OSRFC Bournemouth 7’s Success

12 Old Salopian’s took on the challenge of entering the ‘Snakebite Cup’

The Jubilee weekend saw the ‘OS Maps’ head south to Bournemouth 7’s to kick-off their 2022 campaign. Widely regarded as the UK’s most prestigious amateur 7’s festival, Bournemouth has been a prize that the club have been eyeing up for some time. 12 Old Salopian’s took on the challenge of entering the ‘Snakebite Cup’, including two debutants Frank Morris (O 14-19) and Olly Pope (PH 11-16) who proved valuable additions over the weekend. 

With over 36 hours before our first game, we were faced with the dilemma that is common to all high-performing athletes- how to avoid preparation burnout. The boys responded admirably to this early adversity, making a strong showing at the beer tent on both nights in true Salopian style. 

The Snakebite Cup saw us pitted against Bournemouth University with a cruel 09:20 kick-off on Saturday morning. Our pre-match preparation proved successful, with the boys controlling possession and dictating the tempo from the off. A handful of tries in the second half saw us comfortably winning the game 36-10. Special mention goes to Luka Cassidy (R 14-19) for creating a try for the ages, scooping up a dangerous kick on our own line with one hand and beating three defenders, one with a monstrous fend, before selflessly passing the ball inside for a probing grubbed kick which was dotted down in the corner.

Our second group game was a scrappy affair against the New England Pandas which saw us dragged into more contact than we would have liked. The half-time hairdryer treatment did little to rectify the performance as we failed to capitalise on our superior pace, leading to a 21-14 defeat. 

Nevertheless, we booked ourselves a spot in the quarter-finals where we learned from our mistakes, playing a much purer brand of rugby, resulting in a 40-12 victory over the Pups. We carried this momentum into the semi-finals against the Girls, a team of colossal weightlifters, in a bruising affair. We showed real heart in defence which was epitomised by Frank Morris (O 14-19) who put his body on the line. We escaped with a 28-26 victory but were left with wounded with only 9 players available for the final. 

The final against the Leeds Medics, “Blood, Sweat and Beers”, was a game of two halves. High with confidence, we scored a quick three tries, leading 21-0 at half-time with Arron Lewis (SH 14-19) giving a performance unmatched since his time in the U15’s. Yet our lack of substitutes soon showed, with weary legs letting the medics back into the game. In a nail-biting finish, we held on to our lead to win 26-21 and claim the Snakebite Cup.

Thanks to the boys whose enthusiasm and heart made the tournament a success. We look forward to continuing our success at Worthing and North Dorset Sevens later this summer. 

Tom Plaut (S 14-19)