YOUNG rugby players from Hereford, Ledbury and Luctonians played their part as the Worcestershire & Herefordshire under-18 Colts retained the Houghton-Harries trophy. 

The two counties side travelled to Shropshire and came out 23-21 winners in front of a large crowd at Shrewsbury’s Sundorne Castle home. 

It was W&H who started strongly and dominated both territory and possession in the first half hour and took the lead when Luctonians’ scrum-half Rhys Lewis played a qick ball to the left, leaving Hereford’s Max Cook with a simple stroll-in at the corner. 

The visitors increased their lead when a W&H line-out produced a strong passage of forward play and Ledbury hooker Cody Richardson-Wall grounded the ball for a 10-0 lead before an Iolo Bubb penalty added three more points for the visitors. 

With half-time approaching Shropshire at last forced their way into the W&H half and a series of pick and drives resulted in a Shropshire score as fly-half Tom Daly scored under the posts with full-back Luca Justice adding the extras making the score 7-13.

Back came the two counties and Luctonians’ Lewis fed through the backs for full-back James Gibbons to score in the corner, the missed conversion resulted in a half-time score of 7-18. 

With the half-time team talk ringing in their ears Shropshire were dominant at the start of the second half pinning the two counties back in their own 22 and it was no surprise when George Orchard, one of ten Shrewsbury players in the squad, touched down on the left with Justice adding the extras to pull the home side within four points at 14-18. 

The rest of the half was real end to end stuff with Shropshire seemingly the more dominant side foundering on the superb W&H defence. 

However, on 65 minutes a Shropshire defensive scrum on the 22 was turned over with the ball quickly through the hands for Luctonians’ winger Ewan Lewis to score in the left corner, conversion missed making the score 14-23. 

Back came Shropshire and following a series of penalties in the red zone Luctonians’ hooker Ethan Allen, representing Shropshire, took a quick tap from five metres out and crashed over to the left of the posts.  

The resultant conversion was unusual as the ball toppled off the tee as Shrewsbury replacement fly-half Bosh McKenzie began his run up so with the defence charging up Bosh quickly picked up the loose ball & slotted a perfect drop goal making the score 21-23 and with five minutes left the visitors hung on.