A baptism of fire last week against a sizeable Longlevens outfit saw us come second-best in a very tough opening fixture.

However, following an amusing team-building exercise in which players were encouraged to express their individuality via unique legwear and bring their own loading carbohydrates in the form of Naan bread, we were ready for the next challenge.

The intensity and focus were much improved in a tenacious performance at what has traditionally been a very difficult place to gain a victory.

The squad picked itself this week as a combination of major school fixtures and siblings being deposited back at Uni this weekend depleted our normally generous numbers. Still, our talent pool ran deep, and we were more than happy with the team.

Several players were making their full Colts debuts today, and they stepped up to the increased pace and physicality of U18 rugby without exception.

The opening exchanges played at a high tempo, showed two evenly matched teams, and it wasn’t until the 15th minute that the scoreboard moved. Playing precise and disciplined rugby, we began to string phases together without incurring the official’s displeasure. Eventually, this paid dividends with a nice line break from Lordy and offload to the ever-supporting Charlie H, putting us behind their defence with Barney HS applying the finishing touches. Charlie L was our designated kicker and added the extras. Who knew he could kick?

The scrum, usually an indicator of dominance, was going well with some against-the-head ball allowing our back row to rampage. MSJ,  skipper and as ever, leading from the front was awesome and where he lead, others followed. Bertie P, following the family tradition of being annoyingly persistent, was excellent at open side, frequently turning over possession simply by being omnipresent at the breakdown.

The rest of the pack, adhering precisely to instruction, were a cohesive, supportive, aggressive unit in defence and attack. Was it simply Woody’s bleached mullet that attracted attention? Or the fact that he hit every ruck and tackled himself to a stand still? Top lad!

A penalty close to their line for not rolling saw Charlie tap and go ( successfully this week!) and recycle for Luke to crash over under pressure. Langers, once more on target, stretched the lead. 14-0

Cirencester were adding to the pressure on themselves by missing touch with kicks and also not claiming their own line-out ball. Bertie and Charlie getting hands on their throw repeatedly gave us possession and territory. A forced clearance landed in the hands of fullback Henry B, and he ran it back hard. A subsequent penalty was kicked to the corner, and a well-executed driving maul saw us cross for our third. Bottom of the pile was Lordy, who managed to play in 4 positions and all three rows of the scrum during the game. He is certainly worthy of his Man of the Match award, if only for his versatility!

19-0 at the half.

Talking of versatility, Saxon started at the inside centre and carried with force. An injury to Kai saw us lacking some beef in the pack. Not an issue- into the second row and equally powerful, a great debut.

Ciren benefited from the breeze in the second period and may have received some stern words because they came back at us hard. Several phases amongst their pack pulled our defence narrow, and a precisely directed cross-kick put their wing into acres of space. 19-7.

A wake-up call? Apparently so- from the kick-off, Lordy burst through a tackle and offloaded neatly to Barney, again tracking in close support. He was plenty quick enough to outpace the defence and score in the corner. 24-7 and a bonus point.

The pressure pendulum swung back again, and we were under the cosh this time. Multiple phases were repelled deep in our half, but eventually, they made the score. 24-14.

From a scrum on our 22, Max SJ picked up and made ground, allowing Barney to thread a kick behind their wing. Charlie L chased it down, forcing the ball loose for him to retrieve and score. Tenacious! It was 29-14 with time ticking away. It would have been 31, but the conversion hit the post and bounced out.

Not finished yet, Ciren came back yet again, with some strong carries forcing us back. A try in the corner and an accurate, tricky conversion made the last few minutes a nervous and somewhat frantic finish. However, the lads rallied once more to hold out. The final score was 29-21, and a lively, convivial post-match ensued.

Commendations to the lads playing their first games for the Colts, and thanks to our hosts for excellent catering and hospitality. All in all, it was a most encouraging day. On to next week and new challenges!

Allez les Pats!

Tom Perris