Dagenham RUFC u11s travelled to Clacton on Easter Saturday with 2 teams to play in the inaugural Clacton RFC Easter Festival and put on a show of determined and at times skilful running rugby.

Dagenham Hurricanes 10 – Brightlingsea RFC 0

The opening game saw the Hurricanes pitted against local club Brightlingsea and was a game that should have been over by half time. The D’s made chance after chance but squandered them with bad decision making, poor passing or some dogged defence by Brightlingsea.

Prop Connor Reed scored the opening try with Fly Half George Wren adding the second to give a comfortable, but by no means satisfying 10-0 win.

Dagenham Stormers 0 – Barkers Butts 20

Next up it was the turn of the Stormers. Dagenham Stormers are a development team with some of the lads only having played 1 or 2 matches so it was always going to be a difficult match against the competition favourites from Coventry but the boys put in a massive effort to tackle and scrummage for all their worth before going down by 4 tries to nil

Dagenham Hurricanes 30 – Dagenham Stormers 0

The odd set up of this competition then pitted our Hurricanes against our Stormers due to the withdrawal of Clacton to play in the u12s competition. So the boys of the D’s had a real bash at each other.

The Hurricanes dominated the Stormers in experience only though as the Stormers really tore into their team mates, but the experience really was a factor as George Wren ran in 2 tries, Daniel Wren ran in 2 tries and Demi Ajeigbe and Connor Reed scored one a piece which meant the game was stopped due to competition rules and saw the Hurricanes progress to the Cup Final as group winners

Barkers Butts should have now played either Clacton or Brightlingsea for a place in the final but as both sides declined to play the match Barkers progressed by default.

Clacton Easter Festival Final

Dagenham Hurricanes 10 – Barkers Butts RFC 5 (After Extra Time)

The final lived up to its billing as a real cracker of a match as both sides threw everything at each other in an effort to come away with the trophy.

The first half was all Barkers as they dominated the normally strong D’s scrum and ran the ball with some real flair and determination. D’s just couldn’t get their game together and with half time approaching Barkers pressure finally paid off as some lax defending at a maul allowed their big 2nd row to crash over for the score.

Some stern words at half time made it quite clear what was expected of the Dagenham boys and in fairness to each of the them they listened, took the criticism on board and came out a completely different team in the 2nd half.

The pressure was now all Dagenham as they battered Barkers line time and again before midway through the half a line out on Barkers 5m line was plucked mid air by the outstanding Connor Reed for the prop to smash over line to draw the scores level.

Barkers then came back for a final flurry and but for 2 pieces of excellent defending, one a massive tackle when faced by three opposition players by wing Charlie Tilson and the other a timely interception by skipper Daniel Wren, Barkers may have nicked it. But as the final whistle blew it was all down to extra time !!

D’s continued where they left off as the forwards started to get the upper hand in the scrum and a massive drive on the Barkers 5m line saw the D’s pack of 5 steal the ball. Scrum half Mitchel Surety moved the ball quickly to Fly Half George Wren who drew his defender before deftly passing to Daniel Wren, quick hands from the skipper to outside centre Demi Ajeigbe gave him the space to step back inside and crash over for the score that gave the D’s the lead at 10-5.

From here on in D’s controlled the play and never looked like being pegged back again and as the final whistle blew the boys couldn’t hold in their joy and neither could the watching parents as the Dagenham Hurricanes won the Clacton u11s Festival !!!!!!!!!!!

Dagenham RFC have been playing Youth Rugby since January 2010 and can already boast one of the most competitive sides in the County with our u11s who have already bought the silverware home to Central Park !!!

Hurricanes Team: Reed, Shaw, Mason, Garwood, Naylor, Surety, G Wren, D Wren (Capt.), Ajeigbe, Covington-Young, Stayte, Tilson, Griffiths.

3rd / 4th Play Off

Dagenham Stormers 5 – Brightlingsea 10

The Stormers ended the competition in 4th place after a narrow defeat to Brightlingsea, again the boys put in a massive effort and got their rewards with a superb try scored by Mitchell Fallon. The Stormers are getting better week on week and will be a force come the new season. Well played the Stormers !!

Stormers Team: Hachille, Kilden (Capt) Sidney, Bolo, Mckee, S Ajeigbe, McEwan, J Warner, C Warner, Glenn, Fallon, Alex