The Under 12s took a large squad on tour to face an even larger squad at Caldy so two matches ensued. In the first match Newport got off to an excellent start, dominating the first 10 minutes and catching the much larger Caldy pack by surprise. The tourists had opportunities to open the scoring but a well organised Caldy defence ensured they crossed the line only once with Daniel Cattle "held up". Caldy then came back strongly using their size advantage well, especially in the lineouts, and some excellent off-loading in the tackle finally broke Newport's determined defensive line to open the scoring.

 

A poor lineout and lapses in concentration saw Newport gift Caldy their second try. The second half was equally competitive with superb defensive work by Newport limiting the home side to just one further try. Caldy deserved the victory but the 21-0 scoreline didn't reflect the competitiveness of the match.

The second match brought some of the less experienced players to the fore. A more open affair, with more tries scored by both sides, both teams played good rugby and the defensive efforts of some of Newport's relative newcomers were a delight to watch. Hedley Baulf was in rampant mood in attack but Caldy used their kicking game to exploit Newport's defensive frailties and ran out victors once again.

Newport U12 vs Wirral

The Under 12s arrived at Wirral to meet a small home squad but with some large players ! So the pre-match message from the coaches was consistent with the rest of the season "spread it wide - don't maul - go to ground". Disappointingly this message didn't get through in the first period with player after player taking the ball into contact upright - Wirral's pack repeatedly wrapped them up, halted the drive and secured the put-in at the subsequent scrums.

 

Newport's inability to play to their own game plan meant lots of hard work in defence as Wirral exploited mauling superiority. It was only when Newport played with pace and moved the home side's pack around that the gaps started to appear. A very competitive first match ended one try each.

The second match was also well contested with the visitors' less experienced players matched against a Wirral team tired from their efforts in the first match. Newport can take heart from some excellent defensive effort against much bigger opponents and for spreading the ball wide to exploit the space. However Wirral were able to exploit the visitors' inexperience in defence to secure the match.

An excellent tour with Newport competing well against physically bigger opposition bodes well for next season on full size pitches. The weekend was rounded off with presentations:

Player of the Year - Oliver North
Supporters' Player - Alex Mayer
Player's Player - Ross McGinn
Team Player - Harry Redwood
Most Improved - Oliver Scott
Hedley Baulf was subsequently awarded Best Performance on Tour for his attacking against Caldy and all round play against Wirral.