The league campaign got underway in front of a fantastic home crowd of 250+, with Cinderford U15 hosting Longlevens in what proved to be a real game of two halves.
From the first whistle, Cinderford looked sharp. Strong running and committed tackling kept them camped inside the visitors’ 22. A penalty pushed them deep into Longlevens territory, and although the first line-out drive was held up, the pressure finally told. Some slick handling saw Billy dive over in the corner to open the scoring, 5–0. Tyler was unlucky with the conversion, striking the post.
Cinderford kept the momentum, with the forwards and backs combining well. Their effort was rewarded when Tyler crossed for the second try and converted it himself to make it 12–0. The first half ended with Cinderford on top, their backs exploiting the space while the visitors defended resolutely.
The second half was a different story. Longlevens came out firing, piling on wave after wave of pressure inside the hosts’ 22. Cinderford held out bravely, turning over key ball and clearing their lines, but eventually the visitors’ persistence paid off. They drove over for their first try, adding the conversion to close the gap to 12–7.
Moments later, another Longlevens attack saw them level the scores at 12–12, setting up a tense finale. With just five minutes to play, a scrum five metres out gave Longlevens the platform they needed, and their No. 8 crashed over from close range to put them ahead for the first time, 12–19. As Cinderford pushed to hit back, the visitors capitalised with one final breakout score, sealing the contest 12–26.
It was a bruising, high-quality game that showed both sides’ strengths — Cinderford dominating the first half, Longlevens roaring back in the second.
Despite the tough result, the boys can be proud of their effort, and the support from such a big home crowd made it a fantastic occasion to kick off the league season.