We were able to select a very strong Junior Saints Academy squad with only a few players unavailable due to school commitments, and with the sun shining for a JSA fixture for the first time spirits were high. And after only five minutes they were even higher when a defensive turnover and quick thinking from scrum-half Henry Pyrgos saw the ball move wide for a try for centre Nick Greenhalgh. A second try was added a few minutes later when precise offloading from the pack led to a score for wing John Brake.

John Brake leaves a defender in his wake

The next score started from a lineout drive which sucked in the Richmond defence allowing Greenhalgh to enter the line at pace and cross the line. The restart kick was cleanly taken by James Cannon who stayed on his feet and drove forward. The pack created quick ball and flanker Archie Stead burst through the defensive line and was supported by Greenhalgh whose hat-trick was now completed within 15 minutes.

The pack applied pressure to the Richmond set-piece and were rewarded with a heal against the head followed by quick thinking and moving the ball to space allowing Grant Anderson the space to brush aside attempted tackles and crash over. Possession from a Richmond lineout caught the defence by surprise and Chris Withers playing his first game for the JSA at fly-half dummied and used his quick feet to go on an outside arc through to the try line.

Chris Withers makes a break

There was time for one more score before the break when the JSA centres combined well with Anderson’s powerful run and offload and Greenhalgh’s support line and pace rounding off his fourth try of the afternoon.

The visitors made four changes to the side at half-time, resting the players involved in the Wanderers fixture against Leeds the following day. Despite having the wind and a 45-0 scoreline it was the Richmond side who had more possession and began to string more phases together in attack and were more solid in defence.

Eventually the JSA got themselves into the Richmond 22 and from a good drive Jack Marczewski made a line break and presented the ball perfectly for James Mitchell to dive over under the posts. A few minutes later and from another good drive the pack created the space out wide for wing Richard Jones to spot a hole in the defence and crossed the line.

The JSA lineout wins clean ball

With five minutes to go the JSA again stole the ball against the head from a scrum and quick thinking from Number 8 Owen Giles at the base, beating tacklers and then offloaded to Stead in close support for a well deserved try to make the final score 69-0.

Our thanks go to Richmond Colts and their management who to their credit never gave up and did have some key players missing.

The next JSA match is on March 25th when we travel to Millfield School to face a combined Millfield and Bryanston team, two of the strongest schools in the country.