So proud of Lymm

LYMM Rugby Club were crowned the best in the country at under 17s level with an impressive hard-fought win against Exeter Chiefs at Worcester’s Sixways Stadium on Sunday.

Winning the National Under 17s Cup Final, putting the Cheshire club clearly on the rugby map, will send ripples throughout colts rugby across the UK.

Team manager Noel Wright, who has been with the team since they started out as under sevens, paid tribute to the historic success and the players.

“The team has been on an unbelievable journey this year,” he said.

“The lads deserved their magnificent victory as a reward for all their hard work and commitment throughout the year.

“Worcester’s Premiership ground, Sixways, was a great stage to showcase our attacking flair and solid defence.

“You need great individuals, which we have, to score points but it’s our great teamwork that won us the match.

“I am so proud that Lymm Rugby Club are the first Northern side ever to have won the National Under 17s Cup.”

Despite several of the team having had experience of success in the schools’ cup final at Twickenham in 2007, Lymm started out as underdogs against a Chiefs team who had set their goal goal on winning this title at the start of the season.

In a tense match, Lymm took the lead after nine minutes when patient build-up play found the impressive Mullarkey in midfield.

A well-timed pass released Floyd, who created space for Andy Burton to score in the corner. Emmit uncharacteristically missed the conversion.

Less than 90 seconds later Exeter scrum half Banks went over after bursting through missed tackles. Shaw converted and the Chiefs led 7-5.

Lymm’s dominant front five then paved the way for James McGregor to score after an impressive five-metre drive. Emmit’s conversion miss left Lymm 10-7 ahead.

On 30 minutes, Lymm were penalised for not rolling away and Shaw slotted the penalty, 10-10.

Emmit finally got on the score sheet with a match-winning penalty kick in the 51st minute, although Lymm did not know how crucial that kick was going to be at the time.

Then it got scary.

McGregor was sin binned for a poorly judged piece of retaliation. Lucky to only receive a yellow, the question was whether the team from Cheshire could survive with only 14.

The answer was they could.

The second half was almost all played out in the Exeter half as the Devonians could not break through the defensive shield in the Lymm midfield. Floyd and the back row were simply outstanding in their controlled defence.

With McGregor back on, Emmit was then binned for a technical offence.

Exeter, becoming more and more desperate, tried 45m penalty kicks and 50m drop goals but Lymm held on.