Shelford 5ths 41 : 15 Haverhill 2nds (written by Richard Craddock)
 
On your tombstone there is usually your name and two dates ,birth and death date but to me the most important bit is the dash inbetween. That little - is your life , not much to show and I would like mine to include days like today, when the sun shone and there were tribulations to get over (Ibubrofen is wonderful) just to get on the pitch but where a small band of men came together from all corners of Cambridgeshire with different backgrounds and lifes and problems and strengths and they produced an event which we will all be telling our friends and family about, until next Saturday.
The team sheet was again different but enough common factors now to say that a team is forming that is improving each week and will improve more and will be a great team. We welcome new faces and some returning ones as well. Welcome to Jack (The Fridge) who was solid in the scrum but played well enough around the pitch to earn Man of the Match without scoring a try in a high scoring game. The difference now is that in set pieces we are solid and the forwards can produce quality ball time and time again. Today the scrum was exceptional and pushed a big Haverhill pack backwards at times to the point when their number 8 admitted that they were being 'beaten'.
15 man rugby is a concept difficult to achieve but when it happens it is beautiful to watch, I had the best seat in the house at full back watching the team charge forward , produce move after move and score some well constructed tries.
The try scorers were Tom Q with two , Mano with a brace , Adam with a pair  (thankfully nobody else scored two because my brain just ran out of ideas) and Lee Coney got a stormer from 15 m out ( it was 5m but it probably felt like 15m) They were all quality tries with particular Tom Q's second being a delightfully worked back move. Lee C reverse pass for one of Mano tries has to earn a mention - not known for his passing abilty Lee has been on a journey and has grown .
Names that deserve a mention are James W, Chris M and Jim R , Lawrie - still with broken nose, Will McG, and Pete F in the front row. Two wins on the trot is only the start , we will meet up again next week, no doubt with a different looking team but with the same spirit and contiinue on our journey of discovery.
To finish off, I leave you with this thought  -  If we treat each with respect, and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash , might only last a while.Thank to all who turned up , 21 players all prepared to play a half or 80 minutes for the mighty 5ths. See you all soon.
And it 's goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him , goodnight.