Eastern Counties Rugby Union

The U17’s short season is very much about individual and team development as well as introducing players to the EC patterns and style of play in preparation for the assessed matches which take place at U18 in the autumn.

Having met Yorkshire and Essex in development matches played over three by thirty minute segments using up to 30 players, EC met Middlesex at Staines on Sunday in a conventional 70 minute game.

The twenty-three players used showed that they had absorbed the coaches’ lessons and provided a feast of rugby with backs and forwards both dominating their opposition and ending up victors by 45 points to 12. Middlesex never gave up and their two tries resulted from interceptions allowing their backs to show the real pace of which they were capable.

The EC coaches have given match time to some thirty five boys over these three matches and are delighted with the overall standard of the squad with strong competition for every position. With individual feedback available from the coaches to give them areas to work on in the summer, the boys now all move on to U18 rugby with every squad member in competition for a place in the assessed matches.

John P R Mackay
Manager EC U17 /18G