Billingham RFC U16's V DMPRFC U16's

This was our first meeting with Billingham this season and still missing some of the lads but the rest certainly looked as if they were up for it. With the conditions perfect for rugby the U16's team warmed up cautiously but with determination on their ugly faces.

With the ref blowing his whistle to start the match (thanks Ritchie for stepping in), Mowden went to sleep as we so very often do and let the Billingham team score within a minute. With coaches behind the try line to settle the nerves as the conversion was unsuccessful the guys picked themselves up and went back at the boys in green and white.

A strong forward line up and a make shift back line (special thanks to the centres of Conor and Tom Jowett) saw the big guns doing most of the work. I must also thank Callum Rankin for stepping in at 10 as the usual mouthpiece was away playing tiddlywinks or something.

Excellent defense by the DMP team did keep the scoreboard to a min and at half time at 12-8 didn't look too bad from the touchline thanks to a Jacob try and Tom Jowett penalty, although Jacob's attempt to convert his own try was shocking!

The second half saw Mowden really try and attack the Billingham team but we really didn't seem to finish off great individual play including bursting through the line from Ben Cooper and Conor Martin.

Billingham kept their side of the scoreboard ticking over and DMP did cross the line through Louis but it just wasn't enough today, and towards the end Billingham scored a couple more to put it way past us.

Without our usual number 10 today of Callum Piert we knew it was going to be a struggle and it showed without his superior kick off placement, chips to the corner in open play and kicking through the sticks with ease we really needed to stick it up our jumper. It didn't help either that George was away on a needlework course and hopefully we will see him for our next game soon.

I'm sure our next meeting with the Teessiders will be as good a spectacle of great rugby that we saw today.

Final score 41-20, well stuck at it today.

One last comment on todays game.....................its all Mark's fault!