We headed into this local derby against the Stags knowing it would be a tough ask, they won 6-1 on the Common back in November and we were asking several of the boys to step into unfamiliar positions.

We started the game on the front foot and were rewarded with the opening try, which set the tone perfectly. From there it was a real battle, with both sides refusing to give an inch. What stood out for us as coaches was the attitude around the contact area, the boys were aggressive, direct and committed throughout. Defensively, they put together some outstanding phases of play and made sure the Stags had to earn everything they got.

The end result was a 7–7 draw and, given the context, it felt like a win. Special mention has to go to debutant Theo, who marked his first appearance with two tries and was the fastest player on the pitch all afternoon with a thoroughly deserved Man of the Match. The scrum were collectively dominant, Clem was immense too, earning the Stags' vote for player of the match. Mason controlled the game brilliantly and as ever scored several times as. Miles ran hard. Rhys showed great character playing out of position at scrum-half without it affecting his tackle count one bit and scoring his second try on the final whistle with a direct, aggressive run to draw the scores level.

Captain for the day Finn summed it up perfectly, thanking every one of his teammates for their effort and recognising it as the collective performance it truly was. Well done, Saints.