On a surprisingly mild December morning a small group of excited players made the trek to Eton Manor’s ground in East London. The sun was shining and there was a positive buzz form both teams once the warm up and join training had completed.

Hampstead fielded two teams against a much larger Eton Manor squad, which although good for game time, meant by the end legs were tired, but – impressively - focus and determination were as strong as for the first ball.

The teamwork around the defensive lines were consistently strong and quickly organised, with the teams showing mature judgement on how much to spread given the opposition’s positions.

When the “5 tags results in a turnover” rule was implemented, it was fantastic to see us defending our line, a professional team would be as proud of the ability to hold off the onslaught.

There were numerous tries at the other end, from brilliant solo runs, but also good examples of quick passing when tagged along side timely support running that lead to some periods of genuinely flowing rugby.

Players, coaches and parents all had a highly enjoyable time and a lot of thanks to Eton Manor were incredibly hospitable hosts. We look forward to hosting them next year on the heath extension COVID permitting.