FIFTY junior rugby players from Holland descended on St Neots Rugby Club for a weekend festival of rugby. The Dukes Rugby Club, from Hertogenbosch, in south Holland, brought players aged seven-17 for the tour to play against St Neots colts sides. The mat

FIFTY junior rugby players from Holland descended on St Neots Rugby Club for a weekend festival of rugby.

The Dukes Rugby Club, from Hertogenbosch, in south Holland, brought players aged seven-17 for the tour to play against St Neots' colts sides.

The matches were played in freezing conditions on the common on Easter Sunday.

A mixed colts game of U15 and U16 players resulted in a 32-5 victory for the St Neots squad, with a total of six tries for the home side but only one from the visitors.

Grant Hobbs, and team captain, Andy Heathcote opened the scoring with the first two tries and Scott Mobbs, from the U15s, opened up the Dutch line and slid through their defensive line to score the only converted try of the game.

Charlie Usher scored in the second period after some really impressive defending from the Dutch side. Hobbs and Heathcote added another try apiece before the Dutch side scored one of their own just before the whistle blew for the end of the game.

The U11/12 team proved quite a handful for the Dutch visitors. St Neots' powerful scrum and lightening fast backs created all the play with three first half tries for Ben Clare, Alex Purdon and Amber King, all converted by Adam Williams.

The second half was a more balanced affair after Saints had made some changes. Both sides competed well in the tricky conditions and it was Dukes that got the only try of the half to leave the final score 21-5 in favour of St Neots.

In the second game, St Neots took a more familiar shape and soon had four tries on the board from Cameron Brown, Amber King and a brace for Callum Austen. However, the cold was taking its toll and the teams retired at 26-0 for hot soup and some warm clothes in the clubhouse.

The visit ended with a barbecue on Sunday evening for the whole St Neots Rugby Club, hosted by the Dutch squad. The St Neots Colts will tour against The Dukes in May.

St Neots Colts offers its thanks to Dukes for some great rugby and special thanks go out to all the families and helpers at St Neots Mini and Junior Rugby Club for their hard work and hospitality making the guests welcome.

St Neots Colts 22 Ampthill Colts 42

DESPITE the final result, this game was a monumental battle between these two young rugby teams on a snow-bound surface.

In the bitter cold and with hail, rain and a formidable driving wind they battled for 70 minutes with neither side giving way to the other for a single moment.

Tries came thick and fast throughout the game with the home side taking the initial lead with a between the posts opener from Kieran O'Connell and a second from loose-head prop Jonny Berwick on the very next play.

Amptill closed the gap with two unconverted tries of their own, bringing the score to 10-all at half time.

Despite freezing conditions, play continued at a frenzied pace with Amptill scoring twice early on, this was answered with a second converted try from Saints' Kieran O'Connell and another shortly afterwards from captain Heathcote.

The home side retained possession of the game for most of the second half, only allowing Amptill back into the game in the last 10 minutes.

This was enough for the visitors to take full advantage, managing to win the game despite good defending from the home side.