Brackley 0 - 45 Milton Keynes

Brackley 0 - 55 Milton Keynes

Oundle 2nds 0 - 15 Milton Keynes

Wisbech 0 - 25 Milton Keynes

Peterborough 1sts 0 - 15 Milton Keynes

Stamford 5 - 20 Milton Keynes

Peterborough 2nds 0 - 10 Milton Keynes

Oundle 1sts 0 - 5 Milton Keynes

The Under 10s team pulled off a rare treble on Sunday, winning the Shield at the Peterborough Festival for the third time, a feat they accomplished last year as Under 9s and two years previously as Under 7s. All the more remarkable was that in their six games during the day they scored 18 tries and conceded only one.

Although individuals have been picked out, the entire squad of fifteen players deserves the highest praise for consistency, motivation and hard work during the long day. Six of these were very inexperienced and the coaches did a remarkable job ensuring that everyone played in either the semi-final or final.

Milton Keynes 5 - 5 Welwyn

Milton Keynes 40 - 0 Welwyn

Milton Keynes 5 - 10 Welwyn

Dunstablians 5 - 5 Milton Keynes

Watford 0 - 25 Milton Keynes

Dunstablians 15 - 5 Milton Keynes

Leighton Buzzard 0 - 25 Milton Keynes

Leighton Buzzard 10 - 5 Milton Keynes

Leighton Buzzard 5 - 25 Milton Keynes

The fireworks came in the third match with three players being sent off. Two years ago, as u8s, these two sides produced one of the ugliest games seen in these parts, but this time they surpassed themselves, ably assisted by the referee. With MK ten points to nil up (tries from Ben Lill on his debut, and Ashley Morris), my son Ffred Bollom, tackled round the neck at speed, understandably landed a haymaker on his assailant's chest, only to be unaccountably shown the red card without a warning. Moments later, outraged by this unfairness, John Mad Dog Marchbanks went straight for the guilty Buzzard at the off, only to be dismissed himself for a high tackle. The Milton Keynes seven, however, were not to be intimidated by the Buzzards, and Matthew Baker increased their lead with a neat touchdown on the left after the ball flew out of a ruck. Early in the second half the referee decided to even things up a bit by sending off an offending Buzzard for a genuinely high tackle, and so it was that the MK 7 went on to defeat the 8 Buzzards, with two more tries from Morris and Robert Friend, the latter rounding off a fine morning's work after a very nasty injury sustained two weeks ago at Dunstable.

Suffice it to say that the referee knows who he is.

Finchley 0 - 30 Milton Keynes

Watford 0 - 20 Milton Keynes

Finchley 0 - 25 Milton Keynes

Northampton Old Scouts 0 - 20 Milton Keynes

First Half

Not having won in their previous three encounters, all played as touch rugby, Milton Keynes under 10s took the field against Northampton Old Scouts for their first full-on contact match on Sunday with high anticipation. With sixteen players turning out the coaches had plenty of options. A very tight first half on a narrower than usual pitch saw little in the way of open play, but solid tackling from both sides. Some curious refereeing saw Milton Keynes regularly penalised at the rucks, and Scouts gained a great deal of possession, but without really threatening the MK line. Neither side could break drift defences, the narrowness of the pitch requiring a greater speed of recycling. A breakthrough by Oliver Anderson was judged foot in touch only for the same player to break the mould behind an unpenalised maul moments later to give MK a 5 - 0 half time lead.

H/T: Northampton Old Scouts 0 - 5 Milton Keynes

Second Half

The second half opened with a pass in- tackle from Ashley Morris to Ffred Bollom who ran straight through the Scouts' defence to make it 10 - 0, and then Morris had a try disallowed for handing off, a tough decision. By now MK were beginning to find gaps in the Scouts' defence and Ben Lill found a way through with some lovely footwork, and at the death Aaron Dennis took a great pass from the base of a maul to make Milton Keynes clear winners at 20 points to nil. Tries by prop, full-back, centre and wing indicate that the side are increasingly able to score from a variety of positions.

Lutterworth 5 - 5 Milton Keynes

First Half

With a big change of personnel MK then played Lutterworth - who had also beaten a much changed Old Scouts side by four tries to nothing, and Zac Ezenagu was unlucky to have a try disallowed in the first half as the ball was held up over the Lutterworth line. This game showed the strength in depth of the team as both sides battered away at defences.

H/T: Lutterworth 0 - 0 Milton Keynes

Second Half

In the second half Ezanagu made a great run on the right to give MK the lead, but towards the end Lutterworth pressure brought a try on the right.

Northampton Old Scouts 5 - 10 Milton Keynes

First Half

The final game was a rematch with Old Scouts, the coaches agreeing to change personnel at half time so all players would have played one and a half games. So the first half was a continuation of the first game in all respects, little being given by either side. In the face of great Scouts pressure, MK soaked it all up until Ashley Morris made a typical Morris break, selling several dummies and touching down for a five point lead.

H/T: Northampton Old Scouts 0 - 5 Milton Keynes

Second Half

Come half time, MK duly changed their players around but Scouts decided that they needed a result and stuck to the players used in the first half. Again the strength in depth of the MK side showed through as the side resisted relentless pressure until mid way through the half when Scouts equalised. But it was not over yet. On the right hand side just in his own half Lill drew the man and provided Ezanagu with a glorious pass which he took at speed and tore down the right wing to score in the corner.

Brackley 0 - 30 Milton Keynes

First Half

Milton Keynes under 10s travelled to Bletchley on Sunday knowing that, as Bletchley have no team in that age group, their games would only be against the other visitors, Brackley. In the first games of the season in September Brackley had shipped 100 points against MK, so it was a relief that they turned up. Milton Keynes duly opened the scoring with a try from Ffred Bollom with a nice run on the left. Ashley Morris scored the second from a scrum against the head close to the Brackley line following strong scrummaging by Oliver Anderson, John Marchbanks and Danny Dias, and Anderson scored the third from a short penalty.

H/T: Brackley 0 - 15 Milton Keynes

Second Half

In the second half Brackley came out fighting and camped in the MK half for some time before a great run by Matthew Baker set up a maul which pushed forward towards the Brackley line and Morris passed to Bollom who scored easily. Kieran Duffin scored the fifth from the base of a scrum, and then MK scored the try of the day as Morris passed to Bollom from a good heel from Anderson - on it went with good hands to Baker and on to Zachary Ezanagu who, running a straight and fast angle, sliced through the Brackley line to touch down.

Brackley 10 - 20 Milton Keynes

First Half

In the second game, with a big MK change of personnel, Oliver Anderson moved from prop to full-back in what turned out to be an inspirational piece of coaching by Stuart Morris and Tine Marchbanks. Little was given in the first quarter, but then Anderson, surging forward from a maul as any full-back might be expected to do, touched down for a five - nil lead. Brackley were still up for it and when Harley Shaw was harshly penalised for obstruction they equalised just on half time from the ensuing penalty.

H/T: Brackley 5 - 5 Milton Keynes

Second Half

From the restart Emma Swanston drove straight through the Brackley defence and scored with half the Brackley side still attached to her! A remarkable feat of strength and courage. Though they fought gamely they could not match the strength of the MK forwards, especially Will Holiday, Daniel Hunter and Billy Cook, and again it was Anderson, still unsure whether he was playing full-back or up front with the heroes, scored two more tries, first from the base of a ruck and then from a short break from a melee. Perhaps after all he was playing scrum half! To their credit Brackley continued to press and at the death were awarded a penalty try for a high tackle as they fell just short of the MK line.

Milton Keynes 10 - 5 Towcester

First Half

Milton Keynes under 10s entertained Towcester on Sunday, the first time this age group had met in full-contact rugby, and with no form showing everything was really up for grabs. The first match began with Milton Keynes exerting a lot of pressure on the Tows but there was nothing to show for it until Zac Ezanagu made a terrific run on the right wing, stepping out of two tackles to touch down in the corner. The pressure was still on and from a ruck on the Tows five metre line Ffred Bollom crashed through to score Milton Keynes's one hundredth try of the season in all games. Given that at this point they had conceded just fifteen tries themselves, in 25 games, this is some record. But the Tows were in no way overawed and they came back to score just before half time when better MK tackling would have seen them off..

H/T: Milton Keynes 10 - 5 Towcester

Second Half

The second half began as the first had ended. With the occasional high tackle flying around it was getting a bit tasty as well as shaping up into a good test of character and resolve. But unfortunately at this point the game had to be abandoned as Ffred Bollom was hospitalised after attempting to tackle a big Tow who refused to move.

Milton Keynes 5 - 5 Towcester

First Half

A second game followed after a long delay. The weather was getting colder and it seemed that Milton Keynes had lost focus. The Tows began with some flowing passing and a good try from a player who, as in the first game, should have been tackled. MK responded with plenty of pressure and possession. Breaks by Ashley Morris and Ben Lill were held up and overlaps were spurned when it would have been easier to pass. On one occasion a four man overlap was ignored. But the pressure told and MK were rewarded when a half break by Morris was finished off by Oliver Anderson.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 5 Towcester

Second Half

The second half was hard fought but neither side managed a score. This was a game Milton Keynes could and should have won, but perhaps the events of the first game were playing on minds. Minds must now turn to something a lot more interesting - the one hundredth try of the season in completed games. Bring on Leighton Buzzard !!!

Milton Keynes 25 - 0 Hitchin

First Half

After a four week layoff owing to poor weather and waterlogged pitches, Milton Keynes restarted their 2005 campaign with matches against Aylesbury and - a first time fixture - Hitchin. On a very cold sunny and muddy morning Ben Lill opened the scoring against Hitchin from a quick pass after a line-out. In the muddy conditions keeping the ball in hand seemed the best way to proceed, and MK worked hard to keep the ball above the mud, Lill increasing the lead and thereby scoring the side's one hundredth try in completed matches this season, after good passing from Ashley Morris and Matthew Baker.

H/T: Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Hitchin

Second Half

By this point some of the older Dads were being reminded of their time in the trenches on the Somme in 1915 as the cold and the mud began to eat deep into the soul and body. Hitchin, though, were made of stern stuff and they pushed forward at the restart and occupied MK territory for some time before Oliver Anderson went on a charge from deep in his own half, and from the ensuing ruck where Danny Dias cleared the space, Kieran Duffin made it 15 - 0. Though still game, Hitchin were being increasingly tackled off the park by a strong MK side who went further ahead when Baker touched down after a strong run by Ffred Bollom. Zachary Ezanagu completed a comprehensive victory with a fine break on the right at the death, and Hitchin were left to ponder how they had been filleted on a glue pot of a pitch.

Milton Keynes 15 - 15 Aylesbury

First Half

There were considerable personnel changes for the Aylesbury game and Milton Keynes went a try behind before Ben Lill equalised just before half time with a powerful run through the Aylesbury line.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 5 Aylesbury

Second Half

The weather was only getting colder and the field muddier as the second half saw Robert Friend leave the pitch injured after a strong touchline tackle. But Ezanagu seemed to be wearing magic boots as he glided across the Aylesbury line brushing aside several tackles to give MK the lead. Poor tackling allowed Aylesbury to restore parity before Lill scored his fourth try of the day after strong MK pressure had been rewarded with a five metre scrum and the forwards set up a good platform. Sadly poor tackling (they know who they are) allowed Aylesbury to equalise again, and the game ended all square - the third consecutive draw between the sides.

At this point wise council prevailed and it was decided to swap the Somme, via the showers, for the bar. Congratulations to everyone who was there and saw it through, and to the players who warmed up an otherwise miserable day. On to Tring in three weeks for another Festival and the possibility of another trophy.

Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Fullerians

Milton Keynes under 10s arrived at the Tring Festival on Sunday looking to add to the silverware won at Peterborough last October, and they very nearly succeeded. They played five games in the pool stages on a pitch which sloped by some twenty degrees from end to end.

This game started promptly at 10-00am, both sides looking at first like they would have benefited from an extra hour in bed. Both tried to throw the ball about and to be fair there was some good handling but all too often the ball went to ground, MK being the greater culprits in this respect. The game noticeably tightened up as time went on and just before the break Kieran Duffin charged over from short range. The second half was more of the same, MK conceding too many penalties at the rucks. In a game like this MK have key players who seem able to pick the play up by the scruff of its neck and one of these, Ben Lill, made a terrific run to score in the corner to put things out of Fullerians' reach.

Milton Keynes 5 - 5 Harpenden

Harpenden were in the ascendant from the off in this game, exerting considerable territorial pressure during the first half and they duly put points on the board mid way through the first half. It was difficult to see Milton Keynes getting anything out of this game. Harpenden's tackling was very effective and the ball was very slow in coming out of the ensuing mauls and rucks. MK were stepping over the ball but failing to pick it up cleanly to start the second phase. Then with very little time remaining another key player, Ashley Morris, made a brilliant interception just in the Harpenden half and ran through to equalise. So the game was drawn, but it was hard to avoid the impression that this was one that MK pinched from a better side.

Milton Keynes 15 - 0 Tring

Intentions in this fast and furious game were clear from the start when Zachary Ezanagu made a blistering run on the right, shredding the Tring defence, but he was stopped just short. Both sides displayed a very high work rate, with some good handling, but it was not until the second half when Matthew Baker scored a belter of a try down the right wing from a great pass by Ezanagu which left him clear that MK began to dominate proceedings. There was no better example of this dominance than the moment John Marchbanks, not the biggest of hookers, forced two substantial Tring forwards several metres backwards, albeit down the sloping pitch. The Marchbanks shove has never been employed to better effect. MK were increasingly winning the rucks and mauls now and it came as little surprise when Morris was able to spring out of a maul to increase the lead to ten points and then Duffin increased it again shortly afterwards. This was a much better performance and the boys were showing every sign of warming to their task.

Milton Keynes 0 - 0 Beaconsfield

This was by far the hardest pool match so far, immense pressure by the MK forwards (and any passing backs) being thwarted over and over again by a very tough Beaconsfield. In the first half MK encamped on the Bees line for what seemed an eternity, winning successive five metre scrums and charging over the line only for the referee to bring them back as he could not see if the ball had been grounded. Shades of England and Ireland here, though this referee had no technology to call on. But just like Mr Kaplan he gave the third five metre scrum to the Bees. Many spectators, including your correspondent, were outraged. Beaconsfield too exerted plenty of pressure at times, and tackling on both sides was excellent. Both sides have runners who, given any space, can shred defences, but it was not to happen in this game. The second half was very tight, ending with MK once again threatening the Bees line from five yards. An exhausting game no doubt to play in, but also to watch.

Milton Keynes 25 - 0 Cheshunt

Compared to the previous game this was a stroll in the park for Milton Keynes against one of the weaker sides in the tournament. Ezanagu opened the scoring straight from the start with a powerful run on the right, Lill touched down from a scrum against the head, and then again from an interception in his own half. The boys were certainly firing now and in the second half tries were added by Ashley Morris, though quite how much downward pressure he actually exerted was a moot point, and by Ffred Bollom, spinning out of a maul.

At this point MK had played five, won three and drawn two, scoring eleven tries and conceding one. They had every expectation of a place in the semi finals, but this was temporarily dashed by an administrative mistake by the Tring officials which for some reason placed Harpenden above them despite their loss to the actual pool winners Beaconsfield. Once this was sorted the semi final against Chinnor, winners of the other pool, saw Milton Keynes playing some of their best rugby all season.

Semi Final, Milton Keynes 15 - 0 Chinnor

In this game we saw the very best of MK, with Ben Lill scoring an excellent hat-trick of tries. Chinnor were runaway leaders of the other pool and this was expected to be a very close run thing, but Lill scored early on and for the rest of the game the commitment and sheer guts of the team were truly wonderful to watch. Kieran Duffin and Oliver Anderson's tackling and Matthew Baker's all round work rate ensured that Chinnor's threatened breakaways stalled, and that pressure was piled into breaking the Chinnor line for the mercurial Lill to cross twice more, just before half time and then again in the middle of the second. An exhausting match to watch and play in again, this was a remarkable performance for a side playing its sixth game of the day.

Final, Milton Keynes 5 - 15 Beaconsfield

And so to the final against the Bees, who were there by virtue of conceding fewer tries during the day than Tring A after a 10 - 10 Semi final draw. The Tournament rules said this should have been decided on the toss of a coin, but some Tring officials were not having a very good day. Beaconsfield went two tries up within the opening minutes as very poor tackling let in their runners. It was as if MK had already played their final and some players looked very tired. But in the second half, and true to form, the boys came back as Ezanagu cut the deficit, taking a long lineout throw and racing over. The Bees struck again but at the death it was all MK as a Duffin try was refused by the referee on the grounds that the ball had been held up. Shades of Mr Kaplan again I'm afraid. It really was a try this time. Your correspondent was in a better position than the referee, but the whistle, on this occasion, was mightier than the pen.

Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Tring

First Half

Milton Keynes u10s began their preparations for 3 Festivals in as many weeks with a clean sweep against Tring, Watford and Olney at a sunny and breezy Field Lane on Sunday.

They began the day with a game against Tring who they had narrowly defeated at last April's Nottingham Festival. The game began in an eerily similar vein to that one with Tring throwing the ball around but unable to make progress against some of the heaviest tacklers seen at this age level. MK began to steady themselves and tighten the game in the Tring half with some solid mauling. At the rucks MK seemed quite able to push the opposition away but unable themselves to gather the ball and begin another phase. Until, that was, John Marchbanks gathered and passed fast to Ashley Morris who dived over to give MK the lead. Morris was having a fine game, his tackling back to its best, but perhaps he was caught offside too often by the referee.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Tring

Second Half

The second half developed into a midfield stalemate with neither side able to move much out of their own half. Both sides tackled solidly but no-one was really able to convert ruck or maul into second phase quickly enough to make the break. The ball went from touch to touch across the centre of the field, and in the end MK emerged tired but deserved winners against a powerful Tring team. A good, solid start to the morning.

Milton Keynes 15 - 5 Watford

First Half

Only Robert Friend and Matthew Baker remained in the starting MK line up for the next game against Watford, the squad being big enough now to support nearly two sides. Friend was injured early on and replaced at full back by Ffred Bollom who unaccountably found himself in a rolling maul propelled forwards in particular by Danny Dias and Will Holliday - so much so that he touched down to give MK an early lead.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Watford

Second Half

The second half was marked by Elliot Ryan's first try for the club, the little scrum half breaking from the scrum and galloping a full thirty metres through a confused Watford defence. MK were now exerting a lot of pressure on Watford who could not gather any momentum and Kieran Duffin put the game out of their reach with a fine solo break from the half-way line. Watford scored a consolation try at the death, buy MK's strength in depth is becoming a particular feature of the team these days.

Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Olney

First Half

The final game was against Olney, a team MK had not played for two years since the gentler days of non-contact rugby. This game, like that against Tring, was becoming becalmed in mid-field, but more because of the refereeing than the players as the flow of the game was disrupted by a series of lectures on the laws of the game at breakdowns. Neither side was able to develop or sustain second or third phase ball until Bollom, who seems to have rediscovered his scoring boots, broke the line to touch down.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Olney

Second Half

Oliver Anderson continued to make huge ball carries as the second half developed but again the second phase was problematic. Olney were not threatening the MK line at all, but it took a fine in-tackle pass from Ben Lill to Bollom who ducked and weaved his way through the Olney backs to make the game safe.

A good, solid morning's work then, and sound preparation for the Spring Festivals to come at Northampton, Aylesbury and Southport. Some players score, but the strength in depth of the squad is the big positive for the coming weeks.

Milton Keynes 20 - 0 Cheshunt B

First Half

Milton Keynes u10s reached their third tournament final in a row this season on Sunday. Having won at Peterborough and narrowly lost out to Beaconsfield at Tring, this time they went under to the only try of the final at the Northampton Old Scouts Festival.

The first pool match against Cheshunt B was fairly even in the first half with both sides giving good accounts of themselves. MK's first score came from Ashley Morris with an excellent interception take at a Cheshunt line-out.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Cheshunt B

Second Half

In the second half MK began to impose themselves and exert more pressure where it counted. Zachary Ezenagu increased the lead with a great run down the left, and from here on MK encamped in the Cheshunt half and went on to make themselves clear winners with tries again from Morris with a great tackle and pick up near the line, and Ffred Bollom from a quick ball at the ruck from Kieran Duffin.

Milton Keynes 5 - 10 Nuneaton

First Half

There then followed the first of two titanic struggles with a Nuneaton side that dwarfed MK both in terms of size and the numbers of substitutes available as the titans clashed. And clash they did. The Nuns applied all the pressure at the outset, laying siege to the MK line and scoring with a pushover after much staunch defence. MK responded by pushing into the Nuns. half, giving as good as they were getting in the scrums, and clearly upsetting a side whose coach said they had not lost since February 2004. Maul after maul, scrum after scrum until Ben Lill made the break, passing to Duffin who stretched out over the line to equalise.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 5 Nuneaton

Second Half

The second half saw more of the same, two powerful scrums giving nothing away and both sets of backs unable to find space out wide. The tackling by both sides was ensuring a very tight finish to a game that could so easily have gone either way, but the Nuns were to win at the death when their scrum half (an excellent player) blatantly pulled the ball out of a scrum to set up a fast pass for the winning try. Nonetheless a gripping contest, and an MK performance with many positives.

Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Northampton Old Scouts

First Half

The final pool game against the hosts, Old Scouts, was a bit of an anti-climax with neither side at first able to make much impression on solid defences. Although Scouts were beginning to establish some superiority this was short lived as Kieran Duffin punched through to give MK the lead.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Northampton Old Scouts

Second Half

More Scouts pressure in the second half was relieved by a great run from Ben Lill who was stopped short of the line. He had to go off with a knee injury as a result but some hard work by the defence, where Aaron Dennis put in some powerful tackles, saw MK just about hang on to their lead.

Milton Keynes 15 - 10 Cheshunt A

First Half

MK qualified as runners up in their pool to meet Cheshunt A, who won their pool with three victories and a nine try to nill scoresheet, in the semi-final. This was a more open game than we had been getting used to, Ffred Bollom showing great strength to give MK the lead, remarkably diving out and upwards from a temporarily stationary maul. Poor handling allowed Cheshunt to equalise, but more pressure was coming and after some powerful mauling by the forwards Ashley Morris flew out to touch down for a half time lead.

H/T: Milton Keynes 10 - 5 Cheshunt A

Second Half

Cheshunt piled on the pressure in the second half and only a try saving tackle from Oliver Anderson in the corner maintained the lead. MK were starting to lose control of the ball in the tackle and this again allowed Cheshunt a soft equaliser. It was hard to know where the game was going until a magnificent lung-breaking solo diagonal run to the corner by Duffin restored the lead to give MK a place in the final against - you've guessed it - Nuneaton.

Milton Keynes 0 - 5 Nuneaton

First Half

Would this be a game too far? Duffin was injured after his remarkable try in the previous game, and there were a number of crocked players for this one. Faint hearts feared the worst against this tough opposition. What followed was a very tight fought contest with MK always on the back foot. Nuneaton scored early on from a rolling maul, and much of the game was a series of mauls with both sides contesting very strongly. No-one was able to break out and find some width, but the contest was as fierce as that in the first game.

H/T: Milton Keynes 0 - 5 Nuneaton

Second Half

The second half was again very much more of the same. Neither side could achieve dominance enough to cross the line. Towards the end MK made progress in the Nuns. half but no try would come. The whole encounter may be likened to that between the unstoppable force and the immovable object. It really was a heroic effort by the boys. No further scoring confirmed Nuneaton as winners, but your correspondent's Man of the Match was Ashley Morris for two halves of immense, inspirational tackling.

So - disappointment yes, but considerable gains. This team does not buckle when faced with very big opposition. Congratulations to all those mentioned earlier, but also to Billy Cook, Will Holiday, Danny Dias, Robert Friend and Elliot Ryan who played big parts in the day.

Two more big weekends to come. Two key players in Matthew Baker and John Marchbanks to return. To misquote the american philosopher Buzz Lightyear, "To Aylesbury and beyond".

Milton Keynes 10 - 5 Beaconsfield

First Half

Another tournament and another runners up medal for Milton Keynes rugby under 10s at the Aylesbury Festival on Sunday.

On a sunny and breezy morning they played their first round-robin match against Beaconsfield who they had narrowly lost to in the Tring Festival Final in March. They went off at a terrific lick, pushing the Bees back a full 25 metres with Oliver Anderson and Danny Dias leading the shove. When the maul finally stopped out popped Ashley Morris to touch down and give them the lead. Within minutes Beaconsfield were penalised for "pulling a player down by the strap of his helmet". The maul that followed the penalty crossed the Bees line, the ball was dropped, and again Ashley Morris touched down to give MK a solid half-time lead.

Rumours began to circulate about Beconsfield lodging a protest against the second try. More later.

H/T: Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Beaconsfield

Second Half

Strong Bees. pressure at the start of the second half resulted in a try on the left but MK held on well to win the match, taking away a long standing unbeaten record from the Bees, variously estimated at between 15 months and longer. An excellent start to the day.

The rumours had foundation and incredibly tournament officials asked Stuart to declare the game a draw because the referee had made the wrong decision. What nonsense. MK would not budge and Beaconsfield had to accept the referees decision just like any other team would have in the first place.

Milton Keynes 0 - 20 Dunstablians

First Half

MK set off at an equally powerful pace in their next match against Dunstable, a great break by Morris being rewarded with a penalty deep in the Duns half, but the wrong option was taken and Zac Ezenagu was stopped short of the line. From the resulting turnover (of which there were far too many) Dunstable progressed into the MK half and rarely left it from then onwards. More pressure led to their first try, and MK did well to hold them to that score at half time.

H/T: Milton Keynes 0 - 5 Dunstablians

Second Half

Dunstable were getting lots of second and third phase ball and MK were missing tackles and losing ruck ball even though they were pushing the Duns back. Commitment could not be faulted but injuries to five players did not help as the Duns scored three more tries to prove the old adage that a good big .un will always beat a good little .un. Dunstable were even at this stage easily identifiable as the team of the Tournament. They were big, strong, fast and with good hands. MK were overawed.

Milton Keynes 15 - 0 Drifters

First Half

It was vital for MK to pick themselves up quickly for the next game against Drifters. Matt Baker saw to this, picking up quickly when Ben Lill was stopped just short, and touching down neatly. When Ffred Bollom shortly afterwards joined a maul ten yards short of Drifters line and pulled out of it, ball in hand, to increase the score it looked like the recovery was well on the way.

H/T: Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Drifters

Second Half

The game was evenly poised in the second half until Lill made it safe with a push up the right flank to score the third. MK had made the hard yards again and recovered some poise and assurance for the later stages of the tournament.

Milton Keynes 0 - 0 Aylesbury (Abandoned as draw)

The penultimate game with Aylesbury was abandoned as a draw after a dangerous high tackle on Lill left him poleaxed. This was a game Aylesbury would have won on points had it been a boxing match, but for all their pressure MK would not let them pass. Minutes before Lill.s injury MK had finally pressed towards the Aylesbury line and were looking threatening, but when the end came the stalemate was just another in a long line of MK - Aylesbury draws at this age group.

Milton Keynes 10 - 5 Stockwood Park

First Half

With Dunstable racking up the points against all-comers in their games MK needed a win or a draw in their final game against Stockwood Park to gain second place on the day. The MK Coaches unaccountably decided to play the backs as forwards and vice versa in an attempt to disrupt the meticulous planning of Stockwood. Fortunately Robert Friend was not phased by this cunning plan. His first try came from a quick break, and his second was pure magic, picking up as scrum half from the base and powering diagonally across the field to score in the corner.

H/T: Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Stockwood Park

Second Half

Enthusiastic reminders shouted from the touchline by baffled parents shocked a number of MK players into taking their unaccustomed positions in strange parts of the field. Stockwood Park pulled one back but by the end MK had secured second place in the Tournament.

This was a considerable improvement on last year where we almost ran out of players and energy.

It has been a long season. Full credit to the players for recovering from the bruising against Dunstable and surviving the Coaches. sense of humour. The tour to Southport to come, followed by balmy evenings at the cricket. Bliss !!

Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Kidderminster

First Half

Milton Keynes under 10s rugby coach Stuart Morris announced he was stepping down after five years as his side clinched the coveted runners up trophy at Gullivers Rugby premier tournament at Southport on Mayday weekend. Milton Keynes won six of their seven games in the Southport round robin but they were pipped by Sandbach Panthers by one point overall.

MK began against Kidderminster on a drizzly morning and immediately got a flavour of the proceedings as they were kept waiting on the pitch for nearly 15 minutes before the opposition emerged from their tent. At first these mind games seemed to have worked for the Kids who gained lots of possession from the scrums, but gradually incisive runs by Ben Lill and Zac Ezenagu shifted the focus to the Kids half, only for Lill to drop the ball on the Kids line

H/T: Milton Keynes 0 - 0 Kidderminster

Second Half

With the forwards gaining more possession in the second half and more incisive moves by the backs, MK were threatening the Kids line more and more and the stalemate was broken when Oliver Anderson stole the ball at a Kids lineout to pass to Ashley Morris who dived over. The victory was secured after a break from Lill and a pass to Ffred Bollom who popped it up for Morris to score his second - a lovely move which augured well for the future.

Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Moortown

First Half

The next game against Leeds Moortown saw early MK pressure, powerful scrummaging but slow ball to the backs. Neither side were creating much until a great break by Lill saw the ball move down the line to Morris, Matthew Baker and then Aaron Dennis who made a giant stretch to touch down in the corner. When this side decides to pass it can result in some terrific rugby.

H/T: Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Moortown

Second Half

The second half promised more of the same but Moortown began to turn the screw and only some fearsome tackling kept them out. At the end Lill touched down over his own line and the resulting scrum and maul lasted an eternity before the referee decided it was going nowhere. In the end Moortown could consider themselves unlucky not to have come away with a draw, but the MK rollercoaster was still on the road.

Milton Keynes 20 - 0 Sandbach Bees

First Half

The final game of the first day, against Sandbach Bees, saw Robert Friend at scrum half and the ball was emerging much more quickly from the set pieces. The MK scrum, with Oliver Anderson in the van, established complete control and it was no surprise when Friend darted over from a scrum near the Bees line for MK to take the lead. Another quick feed from Friend set Ffred Bollom galloping three quarters of the length of the field down the right to make it 10 - 0. In this game Anderson was everywhere and he sealed the first half with a powerful burst down the right to increase the comfortable lead.

H/T: Milton Keynes 15 - 0 Sandbach Bees

Second Half

Personnel changes in the second half meant that MK had some trouble adjusting to the new conditions, and the Bees tried hard to capitalise on this. The scrum was less focussed but just as it seemed Sandbach might snatch a consolation try, some fine passing by the MK backs saw Matt Baker seal the victory in the corner.

Milton Keynes 5 - 0 Chelmsford

First Half

On the second day of the tournament it seemed at first that MK had overslept in their luxurious Pontins chalets as Chelmsford, by far the biggest side in the tournament, applied early pressure. Their big boys in the scrum secured almost complete possession, and it was hard to see where MK ball was to come from. On a rare occasion when it was secured Bollom was pulled down just short of the line, but at the end of the first half MK were happy to come away even.

H/T: Milton Keynes 0 - 0 Chelmsford

Second Half

Still little ball was coming MK's way. Solid tackling meant that Chelmsford were not penetrating the MK line, and their frustration became very clear when one very large and very ugly prop handbagged the terrier-like John Marchbanks with three punches, receiving some strong verbals from the referee for his efforts. Victory was only achieved after an astonishing run by Ashley Morris, consisting of at least ten sidesteps and dummies past the large but somewhat immobile Chelmsford players, and a great pass to Dennis saw the winger sneak in at the corner.

Milton Keynes 15 - 5 Hinckley

First Half

The second game of the second morning was against a much fancied Hinckley outfit, but Anderson calmed any potential MK jitters with a great steal and touchdown from a Hinckley lineout, and Morris saw them off completely, ducking and weaving from a scrum to score under, what would have been had there been any, the posts.

H/T: Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Hinckley

Second Half

Hinckley applied some pressure in the second half but typically strong blocking and tackling by Elliot Ryan, Danny Dias and Kieran Duffin kept them out. The MK backs were always threatening but the game came to a stop for a high tackle on Lill. When MK won a scrum near the Hinckley line a powerful shove and a quick pass from Friend allowed Morris to increase the lead, only for Hinckley to gain a consolation try at the death.

Milton Keynes 0 - 20 Sandbach Panthers

And so to the crunch match against Sandbach Panthers who had won all their games convincingly, apart from a rumbustuous draw against Leeds Moortown. What went wrong in this game? Sandbach applied pressure from the off. All their players were comfortable with the ball in hand, committing tacklers and offloading quickly to create space. Their first try came from concerted pressure on the MK line, but their second and third were the result of badly missed tackles. The key to their success was their handling and ability to draw tacklers and create gaps. MK lost their own possession in tackles far too much. Sandbach scored again and only a crunching tackle by Bollom prevented a fifth try. In the end MK were well beaten by a very good side who went on to win the tournament.

Milton Keynes 10 - 0 Southport

First Half

To be certain of second place overall MK needed at least a draw in their final match against their hosts Southport. The Sandbach game seemed to have knocked some of the stuffing out of them. In a scrappy first half the ball was dropped much more than usual and a number of opportunities were missed. Southport had not had a good tournament but MK were not able to make their possession count.

H/T: Milton Keynes 0 - 0 Southport

Second Half

In the second half MK seemed to regroup, the scrums and mauls getting much sounder and the ball being held. With Robert Friend returning to scrum half the ball was again quickly available, and Friend reprised his try against the Bees, darting over from the base of a scrum. He duly added his second, picking up smartly after a charge from Ffred Bollom. The game ended with Southport attacking the MK line but solid defence by Daniel Hunter and Will Holiday kept them at bay.

So another runners up cup to add to those won at Tring, Old Scouts and Aylesbury, and the winners cup at Peterborough in their most successful season ever. Terrific performances by as talented and committed a group of players that has ever represented the club. Huge thanks go to Stuart Morris who has guided these players for five years, and it is great to know that he will still be around on occasions next season. With Tine Marchbanks, the coaching burden now falls on our new Southern Hemisphere recruit Jeff Lill, ably assisted by ex-Olney's Bob Dennis. They have much to live up to but we can be sure that they will take whatever the game of rugby throws at them, just like Stuart - on the chin!