ST IVES TWICE DURING THE SEASON .ELY STARTED STRONG AND OPENED UP A 1-0 SCORE LINE AT HALF TIME .SECOND HALF SAW ST IVES SCORE THE TRY OF THE DAY QUICK SCRUM BALL 5 MTS OUT FROM THERE OWN LINE SAW THE BALL MOVE ALONG THE LINE UP TO HALF WAY WHERE WINGER JAMES MALLAD CUT INDIDE TWO DEFENDERS TO RUN THE BALL IN . ELYS HEADS DROPPED AND ST IVES STEPPED UP A GEAR AND CAMPBELL AND BRADLEY RAN IN TWO MORE TRIES FOR A WIN TO PUT ST IVES IN THE FINAL .

THE FINAL;

ST IVES CAME UP AGIANST BLETCHLEY WHO THEY HAVE NEVER PLAYED BEFORE AND WITH THERE TAILS UP STARTED VERY STRONGLY WITH GOOD RUNNING FROM OLLIE CAMPBELL AND BRADLEY SOON SAW ST IVES TAKE THE LEAD WITH CAMPBELL BREAKING THROUGH BLETCHLEYS DEFENCE TO SCORE. BLETCHLEY CAME BACK STRONG BUT ST IVES DEFENCE WAS SOLID WITH THE WHOLE TEAM PUTTING THEIR BODIES ON THE LINE 1-0 HALF TIME.SECOND HALF SAW BLETCHLEY SOON ON THE ATTACK AND SCORE 1-1 . BUT WITH ST IVES PLAYING SOME GOOD RUGBY AND SOLID DEFENCE A CHARGING RUN BY MICHAEL SAW QUICK RUCK BALL GO ALONG THELINE FOR CAMPBELL TO SCORE WITH ONLY MINUTES LEFT BRADLEY SET OFF ON A RUN TO THE CORNER TO RUN IN IN HIS TWENTITH TRY OF THE SEASON . WITH THE CLOCK RUN DOWN THE REF BLEW AND ST IVES TEAM WENT MAD WITH DELIGHT A SUPERB ACHIVEMENT FOR A SIDE THAT HAD NOT WON A GAME UNTILL AFTER CHRISTMAS ,

SPECIAL MENTION TO JAMIE TOM AND BRANDON WHO PLAYED FOR THE BARBARIANS DURING THE FESTIVAL .