> In pool one......Blackheath, TJ's, W/Park, TW's and Sevenoaks and in our pool Rosslyn Park, Southend, OE's, Dartford and Bishops Stortford. Wow!! What a line up!

> Games were to last 7 mins per half, the winners of each pool going through to the final.

> This was to prove a good test and measure of how good or bad our boys are progressing not only in terms of rugby ability but also in terms of mental attitude. Having faced Dartford A's last week and losing 2-0 they were now to face their B team and 3 other well respected teams from Esssex, Hertfordshire, and Surrey all of which like ourselves are or have been cup winners.

> Team numbers were limited to 18 players..... So we had included all available boys in our team list.

> Game 1 - O/E's v Dartford - WIN 6 - 1
> Some good, solid work in the forwards provided a good platform from which the boys were able to build a first half lead of 3-1. The backs defensive efforts and running lines eventually clicking leading to us running in another 3 tries. Dartford were again a big pack and their tackling was aggressive but our boys showed their class, agility and ability to secure our first game victory

> Tries from Adam Paul, Lucius Raggett x 2, Ken Dixson and George Robinson x 2.

> Game 2. - O/E's v Southend - WIN 4 - 0
> Into the unknown. If their A team was a measure of the style of rugby played at this successful big club......then this was to be a stiff challenge. The boys were suitably warmed up and were firing on all cylinders. Our scrum worked well against a big pack and the backs started to put a little more imagination into their back line movement.....the result we took a 4 - 0 lead into the 2nd half. More of the same?....No....Southend came out and upped their game necessitating some great defensive play by our boys and by theirs. So honours even in the 2nd half.

> Tries from Adam Paul x 2, Max Hardwick and Ken Dixson.

> Game 3 - O/E's v Rosslyn Park - WIN 2 - 1
> Who needs to travel to see quality league sides when they come to you? Rosslyn Park are 2nd in the English National league 1 table.....a big club with lots of resources their U 12's regularly turning out A, B and C teams. The boys had been building nicely into our 2 remaining pool games which the coaches had targeted as being tough tests. And so it was.......straight from kick off the Park right wing ran in uncontested to score within 10 seconds....oh dear! Fear not....some direct encouragement from the coaches, parents and boys alike stemmed the flow with the boys shutting up shop and putting the pressure on to earn a hard fought win. Some great defensive try saving tackles coming from Jack Davies and Tom Hannifin.

> Tries from George Robinson and Ken Dixson.

> Game 4 - O/E's v Bishops Stortford - DRAW 2 - 2
> Stortford had previously drawn 0 - 0 with Rosslyn Park so another big challenge awaited us......and so it proved. Stortford were a very physical side the ref having to penalise their side for hand offs and tripping whilst missing some high tackles! This game could have gone either way but the boys were resolute in their determination to progress and never took a back foot. Great forward and back efforts saw this nip and tuck exciting game come to a close with a fair draw.....had we not given away an unnecessary penalty 5 metres from our own try line from which a quick tap and go by one of their big forwards resulting in a try....this would have been a well earned win.

> Tries from George Robinson and Tom Hannifin.

> And so it was.....pool winners and onto the final against Westcombe Park who had won all their pool games. Westcombe were fielding a few of their A team players due to an inability to put out a full A team due to injury and non availability. This was recognised and accepted. Credit to the Westcombe coaches being honest in declaring this and this was accepted by all involved.
> The match was reffed in the 1st half by a Westcombe coach and the 2nd half by O/E 's

> FINAL - O/E's V Westcombe Park - WIN 3 - 1
> Well done boys......they had only last week fought a well earned draw 1-1 against their full A team ....but entered this game having had a long wait in the right frame of mind recognising that this team had previously beaten some good teams.....so no complacency! Having progressed with no previously unknown injuries we were in good shape to field our strongest team. Westcombe had 3 or 4 stand out boys who were able to break tackles, off load, run fast and score tries.......however we had a squad worth!!!!! 1-1 at half time with George putting in the best try saving tackle on the biggest boy in the game who had made a break from just inside his half and was clean through......even if it did rattle the Crown Jewels!!!!!! Nothing a short spell on the side line didn't put right before returning to the action in the 2nd half. The boys continued with their efforts running in 2 more tries to earn a well deserved cup final win.

> Tries from Adam Paul, Ollie Coates and George Robinson.

> There were some great individual tries and some great well worked tries between backs and forwards and when combined with some cracking defensive tackles that's why the boys ran out Champions!!!!!!

> Compliments to all other teams, coaches and supporters alike.