ALTON Rugby Club? U13s reinforced their claim to be one of the best junior teams in the county with outstanding displays in the New Milton Sevens festival.

For many of the Alton players, this was their first experience of sevens rugby and having found themselves in the toughest side of the draw, it was going to take all their skill and resolve to progress to the semi-finals.

They started quickly, moving the ball from wing to wing with their now trademark speed and accuracy. For much of the time, their opponents were chasing shadows and Alton dispatched Ellingham & Ringwood, Salisbury and Trojans by scores of 40-5, 25-15 and 40-5 respectively.

The fourth match, against arch rivals New Milton, looked to be a tough challenge. But Alton put in possibly their best 12 minutes of rugby this season, scoring three tries before New Milton had hardly touched the ball. Jonny Maddock’s side-stepping score after a well-placed kick from Greg Carter must have been try of the day. Every tackle was made and every opportunity converted as Alton stormed to a 40-0 victory.

Alton had to dig deep in the semi-final to break down Trojans. Two quick tries gave them breathing space and with Trojans tiring after a long day on the pitch, Alton ran out 35-10 winners

New Milton had rallied in the other semi-final to surprisingly beat a strong Gosport & Fareham side and the final looked like being a much tighter affair than the pool game.

However, Alton never doubted their own ability and a combination of strong running, excellent support play, precise passing and a never-say-die attitude earned them a convincing 30-5 victory.

The scoresheet says it all about Alton’s dominance: 42 tries scored and just eight conceded.