U10s also clinch Plate victory

HERTS FESTIVAL: VERULAMIANS triumphed in the U9B Cup Competition at Sunday’s Herts Festival to secure the club’s honours at Mini and Junior level.

In their first pool match OVs came up against a spirited Hitchin team that had not warmed up.

Verulamians won comfortably but conceded a try ending 7-1 winners.

Next up for OVs was one of the strongest tests of the day courtesy of Tabard. In a closely fought contest which could have gone either way, both teams held a creditable 3-3 draw.

Going into their last game Verulamians knew they had to win well in order to progress as pool winners and they successfully neutralised a strong Watford attack to win 6-0.

Verulamians went through to the quarter-finals as group winners having scored more tries in the pool stages than Tabard who progressed as pool runners-up. In the quarter-finals they beat Letchworth 2-0 before coming up against a well drilled Bishop’s Stortford side in the semi-final.

OVs’ immense defence held firm, resisting attack after attack from the opposition. At the final whistle the score was OVs 0-0 Bishop Stortford. A tense few minutes passed as the teams waited to find who would go into the final and the decision was made that the team who had scored most tries scored in the would progress. As a result OVs went through as they had scored one more try during the tournament than Bishop’s Stortford.

In the final OVs caught Harpenden napping at the start with a brilliant solo effort from Dominic Robertson. The score at half time remained 1-0. Half way through the second half Harpenden infringed in the ruck and a five-metre penalty was awarded. A steady pass from Alexander Saunders to Thomas Ivory lead to him crashing through the Harpenden defence to score their second try. To round off a brilliant performance OVs scored a decisive third try.

The children’s and youths section have only be playing for six years and this is the club’s first major trophy.

In the U10s age group, Verulamians also won the Plate in the B-team competition. Having been eliminated in the group stages of the Cup, OVs recovered well to beat Bishop’s Stortford in the semi-finals of the Plate by three tries to nil, and won the final by two tries to nil in a closely-fought contest against Fullerians.

Verulamians are always looking to recruit new players, regardless of experience. If you would like to be part of a successful, growing club come down and give it a try any Sunday at 10am. Ask for Michael Saunders or Andrew Towle. The registration day for the start of next season is Sunday, September 4, from 10am.