League matches 16th December

After the freezing deluge on Saturday, it was lovely to be blinded by strong sunshine, with clear skies on Sunday morning. The conditions were perfect for rugby.

In the first match, against Wasps B, the entire team played their hearts out from the get-go. They committed to every tackle and applied so much pressure that Wasps, despite showing early signs of promise in which they put considerable pressure on Hampstead, were simply unable to think and move quickly enough. That was all down to the relentless energy and team play from our players and led to try after try from all corners of the team. Parents and coaches had to pinch themselves a bit; we were five tries up within ten minutes.

It was lovely to see the team gel and support one another like this. Everyone had their rugby brains engaged and focussed and, most importantly, it was clear they were having loads of fun in the process.

The final score was 65-5.

The match against Harlequins proved tougher. They were a strong, well organised side. Harlequins opened the scoring, running in two early tries. However, the Hampstead boys then stepped up a gear, responding with three first half tries, to lead 15-10 at the break. In the second half, relentless harrying, and strong defensive tackling prevented Harlequins from scoring, while Hampstead were ruthless in attack, running in three unanswered tries. The final score was 30 - 10 to Hampstead.

The Hampstead Under 12s played some great rugby, and demonstrated real cohesion as a team. To stop a team like Harlequins from scoring tries requires a concerted defensive effort, and the boys showed excellent decision-making in both attack and defence. It was a great way to finish the first half of the season.

Scorers: Match 1 v Wasps B: Toby Osborne (2’, 10’), Charlie Wheeler (3’, 17’, 24’), Tana McCleary (6’, 8’, 21’), Finley McCarthy (7’), Madoc Gundry (9’), Jack Balme (15’, 19’), Wiremu Nicole (24’). Match 2 v Harlequins David White, Charlie Wheeler, Jack Balme, Holden Maze, Madoc Gundry & Finley McCarthy.