Upton came off the back of a winning league season in Counties 4 Midlands West South, having lost only one game. This season, we knew we’d have to be at the top of our game. But luckily, armed with a selection of Colts players alongside new and returning faces, we were well up for the challenge.
Starting Strong
Upton started the league strong, boasting good home wins against Cleobury Mortimer and Old Yardleians, proving we were not a team to be taken lightly. We kept taking scalps and picking up wins until December, when we hit a rough patch, losing three away games on the trot due to a lack of training opportunities from flooding, poor weather, and a few key injuries.
Upton bounced back in February and March with more wins, securing promotion on the penultimate weekend of the season. The season culminated in an exciting final weekend, with first-placed Upton (86 pts) facing fourth-placed Cleobury Mortimer (74 pts). Upton needed just two points to secure the league, and the pressure was on, with second-placed Bournville 2s (82 pts) facing third-placed Woodrush (81 pts). It was all to play for among the top three teams.
All four sides put out strong squads, and all Upton knew was that we wanted to win. A rousing pre-game speech from Rob Heeley got us in the mood, but after conceding an early try, nerves began to creep in. The game was well controlled through Steph Fourie and Adam Nions, and the forwards held their own at scrum time, with a powerful front row (Will Clark, Liam Moloney, and James Herbert) proving early dominance.
Hanging by a thread
Strong runs by George Pawson, Ryan Cooke, and Matt Underwood eventually gave Upton something to be excited about as Josh Finch went over in the corner for Upton’s first try. Great kicking from Rhys Cousins secured the conversion after narrowly missing a penalty earlier in the game. The back row (Matt Dunwell, and brothers Will and Ed Cullwick) put in tackle after tackle, but it wasn’t enough, as a few missed tackles and excellent play from Cleobury Mortimer led to two conceded tries.
Dunwell took his captaincy role in stride, leading the team from the front, while good forward running by Dan Alcock and Pat Collins won us a few penalties.
That left the game hanging by a thread, with Upton still trailing 17-16.
All was not lost
Replacements Matt Williams, Rob Heeley, Jacob Powles, and Lewis Juggesur brought a burst of pace early in the second half, and Upton fought valiantly until Finch went over again with a lovely finish in the corner. At 21-17, it was the first time we had led all match, and there was still time to play.
5 minutes to go and Cleobury marched us down the pitch through our own ill-discipline at the lineout and launched some incredible darts. All looked lost until Pat Collins intercepted a crucial throw. Then, powerful carrying from James Herbert near our own try line earned a penalty for a no-arms tackle by a Cleobury player. Rafa Adamowski added much needed strength coming on to help secure the victory. A few phases and Adam Nions booted the ball into touch.
That was it, Upton had won the league.
Now it’s onto Counties 2, with a new head coach (yet to be confirmed) and a few players leaving us for university and travelling opportunities – how will Upton fair in the 2025/26 season?
