Sunday, April 22nd deserves a special place in the memories of U10A players, coaches and parents. The Saracens Minis festival was the day our young lads came of age and played like lions.

The day dawned bright with blue skies broken only by occasional scudding clouds. The tents were pitched around the Saracens ground and club banners flew from every mast. Appropriately enough, it looked like the battlefields set for the siege of Constantinople.

But even as the dark clouds which brought rain later in the afternoon, even as they gathered on the horizon that bright morning, nothing prepared the players or even the coaches for the drama that would unfold in the final game.

Our U10As have something of a reputation for taking their time to get going at such festivals, an echo perhaps of the super-model who famously said "I don't get out of bed for less than £10, 000". The first challengers, Ruislip A, were in no mood to indulge such a sleepy attitude and, despite a spirited display in the second half, our lads went down to a team that went on to win the day.

What a wake-up call that proved to be! Harrow felt the full force of the finally-awakened Wasps passions and paid a heavy price as our boys put 6 tries over their line and conceded only one. The hosts Saracens were up next and the contest was more evenly matched. The game was hard-fought and physical requiring a call-up for Euan, one of the U10 Bs. He confounded the opposition with a couple of lightning fast and very "jinky" runs and scored a well-deserved and much-needed try. Even so, and as long before at Constantinople, the Saracens prevailed with a 4-3 win.

But then came the final match of the day against Sandal,(Yorkshire). We had watched their earlier games with a mounting sense of apprehension. Only the weekend before they had won their local Driffield Festival - unbeaten in 5 matches ... and we could see why! They played a very physical, well-drilled game.

Our brave lads rose to the occasion magnificently. They gave as good as they got, and then some! Far from being intimidated our front row turned-1over ball time after time; our backs out-passed, out-ran and out-jinked some of the best opposition they had ever played against. Our try, when it came was tribute to a monumental team effort and, at times, sheer bloody-mindedness ... it seemed some of Sandal's true northern grit had rubbed off on them.

Sandal's fight back was ferocious and there followed one of the most intense periods of defending, close to our own line, that any of the coaches had seen before - or ever wishes to see again!! Hard crunching tackles, re-grouping at the back of the ruck, a couple of blood injuries and then the most magical, wonderful sound of all - the final whistle!!

Our gallant few had beaten the Driffield champions! They jumped in the air (and so did the coaches), they whooped with joy (and so did the coaches), they applauded and thanked their opposition (and so did the coaches) who graciously acknowdged one of the toughest games they had played all season (and so did the coaches).

So well done Angus, Ben, Euan, Gabriel, George, Jago, Jasper, Tom, Oscar and William. You deserve to be proud of what you achieved today. Finlay and Zac, you were greatly missed. But all of you have shown through this whole season how committed you can be, how good you can be and what a great tribute you are to the Wasps Minis