Numbers were always likely to be short – it was already known that a number of boys had decided that Saturday night on the beers was their preference to an early Sunday morning on the rugby pitch – others were off to boarding schools for 6th form, and many would be playing a full programme of school rugby on a Saturday

What did the season hold? – an U17 League, an U19 League, and an opportunity to enter the U17 National Cup – the latter proved to be a tortuous process because a team cannot enter - it can only be entered.

The season started well with the U17’s stepping up to beat a Spalding U19 side in their first, and only, U19 League fixture – this was a big win featuring a lot of boys who had to step up to the first team in the absence of those who had either moved on or who were unavailable. It was also a marker for some of the difficulties this group would have to overcome – 14 fit players and 2 carrying knocks

And so – the first victim of the post 16 rugby programme – the U19 League was in disarray with a number of teams unable to field a side, and others, including Nottingham, being instructed that an U19 team should not include U17 players forcing us to withdraw.

So – to the U17 League with the first fixture against arch rivals Newark – Away

News from NLD appeared to confirm that there would be no seeding from U16 Cup competition for entry in to the National Cup – teams would have to qualify from the U17 League.

This was going to be tough – and the first game against Newark proved such and despite the same lads doing their level best they were unable to contain a full strength Newark side going down 35-12 – P 1 L1 – difficult start and a tall mountain to climb

Next up Paviors who had recruited over the summer and rumours were circulating that they thought they were now going to be able to reverse the historical defeats at this age group – and they gave it a good go and it was a very relieved Nottingham to come through 43-33

Derby had suffered considerable losses over the summer and enabled this ‘new’ Nottingham group to earn a confidence boosting 40-7 win. P3 W2 L1 – good news too that a depleted Newark had had a slip up to a vastly improving Moderns.

No game for 4 weeks – one hell of a challenge for players and coaches to keep motivated – and next up Moderns who had their tails up and at the time were unbeaten – any chance of qualification for the National Cup meant this was a must win game.

A sterling effort by the coaches to bolster numbers, and a galvanised effort by the players, stunned Moderns 48-12 to keep the dream alive, and the momentum continued to dispatch Lincoln the following week 31-7 to top the League

Qualification for the National U17 Cup!

Unbelievably - not yet!

The powers that be then decreed – winning the League wasn’t enough – there had to be a play off involving the top 4 teams

Bad weather intervened

Eventually we were to play Paviors in the NLD Cup League Semi Final after another 4 week lay off – the good news being that a number of players were now starting to become available as the schools programme was winding down and there was only limited representative games

A solid 31-7 win sent Nottingham to the final against – Newark!

Still some way off full strength it was a daunting prospect to be playing a full strength Newark in a Cup Final on 1 February – but when the going looks tough, the tough get going and this was to prove a pivotal game in the season – Newark were largely played off the park and firmly despatched 27-12. This was a tremendous victory and featured a number of lads who had never previously been involved in any of the NLD Cup Finals this group had contested.

At last – confirmation of entry to the National U17 Cup

Eventually – on 17 February came the long awaited news regarding the National U17 Cup Draw……

Newark were given a Bye – Nottingham to play Ampthill at home on 1 March

Ampthill! – without a doubt Ampthill was the worst possible draw – this group had never beaten them and at U11 had been on the wrong side of a thumping in the U11 Gullivers Cup at Twickenham. One look at their results suggested that the journey in the National Cup might be a short one

1 March arrived – and for the first time this season Nottingham were able to field a full strength side

What a game – if Newark was pivotal – this was sublime – from my perspective this was the most complete club side I had seen from 1 to 15 – with 10 minutes to go Nottingham trailed by 9 points.

When the going gets…….. fitness, guile, and spirit put Ampthill to the sword in those last minutes and the game was won 19-17 – a complete performance – it was quite simply outstanding

Next up away at Oakham in the Midlands Semi Finals on 15 March – on performance overall Nottingham were good for the 13-7 win however poor execution could have cost dear as Oakham fought to the end and with a later try of their own set up a grand stand finish which could easily have set up a reverse.

Squeaky – didn’t need to have been – but it was.

Midlands Finals – wow! Opponents – Newark! - for the 3rd time this season after they overcame a trip to Malvern

29 March down at Broadstreet – the biggest game for most in their rugby careers – and Newark were summarily despatched 38-11 as the accuracy returned and the dogged nature of this tight knit cohort slayed their local rivals. Big game. Big performance. The journey continues – dare one start to dream….

Easter - then another ill timed NLD Cup game on 12 April versus Lincoln just a week before the National Cup Semi Final against Caldy – despite a relatively comfortable 36-5 victory a nasty injury to Jacob Wright promised to end his season with a 90% expectation of ‘broken’ as he left for A&E

19 April – National Cup Semi Final versus the champions of the North who swept all before them in their North West League – one of their parents said before the game ‘you’ll have to be very good to get near these – they’re very strong’. And so they were – only not strong enough on the day and the succumbed 34-10 - we were National Cup Finalists

26 April – NLD Cup Final – vs Newark.

Intransigence or other with NLD meant that there was no possibility of re-scheduling this game so as not to interfere with preparations for the National Cup Final.

The first group of U17 heroes to wear the U17 shirt were unveiled – despite losing the game 24-12 this group of boys, essentially a B team with none of the starting XV for the National Cup selected, took the game to a full strength Newark and gave them a really good game – they really were not far off – there was no-one who watched the game who was not full of admiration for their effort and endeavour. Everyone who took part that day were outstanding.

And so to the final weekend of the U17 Season

3 May 2015 – 03/05/15 – 3 x 5 = 15 – Remember it!

On 3 May 2015 you became National U17 Cup Champions beating Sevenoaks 21-20

With all the drama of a Hollywood movie and that last gasp conversion from Gabriel Calland – the dream came true!

Some retrospective reflections –

At every victory your joy and delight was felt in equal proportion as pain and disappointment by your opposite numbers – for every winner, there is a loser – man is defined by how they deal with adversity – for the future beware that there are a lot of potential opponents who will want to beat you, badly, to absolve the pain they felt at their loss in the National U17 Cup and none more so than players from Ampthill who were within minutes of progressing, and Sevenoaks for whom there were no seconds remaining when the 3rd try was scored – they will be haunted for weeks over that loss.

All members of the squad this year ought to feel absolute pride in their achievements – pretty much everyone who was fit was selected and took part in a Cup Final – remember and savour that – only 2 NLD teams got to do that at U17 this season. Not many players make a Cup Final in their entire career. Even fewer ever make a National Cup Final.

We were lucky with injury – a number of you played a lot (too much) rugby this year – 2 games in a weekend is a big ask and never more so than for those in the front row - a special mention to Pierre Byworth and Jacob Wright who propped for Trent College on a Saturday and often then played again for U17 on a Sunday – whilst it is true that we might not have been able to complete/win the games we had to in the early part of the season, it is also true that we were lucky not to lose one or more players to injury as a result

And to the headline – Against The Odds?

There hasn’t been a post 16 Nottingham team for some 10 years – would it be possible to remedy that in 2014/15?

Would there be sufficient numbers? – school and representatative games took their toll, with a number of injuries there were times it was difficult for the coaches to pull together a bare XV

James Wilkins – waited all season to get cleared for a shoulder injury returning for the Midlands Final only to break his foot?

Joe McMenamin losing a fight (badly) with a tackle bag 15 minutes before the kick off of the National Cup Final?

Fitness – you hate doing it – but your opposition hate that you did do it – the last 10 minutes against Ampthill and Sevenoaks were won because you were able to keep up the intensity – who missed a fitness session because it was a fitness session?

2 tries required, less than 10 minutes to go – Once? Maybe. Twice? Really? – you betya

Holding on to possession for nearly 2 minutes before the final try in the final? All they had to do was force a turnover – you had to dig deep using those basic skills from the practice ground – passing, catching, ball retention, recycle

That final kick – swirling wind – ‘If I kick it we win, if I miss it we lose’ – no pressure then?
Memories to treasure and to take through with you for the rest of your lives - you don't know how lucky you are!