This game saw four colts step up to the mark and play against one of the best sides in the district. Mike Tattersall, Tom Hyam, Tom Smith and Jack Quinlan all played like demons. Hyam, Smith and Quinlan had all played for senior sides in the past, but this was young full-back Tattersall’s full debut on the senior stage. I am happy to say he acquitted himself nobly. The future of the club is in good hands with these boys around.



Onto the game itself. Broadstreet scored a well worked try by outflanking the over worked OL’s defence. The Gold and Blues were able to pull a penalty back through Jamie Brown. Street then scored again through their fly-half; a canny field kicker who kept the ball in Old Leamingtonians twenty-two. The fly half also managed a drop goal. The Coventry side then scored through their Captain; the prop crashing over from short range. Two conversions and Broadstreet took a commanding lead into the break.

At half-time OL’s gathered themselves for a second half fight. Against these guys you measure success by how often you can cross the gain line and keep possession; ball and territory being a hard fought commodity for the Extras. It was in the little victories that we measured our success, we had made this side work bloody hard for this lead and we were going to make them work just as hard in the second half.

Initially, OL’s successfully pushed Broadstreet back. But sadly, they were unable to sustain this and the Coventry side scored with a cross field kick their speedy winger was successfully able to catch. No conversion but game on. Old Leamingtonians then held the line. Broadstreet's discipline began to falter, most notably when they were marched back twenty meters for attempting to do the ref’s job for him.

After an hour Old Leamingtonians finally got the break through their tenacity deserved. Scrum-half Aaron Dudley took a quick tap penalty following another Broadstreet offence. Drawing his man he fed Jack Quinlan who cut back inside and left the full-back for dead. He nearly made the line himself, which would have been no less than this player deserved. But, the ball was knocked on and the scrum was called in Broadstreet’s favour. From the back of this scrum, Dudley was able to apply some pressure to the number 8, forcing the error and picking the ball up himself. Thanks to the added weight of Chris Clapham and Andrew Hemming, he was able to cross the line and score, giving the thoroughly soaked crowd something to cheer about. Jamie Brown added the conversion.
Unfortunately Broadstreet were able to score two more tries before the final whistle was blown.

This Old Leamingtonians side punched well above their fighting weight. People will say that we never stood a chance. That we were always going to lose. Others will say that we would have done better with different personnel. Maybe the conditions went against us. I don’t really care either way. I shared a pitch with nineteen guys who were able to walk off it and be proud of their performance. Broadstreet came here prepared for a fight, and they got one. Neil Hall, last seasons vice-captain and injured full back put it best in the bar afterwards: “If you turned up and saw just the last ten minutes you would have had no idea who was winning”. Such was the competitive spirit on display here.

We are still unbeaten in the league, and it took a side that I suspect will feature in the final of this cup competition to bring our winning streak in all competitions to an end. There is no shame in trying as hard as you can and coming up short. I am proud to have led these guys in this hardest of tests. I know that the poor sods we play against next Saturday will feel the full force of it. Bring on Shipston and the rest of them......