U11 A Rugby v Laxton JS - 23/11/16

It was a beautiful day for the seasons final game. The sun was shining over Oundle as Copthill made their final away trip to local rivals, Laxton. Despite missing relative new boy Joseph Dynamite Carey, the side had been strengthened by late call-ups Harry Foster and Frankie Battle, both keen to impress.

From kick off, Copthill were strong, playing a wide expansive game, pushing forward off every phase earning them a 2-0 lead going into half time. The second half was a different story; the previously iron clad defense was now tired and the Oundle giants started to make holes, brushing off weary tackles. Freddie Finlan was drafted in from the adjacent pitch to try and add some fancy footwork and forward momentum but in the dying moments of the game Laxton equalised and then scored a winning try in the corner in quick succession. 

The boys heads dropped as the final whistle blew, but in truth, the first half was a spectacle to watch and a show piece of everything we had been learning in training. We just couldn't quite match Laxton's physicality when the game came close. Finley Smith competently captained the boys who were clearly broken at the end of a tough game. The Laxton boys and coaching staff were superb hosts and complimented Copthill on their intense start to the game and were clearly worried judging by their half time team talk. 

Man of the match went to Frankie Battle because the target for this game was to move forward into space and like a whippet he always raced towards the posts with no sign of running backwards or sideways. All of the boys are now looking forward to the climax of the season - House Matches!

Final score, Laxton 3, Copthill 2.

Mr Thomas