U12s Runners-up at St Neots Festival

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What a cracking day out – a superbly run and organized festival of magnificent proportions on the same windswept plateau that we have visited so often over the last few years. In pitting ourselves against new teams of an unknown quality the U12’s distinguished themselves yet again, their dogged determination and conviction taking us through to our second festival final of the season.

This note provides a summary of the day, no specifics about who worked or ran the hardest, made the most tackles, or stuffed themselves with sweets, ice-cream and candy floss between games. Your scribe took few notes, instead concentrating on watching the drama of the day unfold – you were there so know the feeling.

The pool stage saw us draw against both Newmarket and St Neots, with a win against Ely to close off that first round of matches. All bar Ely progressed with Newmarket going through as best third place across all groups.

The day's champagne moment had to be the guard of honour that Hitchin and St Neots provided to Bryony and Amber (the rather talented young lady from St Neots) before that game. We understand that both are down to play for Welwyn next year and they go with our best wishes for a great season – possibly just as well that the U13’s don’t play the girls teams with such outrageous talent at their disposal.

It was Newmarket that we played in the Quarter Final, which we won with something to spare, making light work of a side we struggled against in the Pool fixture.

The Semi Final was against Biggleswade, when it dawned on us that those parents who we thought had been shouting “Piggy” all day were in fact yelling “Biggy”. This was a torrid nail-bitter in the best tradition of the Hitchin U12’s, no way were they going to make it easy for the watching parents and coaches. The game was drawn and we thought we might lose out on try count back or have to toss a coin, but the Gods were with us and Hitchin went through on the basis of the fair play points – so into the Final against Olney.

Now Olney play in Cerise and Grey shirts – as it happens your scribe’s school team played in Cerise and White and quite frankly when you wear what in reality is a pink shirt you need to win to maintain 'Street Cred'.

Anyway the game was a complete belter, gripping and tense beyond believe. Olney were a strong side, had the nudge in the scrums and hence a better share of the ball in the short game time. We know what happened, same as the Herts Festival, a massive centre eventually broke down our defenses and scored an unconverted try. The fact that we could win with the extra two points raised our game and we pressed hard, but the score never came – fair play to Olney who were worthy winners.

Hitchin RFC did win the overall fair play award, The Hansard Trophy, which St Neots see as the most prestigious award of the day and since the U12’s were the only ones left they had the honour of picking up the Shield on behalf of the club.

Well done to all the players, particularly those who did not get as much game time as they may have liked in supporting their mates, and well done to those that represented the Barbarians team.

In wishing bon voyage to Bryony and Hannah let’s take a moment to applaud the coaches who have been a great source of wisdom, banter and technical knowledge throughout the season – so stand up:

Andy “make mine a tent” Hardy
Chris “Lemon” Peel
John ”Deckchair” Walsh
Gavin “Hollywood” Page

Your scribe is off to spend the summer in the Dutch Antilles with his mate Johnny Ketchup and his missus Becumroll, and looks forward to the next adventure in the Herts/Middx League with the U13’s.