The time was 4.10pm as Newcastle's A and B sevens teams ran returned to the Twickenham pitch for the mother of all derbies – Wailers v Falcons. Jack Smales, who captained the Falcons in Leicester last month, took advantage of a defensive mix-up between Micky Young and Jeremy Manning to open the scoring with an easy converted try, but Alex Tait set up Charlie Amesbury to outrun Tyson Lewis. Manning's conversion levelled the scores. Smales beat Tait on the right though to put the Wailers 12-7 up at half-time.

In the second half the mercurial Manning used Amesbury as decoy superbly to run in a try of his own from halfway, converting himself. Straight away Manning was over again, but this time the conversion hit the post. Young sealed our plate final place with a final try from a long pass to the right with a minute and a half left.

Steve Parsons's last-minute score was just a consolation for the Wailers, beaten 19-24.

Wales' Amser Justin Time would be our opponents in the plate final, as they beat the Gilbert Pups 14-31 in the other semi-final.

-----------------------------

The semi-finals of the main tournament were extremely one-sided – indeed both winners kept clean sheets! London Irish defeated Wasps 22-0 and though ULR Samurari International initially had trouble breaking down the Army, two quick tries in the third minute and a break on half-time gave them a 0-19 lead at the interval. Two more tries in the second half rounded off a 0-29 win for Samurai and ensured a repeat of last year's final.

-----------------------------

The day entered its final hour with the Falcons taking on Wales' AJT in the plate final, looking for a fourth plate victory in nine years (seven really as there was no secondary competition in 2006 or 2007). Wales however had looked dangerous in their matches and had been unlucky to go out in the first round of the main Middlesex Sevens.

Wales almost scored immediately but a loose ball was kicked against Amesbury as our blonde winger lay prone on the floor. Amesbury and Redford Pennycook then set up Will Welch for the first try, Manning converting. Alex Cuthbert pulled a try back before half-time, but the potentially crucial conversion missed.

Tait broke in the second-half with Rob Vickerman in support, and set up Manning to go through a gap in the Welsh defence as wide as the Village People policeman's butt-cheeks (maybe not quite that wide, I just had to get that line in here) and put us 14-5 up. The trophy was so close now.

Wales won a penalty that was brought forward almost to our five-metre line, and Ifan Evans went over for an unconverted score to set up a tense last two and a half minutes. With just seconds left Micky Young booted the ball out upfield, but there was time for the Welsh lineout and they won two further penalties before finally Alex Gray kicked a loose ball out of play.

The Falcons had won the Middlesex Sevens plate final 14-10, ensuring another piece of relatively minor but definitely welcome silverware for the Kingston Park cabinet. It was a shame that they didn't play a bit more sensibly against Wasps, as we might have gone far in the main tournament, although maybe not won it.

Anyway, a trophy is a trophy. And looking more long-term, on this evidence Jeremy Manning could turn out to be quite a good signing. Amesbury and Young look in good form too.

-----------------------------

In the final of the main tournament, Samurai started better and Marius Scheman put them into the lead. Jonathon Joseph equalised for Irish though, and Marland Yarde gave them a 12-5 half-time lead. In the second half though Collns Injera scored quickly before getting his second, neither converted, and Samurai held a slender advantage.

In the final minutes Irish attacked, roared on by a strong following in the stands, and Delon Armitage chipped over the defence with the clock on zero but a Samurai defender just got to the ball first and kicked dead, giving his side revenge for last year's final defeat to the Exiles.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• Middlesex 7s part 1 – Out of the cup and onto the plate
• Plate Collection Grows...
• Middlesex Sevens 2004 - Great Plate!