Dursley U10s

Old Pats U10s

On Friday night in Paris the rain slashed down as fiercely as the relentless English box kicks. Sodden hands meant spilt balls; bone crunching English tackles causing uncharacteristically sloppy mistakes from the South African bomb squad. A match lost by one point because of a slip in the mud at a crucial scrum.

What then would those English players have given for the azure blue autumn skies of Dursley Rugby club? For the weak Autumn sun gently bathing the sodden, gentle gradients in the lee of Stinchcombe Hill?

No slips here, no spills at all. The U10s have been ingesting the silken goose-stepping skills of Marcus Smith and clearly delighted in giving the supporters a show of admirable showboating brilliance.

Offloading worthy of a 7s match, inside lines cut deftly at the very last minute and sidesteps so acute that the Strictly talent scouts will surely come running. The spectators cooed in admiration, luxuriating in the silken splendor of the warm morning.

But as in Paris, fine displays turn on the slightest of moments and Dursley’s proud rugby heritage was firing on all cylinders, pulling the old Pats defence as the play stretched from one touch line to the other. Desperate defence matching attacking brilliance on both sides.

This was not a game for a cricket scoreline, this like Paris, was a titan arm wrestle between two teams very much on top of their games. And like Paris, you really did have to say –  rugby was the winner

Hugo Lidbetter