Italy 2012 - Post-tour report.

"Do not go where the path may lead..."

Dear all,

Please accept my profuse apologies for not getting round to this sooner. As you can imagine, at this time of year, commitments and time are stretched for most Upper Sixth Formers and I'm no different!

Before departing for tour, I was rather apprehensive. Obviously from a personal point of view, I had a better idea than the rest of the tour of what to expect having captained the Lambs to Zimbabwe last year, however due to the frantic and diverse nature of these tours that offered little advantage. A new set of boys to get to know and play with, a different continent and that most unpredictable of beings, different opposition.

What I was prepared for was a tough match first up against London Irish. It's rather peculiar that our scheduled warm-up fixture happens to be undoubtedly the toughest fixture of the tour. Irish are an exceptionally well-drilled outfit with the physicality and the skills to match. Having played with them for several years of senior school, I was well aware of how seriously and professionally they approach all fixtures. Having said that, a bunch of lads who had just come together kept the score at half-time down to a very respectable 7-0 and had a few clean breaks been finished off, we could have opened up a sizeable lead. We established a clear advantage at the set-piece, which for a scratch side cannot be underestimated as an achievement and frustrated our hosts sufficiently to allow a number of positives to be taken from the game, even with the match finishing 27-0 to Irish.

The meet at Heathrow the following morning was rather tentative and the flight passed off without incident or excitement. However, as we boarded the bus at Rome airport, the 'chat' truly started, aided and abetted by the extremely distinguishable northern tones. Messrs Cummins, Hall, Whickam and Simpson would be at the forefront of most of the good, bad and the ugly which occured on tour!

Having enjoyed the first couple of days pretty much at leisure, we approached our first game without a clue what to expect. Our first rugby experience in Rome was to witness what can only be described as the first pitch I have ever seen without any grass. However, following a stern chat from Stuart, the boys switched on and set about accomplishing their task of winning the game with aplomb, beating the local opposition by 50 points. Rhodri Adamson played magnificently to earn himself man of the match. That evening we were allowed to let our hair down and although the night did not pass without controversy, it is safe to assume that the squad were appreciative to the management for the opportunity to let off some steam.

The second match was without doubt against tougher opposition, yet the Lambs tore into them with greater ferocity than the first match. Splendid running lines and crisp handing, resulted in a convincing victory, again by 50 points, on another circumspect pitch. Man of the match Simpson was magnificent, underlining why he is in with a realistic chance of making his way through the ranks at the Newcastle Falcons academy. For a prop forward, he showed real pace and power to embark on some destructive runs and provide to go forward our set of backs thrived upon.

The final fixture was to be the toughest of the lot. Our exuberant style was not to be aided by torrential rain comparable to what I have been witnessing down in Hampshire this dreary evening. We played a tough Rome U20's side and came out narrow victors, 12-5, after showing good courage to battle it out, without perhaps the poise we would like to have demonstrated. On a difficult afternoon for a fly half, James Doe shone, however it was my schoolfriend, a long and distinguished servant of Portsmouth Grammar Rugby, Ali Power who stepped up to the mark to produce some breathtaking competitiveness at the breakdown and won himself the man of the match award.

That evening, the squad had a evening which will go down long in the memory (of those who could remember it the next morning). Court produced some surprising verdicts (His Lord Justice Terry fared little better in his quasi-judicial role than a certain Jeremy Hunt) before tour awards were handed out in a rather equitable manner. Tom Cummins sweeped up 'Best Tourist', James Doe 'Player of Tour' and Ben Simpson 'Player's Player'.

After two years with the Lambs I am unwilling to finish my Lamb's career and as such we have put together the Rams which will act as the official Old Boy's club of the Lambs. We have several exciting fixtures already in place this summer, including a trip down to Cornwall amd are looking into the feasability of holding a Lambs2011 V Lambs2012 reunion match.

Thanks must go to the management party who as always conducted themsleves in a great manner and put together a tour of the highest quality.

Once a Lamb, always a Lamb.

"... Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Yours in rugby,
Poults.