While the final score of 16-2 may not reflect their valiant effort, the young Bishops displayed tremendous courage, determination, and a never-say-die attitude that resonated throughout the game!

From the get-go, Blaydon asserted their dominance, utilising their strength and size to repeatedly breach the Bishop "blue wall" defense. Yet, instead of crumbling, the Bishop Auckland boys met the challenge head-on. Led by the outstanding efforts of Eli, Martha, Tori, and Harry, their tackling was fierce, their defensive line unwavering. Despite conceding 10 tries before halftime, the Two Blues spirit remained unbroken!

The second half saw a tactical shift as they opted for a slower game, focusing on controlled phases and utilising the maul. This frustrated Blaydon, who resorted to illegal tactics to halt the Bishop momentum. While Blaydon managed to score another 6 tries in the second half, Bishop Auckland never gave up, scoring a well-deserved try of their own.

While the final scoreline went against them, the true victory for Bishop Auckland lies in their character and resilience.

Playing away on a difficult pitch against a physically stronger opponent, they never stopped fighting, showcasing impressive tactical adaptability and unwavering courage.
This match serves as a testament to the dedication and spirit of the Bishop Auckland U10’s, and their future in the sport looks bright indeed.

After the match Taff, Graeme and Rossy were asked for their thoughts on the teams performance.

We've got a great spectrum of players, some are incredibly young and finding their feet, while some players are in for the experience. We are excited by this group. You just have to look at what we've shown in the last couple of months, we know it is challenges like this that will make us a lot better and we will improve.

We've got a group of youngsters and our role as coaches is to make them better and learn from those experiences. We’ve told them that they're going to be a really good team going forward, it's just going to take us a little bit of time and belief.

Today's part of that process, in terms of learning from that and some game management. We’re really proud of the boys and girls!