After our first win of the season against Rugeley last week we faced the visit of Kiddy with a little more trepidation this week and were kind of expecting to be on the wrong side of a thumping.

A conversation mid week and before the game with their coaches though and we were ready for a challenge as like they said, "us putting 60 points on you is no good to either side"

We didn't get off the the most auspicious starts either, with our tight head and skipper going off to hospital with a suspected broken wrist during the warm up.

Just before kick off, we stood with kiddy our u14's, Broadstreet u14's and our mini section in a perfectly observed 2 minutes silence in remembrance of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and then we were into the game.

Kiddy kicked off and in our usual hospitable style we let them score a try within two minutes, we like to make teams feel welcome at The Wood and enjoy the challenge of coming from behind!

After that the game settled into something of a wresting match with Wood holding their own against a very good Kidderminster team, we did however go down another try which as it was bang in front was easily converted; 12 - 0 Kiddy.

From then Burntwood began to get more control of the game and were rewarded when on their scrum 5 m out the ball popped out sideways for Woody to pounce, pick up and score both the try and the subsequent conversion. 12 - 7 Kiddy at half time, we were back in the game.

The second half started not as badly as the first, we didn't concede immediately, but rather finally got our backs involved, Tyler running onto a pass and bursting through to run 2/3rds of the pitch evading the covering players to score in the corner. 12 - 12 game on.

It remained that way for the next 10 minutes or so with neither side managing to either breach the strong defence or evade the covering tackles, until that is the last 10 - 15 minutes.

Why's that then, well for one thing they are a better side than us, no doubt about it; and that told all the more so as the game lasted longer, we were almost out on our feet and so couldn't prevent the 3 final converted tries to give them the game by what looks a comfortable margin, despite a magnificent tap tackle by James to prevent a certain try lees than 10 m out, they did however recover the ball and score under the posts.

So what did we learn? Well for one, we're in a much better place than we were this time last season, the boys should be very proud of the way they played.
2. Coaches can drag players off the pitch and make them apologise to supporters on the side line if they don't like what they have done or said - respect to Kiddy for that one, we could all follow that example.
3. With a little more depth and some fitness, it will come as the season progresses, we've got the makings of a good side.
4. Most of our kids were buzzing, just because the way they had performed and who can want for more than that eh?

Roll on Sunday, and Tamworth away in the League.

Up The Wood, the future is bright, the future is red/green hoops!