On a chilly afternoon the U8 boys worked tirelessly and improved in each of their four matches. At first they were struggling defensively, not holding a good line or concentrating on the opposition. When going forward they failed to run directly forward, often moving sideways and stepping out of bounds rather than be tackled. After two close losses they got together before their third match and reviewed where they could improve with Mr Hosking.

There were instant results. Ciaran made several good darting runs forward, as did Alex and William, and all three scored numerous tries in the two remaining fixtures. Roy and Olly were increasingly attentive and moved around the field well. Blake braved a tough injury and played on through the pain, providing us with valuable defensive cover.

But it was Charlie who deserved his man of the tournament award for consistent tackling, straight runs into opposition territory and being vocal to organise the defensive line each and every time it was required. The boys were praised for their improvement, and finished with two comfortable wins from their last two games.