Welwyn Under 7's win County Festival

As festival days go, it was the usual early start for the children as we descended on North Watford to take part in the 21 st Hertfordshire County Mini Rugby Festival. After sorting out base camps, (we needed 2 as our As were playing in another field away from the main pitches!), and getting tagged-up we quickly got into the festival spirit, having our squad photo session and an initial group talk. We then got down to business, with the squad divided up into their respective teams to prepare for the matches to commence. Details of these are in the report below.

The Pool Games:

A Team

The A team were up against Datchworth in their first game and although we had won both our previous encounters we certainly did not take anything for granted. Jack, the A team Captain, set his stall out for the day by scoring 2 tries whilst Kier also bagged a brace and scared the life out of the opposition with his powerful running. Alfie also made his presence felt by scoring his first of his many tries through out the day. Cameron and Guy put in some solid defensive work causing panic in the Datchworth attacking phases which led to some regular turnover ball! Isaac and Saul also scored a try each with their trademark weaving runs to allow Welwyn to run out comfortable 7-2 winners.

There was little time for the team to catch their breadth as the second game against OV Chariots kicked off almost straight afterwards. The opposition had definitely stepped up significantly since our C team played them earlier in the season but they were no match for our boys. The final score line was 8 tries to 2 and this score line by no means flattered us. Once again Kier continued to stretch the defence and again scored 2 tries. Saul put in a masterful performance and scored 2 tries whilst Alfie, Cameron, Isaac and Jack also crossed the line to score a try each. A very good all round defensive performance by the team ensured OVs rarely even saw our try line.

The 3rd game was against Tabard, which represented our first serious challenge of the day. Although our other teams had narrowly lost to them during the season, they still were an unknown quantity for the A team. Tarbard had a couple of very fast runners and in particular a 'Jeremy Guscot' look-alike! Thankfully, Kier, Kyle, Jack and Cameron stepped up their defensive work to prevent most of Tabard's attacking play. Alfie once again put in a fantastic second phase support role and bagged his first hat-trick of the day. Kier was too hot to handle and also bagged a treble whilst Joey's pace enabled him to help himself to 2 tries. Guy too got on the score sheet with a fantastic sprint down the line from within his own half, and Louis also put some excellent runs and was unlucky not to score. 9 tries to us in 10 minutes of rugby certainly entertained the Welwyn spectators. The final score was 9 tries to 3

In the last pool game the A team came up against Stevenage. This was to prove to be the biggest mismatch of the day as unfortunately for our North Herts rivals they are some way behind our development side let alone our A team. We also understand that they were missing two of their stars from last season (We wonder where they ended up!)

However, as the weather was extremely hot it at least allowed us to rest most of the players at some stage during the game. Without breaking sweat our boys ran out 8-3 winners and ensured they would reach the semi finals as pool winners.

B Team

The first game for the B team was against Old Albanians D team (oranges) and we needed to open our account with a strong performance. During the regular season we have built up a keen competitive rivalry with Old Albanians so it was important the team made an immediate impression. Strong defensive work was to be the theme throughout the day and thankfully the boys started as we meant to go on. Nathan G and Harry A causing an instant turn over from OA's that saw us take advantage with a fantastic run from Johan (wearing his brothers oversized boots!). Our first possession saw another great solo try from Nathan B giving us an almost instant two try cushion. Resolute defending and some great team passing meant we reached half time with a convincing 4-1 margin. Half time allowed for some of our five substitutes on the day to make their debuts in the tournament. We ended up as 5-4 victors – although the result appeared closer than the game had actually seemed.

With a much needed victory under our belts, the 2nd game was against the hosts, Fullerians B team, which appeared to be our toughest fixture of the group section. Once again the team started with a phenomenal defensive display and yet again we forced two early turn-overs. Andrew found his running legs and ran in two magnificent tries. By now the Welwyn boys were getting into their stride and all the practice from the seasons training sessions was paying off. Our tagging was exceptional with great saves from Angus, Adam and James. Harry M also showed some great tagging prowess – leading to another turn-over and a great run and try from Nathan G. Nathan B finished some great team moves and ran in a hat-trick of tries. We eventually ran out winners by 6 tries to 4 and this gave the team another boost to their growing confidence.

In the 3rd game we were given a bye and a welcome 4 points as unfortunately Bishops Stortford C were unable to field a side.

The Last Pool game was against Chess Valley Bs and after patiently waiting for his tournament debut, Bradley took to the field in the starting 7s for this must-win game. From the start Nathan G piled on the pressure and forced Chess Valley back towards their try line to rapturous applause from the Welwyn spectators. Hugo, Harry M, and Charlie also stepped up the defensive work in preventing any attacking play from Chess Valley. Nathan G and Harry A bagged a brace each whilst some great tries were also scored by Adam, James and Andrew. An emphatic 7:0 victory booked our place in the semi finals!

C Team

Our newest and mainly youngest children represented our C team and were drawn in a very challenging group alongside some of the bigger clubs B teams. However in true Welwyn Under 7 style they fought like tigers and can hold their heads high despite being eliminated in the pool stages.

In the first game they met a Harpenden B side that had beaten our own B side about a month ago so it really looked a case of lambs to the slaughter! However a brilliant all round display from the team ensured that Harpenden never really could settle and in the end they were pleased to get away with a narrow 5-4 victory. Dominic and Connor were outstanding throughout although it is hard to single out anyone particular in such a good all round team display.

In game 2 the team maintained there high performance levels but were unlucky to only draw with a well drilled Hertford C team. Having lead 3-1 and then 4-2, with tries by Finlay B, Connor and Dominic they lost their way a little and allowed Hertford to sneak ahead by one. However a last gasp try by Michael ensured that the honours were even at 5-5.

Like the B team the C team also received a welcome 4 points as Hitchin B team failed to show up so moving into the final game there was always a chance that they could sneak into the Semi Final's.

Unfortunately there last game was against a much bigger and stronger Hertford B side and despite a heroic display from the captain, Morgan and his team mates they were swept away in the blistering heat and eventually lost 8 tries to 2. It should be remembered at this stage that most of their opponents will be moving up to Under 8 age group next season whilst the vast majority of this team will form next years formidable Under 7's again. Well done to you all as you proved that Welwyn really does have a very talented squad.

The Semi Finals

A Team

The A team were up against Tring A who we regard as one of the strongest teams in the county. Tring A had also been drawn in our pool but under the continuum rules which limits the amount of playing time of children they were also the only team we didn't play during the pool stage. Therefore both teams entered the match with a 100% winning record. In fact we had not played Tring since achieving a narrow victory over them in the early part of the season, so it was always going to be a cagey affair.

Again as with our previous matches we started strongly and ran in some excellent tries. This combined with some good defensive work by Kyle and Cameron meant we were 4:1 up at the half time interval. Jack put in a superb Captain's performance scoring 2 tries and leading from the front with both his defensive and attacking skills. Alfie also stepped up the pressure with his tagging and support play and he seemed determined to cover every blade of grass on the pitch which ended up with him completing his 2 nd hat trick of the day! Kier continued to stretch their defence and although he was often eventually tagged by the opposition defenders his forward running allowed us to keep the play in Tring's half. Some brilliant support play by Louis and Saul followed and Isaac and Guy capped of an excellent display by the team by crossing the line twice more to book our place in the Final. The final score was 8 tries to 4 although this somehow (the ref lost track!) got recorded as 7-5!!

B Team

The B team were up against another Tring side (their C team) in their Semi Final. This turned out to be a comfortable victory as the Welwyn boys continued to display both superior attacking and defensive skills and putting pressure on Tring C whenever they had the ball. On 2 occasions, resolute defence from the whole team pushed Tring C back and managed to force errors right in front of our own try line. Yet again in attack Welwyn showed that their ability to pass accurately was the difference. Nathan G deserves particular praise for not only scoring a hat-trick of tries but also maintaining his effective defensive partnership with Harry A. Some great tries also from Hugo, Angus and Adam saw our Welwyn wonders through to the final.

The Finals

A Team

There was an enforced delay to the start of this game due to the inability of the organisers to resolve the other semi final between Old Albanians A and Hertford A which ended up 4:4. The RFU rules do not permit extra time at mini rugby festivals so the winner was chosen based on the number of points accumulated from the group stage. This was particularly disappointing for Hertford but it meant that our dear friends from Old Albanians had sneaked through. Having already beaten them 3 times during the second half of the season we knew that the opposition would be looking for revenge. So after a quick briefing session the boys took to the field once more to continue their fierce competitive rivalry between the clubs for the last game of the day.

Cameron ran straight through the OA defence to open our try account but as with previous encounters the 1st half was mainly a case of both teams trading tries. Significantly however we entered half time all square at 3 tries each knowing that we held the advantage of having the first play of the second half to come. As on previous encounters OA's once again decided to target Kier and stop him at all costs. In fact one of their players decided that a Kung fu kick might do the trick and caught Kier in mid-flight. Kier fell to the ground, the crowd gasped, but after some water, he got up and he bravely took his position on the field of play. Our boys are not just fast and skilful, but tough as old boots as well! This seemed to stir his team mates on further and once again the defensive work from Jack, Cameron, Guy and Kyle started to pay dividends resulting in a number of key turn-over balls to the annoyance of the OA's coach and their supporters. Alfie was simply outstanding and capped a memorable day's performance by scoring 5 tries in the final! A wonderful performance by the whole team which meant we beat Old Albanian A's again 7 tries to 4 to be crowned HERTS UNDER 7 COUNTY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!

B Team

By now Tring must have been sick of the sight of Welwyn as Tring's B team were our opponents in the County Plate Final. From the start it was evident that this match would be a tense physical encounter as by now the long hot day had taken its toll on both teams. Tring were actually tackling our boys (so much for non contact sport!), but as mentioned earlier, Welwyn boys are very tough and their training meant they understood the importance of maintaining possession and holding on to loose balls. Again they showed good defensive work and our now very confident side and soon nudged ahead with a great run from Andrew. The boys maintained their concentration levels and started passing the ball down the line to great cheers from the crowd, including a fantastic take on the run by Adam. Another try from Nathan G and two more from Captain Nathan B sealed a comfortable win of 4 tries to 1 and Welwyn B team was crowned as HERTS UNDER 7 COUNTY PLATE CHAMPIONS!

The Welwyn supporters went wild with celebrations as the news also spread that our under 7s had won both competitions. Team Captains, Jack and Nathan, proudly stepped up to lift the Cup and Plate for the Welwyn RFC mighty under 7's.

Under 7's winning