A brilliant morning of rugby at the Common produced a thrilling contest between St Neots and Rushden, with both sides refusing to give an inch in a match that had the spectators on the edge of their seats from first whistle to last.

After last week's difficult conditions, the boys clearly enjoyed the spring sunshine and firmer ground.Every time one side edged ahead, the other found the character to hit back, a pattern that continued right through to the final whistle and a fully deserved 7–7 scoreline.

The second half saw Ed and Max O effectively sharing fly-half duties, rotating the first-receiver role to keep Rushden's defence guessing. Both players were excellent in directing traffic and keeping the team on the front foot, and their work throughout the match created the space for clinical individual finishes from Kian, Mason, and Tom, all three showing real quality with ball in hand.

The platform for those attacking moments was built the work away from the ball. Max J was a tireless presence throughout, constantly hitting rucks and providing crucial support lines whenever a teammate broke the gain line.

Rhys, acted as the defensive "glue" for the team covering enormous amounts of ground and shutting down opposition breaks to earn the day's Top Tackler award. His selfless work gave the team's flair players the freedom to express themselves, exactly the kind of contribution that doesn't always make the highlights reel but makes everything else possible.

In recognition of their exceptional impact on the shape and result of the game, Man of the Match was shared between Max J and Rhys.

It was also a pleasure to welcome former coach Gareth back, this time with referee's whistle in hand, to oversee such a competitive and well-spirited contest.

Well done to all the boys.