The East Grinstead Rugby development structure is centred around providing quality coaching and playing opportunity for young talent. This weekend, the average age of the starting back line was under 20 years old, with half the starting pack also under the age of 20. This highlights the incredible amounts of young talent at the club and the continuing promise for the future.

The scoring got underway early in the second minute with a try from one of our more mature backs (at age 22..), Leo Cammish, playing on the wing, using his quick feet to breakaway from the Barns Green defence.

Unfortunately for the spectators and frustratingly for the players there wasn't another try for 66 minutes. Conditions made it tough with the rain pelting it down, which played into Barns Green's style of rugby with their strong powerful forwards, especially their number 8 and starting loose head. G's defence held out for the entire game, only allowing Barns Green to walk away with 3 points after the G's defence gave away a penalty in front of the posts after coming off their feet in the breakdown.

Despite G's having a large amount of the ball and being dominant in the scrums for most of the game, they were unable to capitalise on their possession with Barns Green's quick line speed suffocating G's attack.

Later in the game, the G's fitness showed and were able to wear down the Barns Green defence. After many phases of strong ball carrying in the bottom corner, Alex Maynard took the ball from 9 and punched through the Barns Green defence to touch down.

The try signalled a momentum shift in the game, G's picked up their energy and looked hungry for more. 5 minutes later Max Crawley-Moore spotted an opportunity to blitz up from the defensive line for an interception down by his laces with a ball like a bar of soap (I think even he was surprised he pulled it off), to then run over half the length of the pitch to score between the posts, to set up Ollie Adams for the final 2 points of the game.

Although the surge came too late for G's to come away with a bonus point, Ben Saunders, G's man of the match, and other players especially James Funnel, played crucial roles during the entire match, carrying hard and wearing down the Barns Green defence and snuffing out Barns Green advances when they had the ball.

Full Time: 19 - 3