You know rugby has started properly again, when you find yourself in Hackney on a cold very wet early Sunday morning. Don’t worry parents, only 6 months of the season to go. Our second game and first friendly of the season was as an opportunity to give everyone a proper run out. That we had 18 at training on Saturday and 17 for the Hackney game is testament to a wonderfully committed group of 12 year olds (and parents), who played out a game every bit as exciting as anything we are witnessing in Japan. 2 nil down early, 3 – 3 at half time, the first 30 minutes went by in something of a blur. The message at half time was simple, double down on their large hard running boys and play to our strengths by getting the ball wide to our lightening backs.

It worked for a while too, as we pulled two tries ahead, one lovely move with the ball quick out of the ruck, 9 to 10 to our full back Carter who had joined the line, try in the corner. The Brave Blossoms themselves would have been pleased with that one. But in attack we began to hold on to the ball too much, running back into heavy traffic and their strike runners started to burst through our defence. One super Hackney player began to cut through at will. He already had a couple of tries from the first half and he must have added 4 or 5 to his account in the second (we began to lose count). I’m pleased to say our tries were much more spread out amongst Charlie, Jack and Madoc as well as Carter, well done to them. The final score 8-6 to Hackney, it was only really settled in the final 5 minutes, it really was a great game. It’s a cliché in rugby but true that it’s the unseen work that makes the difference. With Toby and Edo joining the forwards our scrum held up much better than in our last game, although still going backwards at times. Oli C battled to the end. Our lesson, we need to find a way to bring down big fast runners, and play to our strengths. Whilst only two games in, it appears we are not a big side relative to this season’s competitors. Hackney had four players bigger than the ref, and he wasn’t small ! But we are fast and we seem to be very fit. Hackney were out on their feet at the end, we could have kept going. They deserved to win, but if we had figured out a way to stop that one player, it would have been different. Special mention to Holden who played with a sore foot, hurting it at home the day before. I can’t remember how he did it, probably practicing his drop kicks inside the house whilst mum was out. Anyway, it transpired after a trip to the hospital later that day when it got worse, he had a broken toe all along. I won’t forget him begging Matt and I to get back on the pitch after we’d subbed him, despite his discomfort. These kids have a great desire to play, long may that continue. But Holden rest up !

The heavens opened and we huddled in the club house afterwards discussing the game, enjoying complimentary sausages. Parents and coaches were proud of the performance the boys had put in. Final word perhaps went to my son Dylan, who suggested Hampstead had been held back by a lack of scrum coaching. When they win it’s down to the kids when they lose, well it’s the coaching ! You have to wonder. Already looking forward to the Finchley game, November 3rd.