U17 Colts secure South West Final slot

With the weather cold and slightly breezy and the pitch firm, Topsham get off to a good start with the boys probing for openings and Amersham competing hard despite the long, long coach journey down to Devon.

The forwards look to secure good ball for the backs and from passes out from a ruck Alex Taylor takes a great line to spin through the defensive line and score close to the posts which Gwyn Parks converts 7-0.

Amersham are a determined side and make advances down the field and from a penalty attempt at goal which slips wide they miss out on 3 points and that proves to be the closest they come to points during the game.

Amersham continue to press but in their eagerness they leave themselves exposed through mistakes and Tristan May forces an error and sprints away and with Tom Hubble in support they exchange passes and Tris gets under the posts, Gwyn converts again, 14-0.

There is plenty of possession and territory for the rest of the first half but Tops are missing the clinical edge and only secure a further 3 points by Gwyn from a penalty, 17-0 at half time.

The second half starts much as the first with Tops probing and securing good territory, Alex Taylor repeats his first half score with a driving run through the defence to get his second which is converted by Ollie Toomey to take the score to 24-0.

From a botched line out by Amersham Tops get a penalty which Gwyn taps and passes out into the backs which results in Will Bird driving for the line and supported by his brother Tom Bird who gets the ball over the line and which Gwyn then converts, 31-0.

Sadly for Amersham the long journey, the intensity of the game and a score line which they now can’t recover from means they are finished and Tops take advantage with some great running. A big pass out by Gwyn and George Howill scores left and this time the conversion is missed the score is 36-0.

Tops start to relax a bit and Amersham start to look for a score to regain some pride but again they get stung, this time a big run through the middle by Danny Martin and an off load to Ollie Toomey who kicks through for Gwyn to seize the chance and score. Conversion missed again but the score moves to 41-0.

Amersham show some attacking determination again and secure a penalty on the 5m, for which Kieran Williams mysteriously gets a yellow, and this time Amersham are determined to get a score but from the tap and attack the ball falls Tops way and Tom Hubble does a length of the field finish which Gwyn converts and the final whistle blows with the score 48-0.

Alex Taylor gets Man of the Match

In a first for the club Topsham Junior Colts are in the National U17 Cup South West Final.

The result of the other SW semi-final is Chinnor 15 vs 12 Bracknell. Chinnor have a good reputation and they can be expected to put in a good performance, the game will be at Trowbridge RFC in Somerset on Sunday April 3rd.