The Saints finished the season with some silverware at the Bury St Edmunds Sevens.
The pool stages saw the Saints squad, which included players from the Junior and Senior Academies as well as the first team, go through the gears to win two from two.
Esher were seen off in Game 1, Lewis Ludlam setting things off with two tries, with George Furbank, Tom Collins (2) and Sion Bennett also crossing in a 40-7 victory. Game 2 was against the Red Wailers, one of several invitational sides from the Rugby Sevens circuit who headed to Suffolk.
The Wailers posed a few more challenges, not least by taking a first half lead after Collins had had what would have been a spectacular score rules out. He did get on the scoresheet later on, however, as did Tom Emery with two and Tom Kessell, with Rory Hutchinson breaking the Tom-opoly with a second half effort as Saints put on 29 unanswered points.
As the mercury rose during the afternoon so did the intensity on the field, and it was a physical and experienced Barracudas outfit that put paid to any thoughts of a three-peat in Suffolk.
Saints did open the scoring through Furbank, but in conceding three tries they left themselves with too much to do in the second half, despite the best efforts of Junior Academy trio Alex Rayment, Emery and James Grayson, and were eventually pipped by just two points, 22-24.
It was back to the Wailers in the Plate semi-finals, and as with the group game against the men from the north-east Saints fell behind to an early try. But that was as good as it got for the Reds as Saints turned the scoring the other way around.
Ludlam went over for three, with Kessell scoring two - the first from a rolling maul, earning the prize for ‘things you rarely see in Sevens’ award - and Tiaki Harrison and Grayson grabbing a try each. Hutchinson and Grayson shared five conversions in a 45-7 win that put Saints into the Plate final against Apache.
Unfortunately for Apache the day had taken its toll on the injury front, forcing them to withdraw, meaning that by default the Saints headed home with the silver salver.
SAINTS SQUAD Tom Emery, George Furbank, Tom Collins, Tom Kessell, Rory Hutchinson, James Grayson, Tiaki Harrison, Lewis Ludlam, Sion Bennett, Alex Rayment, Reece Marshall, James Fish
The first action of 2016/17 is also some Sevens, with the Singha Premiership Rugby Sevens Series heading to Franklin's Gardens on Friday, July 29th. CLICK HERE to book your tickets, using Print@Home to save the admin fees!
