YOUTH RUGBY ELY Tigers under-15 team won the County Cup in torrential rain in Cambridge to win the competition for the first time in the club s history. They were in a tough group with St Ives and Shelford last Saturday, and had to battle hard for a place

YOUTH RUGBY

ELY Tigers under-15 team won the County Cup in torrential rain in Cambridge to win the competition for the first time in the club's history.

They were in a tough group with St Ives and Shelford last Saturday, and had to battle hard for a place in the finals.

In the group stages, a try from Ollie Watts proved to be the difference against St Ives as Ely emerged 5-3 winners.

In the next match Shelford defended well and managed a 0-0 draw as Ely struggled to take advantage of their territorial dominance.

St Ives then beat Shelford, so Ely progressed as group winners to earn a semi-final clash with Newmarket.

Ely brought in Liam Cooper and Adam Featherstone to face a depleted Newmarket side, and both made an impact as Tigers won comfortably three tries to nil with Luke Hayes scoring a stunning try from a perfect Dan Malem cross kick.

In the final Ely faced a Cambridge team which had held the trophy for the past five years, but countered attacks from the Cambridge number eight Ollie Houghton and made progress through their backs.

A dummy scissors in midfield by Malem released Ollie Watts on the wing to run in the only try of the game, and in the dying minutes Ely survived a succession of scrums before Malem cleared the ball into the crowd to greet the final whistle.

final match against Cambridge to win the County Cup.

Pic cap: Ely Tigers (yellow/black) faced St Ives in the driving rain.

Photo: SUPPLIED