Stafford Rugby Club’s Colts win County Cup

Saturday 23rd April saw Stafford Colts and Wolverhampton Colts contest the 2016 Staffordshire County Colts Final. The game was hosted by Burntwood Rugby Club, the sun shone and Stafford took a large amount of travelling supporters who thoroughly enjoyed the day. Stafford last lifted the trophy back in 1999.
Colts rugby, which is the Under 19’s Age Group, is vital to the development of all Rugby Clubs and Stafford is no different as it is the Bridge between the Juniors Sections and the senior teams. A conveyor belt of talent.
The First half was an attritional affair with Wolverhampton having the best of territory and possession as their more experienced players pinned Stafford back in their own half, The first try was on 22 minutes as Wolverhampton went over, The conversion was missed, Stafford occasionally showed the greater ambition trying to run get their running game going. On one such visit to the opposition half Wolves gave a penalty away for not releasing and Josh Arnold coolly kicked the resulting Penalty Kick, Stafford managed to restrict Wolves to a solitary penalty before the half ended with another Josh Arnold Penalty. The score was 10- 6 to Wolves but did not reflect their dominance
With the words of the coaching team in their ears Stafford started the 2nd half much more brightly but it was Wolves who extended their lead on 48 minutes with a penalty. With Stafford utilising the full strength of their replacements bench the game was now played in the Wolverhampton half, Twice Stafford went over the try line but the referee adjudged the ball had been held up, The continuous pressure however eventually told with the ball being passed through the backs to Winger Brett Corcoran who went over in the corner, The conversion was missed so the score was 13-11 to Wolves. Stafford kept the pressure up and Prop forward Ben Chatfield powered over for a try which Cal Jones converted. Score 18-13 to Stafford with 10 minutes left,
The remaining part of the game will live long in the memory as Wolves through everything at Stafford to regain the lead. The game was now played in the Stafford 22, The County Town club defended their line with huge resolve but 3 times got on the wrong side of the referee who issued 3 yellow cards, With 90 seconds left on the clock Wolverhampton’s numerical advantage took its toll and they scored the try to level the score and the successful conversion giving them a 20-18 lead. Everyone in the ground believed that was the game won,
There was however one final incredible twist, Crucially the Stafford players did not believe the game was lost and dug deep, Back up to 14 players from the kick off Stafford were awarded a scrum, Kiwi Centre Chris Hinchliffe took the crash ball and punched a large whole in the defence resulting a few moves later with Scrum Half Dean Ainger diving over for the winning try with the last move of the game, Cal Jones converted to make the final score 25-20 to Stafford, Cue wild scenes of celebrations, presentations of medals and Stafford Skipper Dan Morrison receiving the cup from the County President. What a game.
Squad, Sam Chatfield, Will Turner, Ben Chatfield, Josh Nicholls, Billy Adamson, Matt Skelton, Cal Jones, Dan Morrison, Dean Ainger, Elliot Hunter,Ollie Greensill, Ollie Leigh, Josh Arnold, Brett Corcoran, Mitch Averis, Dan Watts, Gregor Lennon, Cal Dicesare, Sam Wilkes, Fred Clarke, James Finlayson, Chris Hinchliffe, Travelling Reserve Jordan Talbot