Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup
Buoyed by their recent win at the Harborough Festival, MHRUFC U 11’S headed to Oakham for the Land Rover Cup. A tough pool waited, that included local rivals Oadby Wyggs, Leicester Forest and Norfolk’s premier side North Walsham.
The opening game saw MHRUFC take on North Walsham who appeared determined to avenge their defeat in the Harborough festival final a few weeks previous. Harborough were slow out of the blocks and struggled to find any form. The quicker, better organised and direct running of Walsham nullified all of Harborough’s early advances and the boys went into half time 1 try down. Hopeful the team would find its feet in the second half and begin to play to their ability the coaches were confident the deficit could be over turned. Unfortunately this was not to be and a lacklustre performance saw MH concede 2 further scores to be well beaten by the better team.
Fearing that the below par start to the tournament had scuppered any chance they had at progressing to the knock out stages; help was to come from an unlikely source in the shape of Oadby Wyggs.
Their win against North Walsham presented a slim chance that by winning the remaining pool games and accumulating a superior try count they could still go through. Knowing Wyggs had put 6 past Forest, Harborough had to better that tally to be in the mix going into the group decider. The boys started well with early scores from Alex Laurenti, Josh Manz and Matty Reeves. The flood gates then opened and Harborough scored 6 further un-answered tries from Callum Leat, Ethan Shewring, Max Pollard, Rowan Moore and Dan Van.
With their confidence restored the boys went into the deciding pool game against Wyggs knowing a win by 3 tries would give them a better try difference than Walsham and a place in the semi-final.
Lady Luck was shining on the Harborough side as they dominated the early exchanges to register 2 early scores through Carnduff and Reeves. Wyggs pulled one back before half time through there play maker Vinnie before MH went onto seal the deal with 2 second half tries through Marlow and Leat.
The Semi against Old Leamingtonians was played in horrendous conditions as the rain and wind whipped across the exposed pitch. MH tried to play their brand of open rugby but the elements were against them and plan B was required to unlock the oppositions defence. Ethan Shewring in typical robust fashion thundered over the try line to take the lead. The game remained close until the final 30 seconds when Old Lems went in for a score. All level, Harborough secured the ball from the kick-off 5 yards from old Lems try line. An infringement gave MH a penalty, with the opposition out of position it looked like a decisive try was on the cards. After consulting the ref that they were through on the first try scored rule and it was the last play, Laurenti opted to kick for touch rather than take the tap and go.
The final was against Notts Corsairs. Both teams wanted to play expansive rugby but with the weather deteriorating further the game turned into a brutal war of attrition played out in the middle of the park. At some points the scrum halves were having difficulty in seeing their players due the driving rain and hail. The game finished in a 0-0 draw. Both sets of coaches agreed the weather had spoilt the final as a spectacle of free flowing rugby but were proud of the effort and dogged determination showed by both teams.

On the day, the decision was made to decide the result by a coin toss and Harborough left empty handed, thinking they had somehow lost despite drawing the game 0:0.

However all's well that ends well, good judgement prevailed and the officials later declared the Landrover Cup a shared win, with the Harborough players rightfully earning their day at Twickenham alongside their opponents Corsairs, where they will take part together in the 'Parade of Champions' at half time.

Market Harborough RUFC

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