A massive thank you to all the parents, and to the U16 and U18 TSW Valley boys who came to support the team. The support on the touchline was brilliant, and the team spirit was outstanding from the first whistle to the last.
A special mention to Nicolas for doing a superb job managing the pre-game routines, warm-up and substitutions.

From what I had seen in training, the boys were well drilled. I was impressed by the way the ball was moving through the team and by the structure of our plays, both at weekday and Sundays training sessions. The question was whether this would hold up against determined opposition. It certainly did.

Right from the start, the boys played their game and put into practice what Coaches Rob, Kea and Henry have been drilling into them. They played with structure, composure, purpose, discipline and with some degree of patience.

Huge credit must go to the forwards for an excellent contest against a brave and determined Barbarians 1 side. Our scrum held up very well. Across the squad, the tackling was committed and effective, our carries were penetrating, and the support runners stayed close to the ball carriers. We lost very few balls in contact and won several turnovers through strong jackeling work at the breakdown.

One defining moment came when our backs held up a Barbarians player in contact and earned the feed at the resulting scrum: a textbook application of the drills practised in training.

That said, we conceded a few unnecessary penalties for offside and for tackles that were too high.

Rugby is a team sport, and this was very much a team performance. However, Oli’s try deserves a special mention: he caught a high ball at full speed, found a way through the defence and weaved his way to the line. Pure skill, composure and real X-factor. Check the video.

A special mention also to Tamim, playing his first rugby match. He came on as a late substitute and immediately made his tackle - an excellent start. Kudos also to all the 2012 boys playing their first U16 game. ?

I must conclude by praising again the coaching crew for delivering quality training, and the boys for turning up, listening, learning, and playing positive rugby with discipline. The magic happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Timeline:

| 5' | VF try | 7 - 0
| 11' | VF try | 14 - 0
| 20' | VF try | 21 - 0
| 30' | Barbarians 1 try | 21 - 7
| 50' | VF try | 26 - 7