Monti Rugby Rivigo 21 Crewe Academy 12

Crewe & Nantwich Senior Academy Colts and their supporters had an early start to cope with on the morning of their first international, an away game against Monti Rugby Rovigo in Italy. The Friday night game was the first event of their four-day Tour of Italy 2022
An 0500 meeting at Manchester Airport saw 52 tourists assembled, resplendent in tour shirts supplied by our kind sponsors Scott @ Risk and Management Services & Jim @ Utilities & Civils Solutions Ltd.
A two-and-a-half-hour flight to Venice Marco Polo Airport was followed by an hour coach transfer to the Hotel Maggior Consiglio in Treviso. After check in and a quick lunch, they were heading off on the coach again for the hour and a half drive to the game.
The 5,500 seat Battaglini Stadium in Rovigo was the venue, the home of Rugby Rovigo Delta who play in the Peroni Top 10, the professional domestic league in Italy. Our hosts Monti Rugby Rovigo are associated with Delta and had been granted permission to play the game at the stadium, just one part of the great effort they made to ensure it was a memorable evening.
As the sun went down, the temperature dropped, the floodlights came on and seventeen hours after the team got out of bed, the game kicked off.
C&N started the strongest and had ball in hand for the opening period. From carries by the forwards, they established good field position that eventually saw the ball go wide to Bob Clewes who trusted his feet, danced round two tackles and went over for the opening try. Logan Lynch took the extras to see C&N lead by 7.
Things were looking good for C&N, but a team that is coached by an eight cap All Black prop who also played for Newcastle Falcons, will not be one that goes away. Joe McDonnell is the head coach of Rugby Rovigo Delta and the boys found out that means they are a well organised, fit and passionate team.
While the game continued to be mostly played in the middle of the pitch, it was the hosts who took the next score, a well worked try that found space on the wing. C&N kept pushing though and had opportunities. Toby Evans linked well out wide to drive through tackles and go over the line, but the decision went against him and it was called held up. At the other end, tired C&N arms missed a tackle that saw the hosts go over and take a 14 – 7 lead. They soon found another gap and C&N were back under their own posts and 21- 7 down.
A strong chat from the C&N coaches gave the lads the boost they needed after a long day. The final quarter was all C&N, with the forwards taking the ball into the hosts red zone and staying there. With the desire to succeed as a team that has been shown all season, they went through phase after phase before Josh Sourbutts popped up with the ball and drove over to give C&N the final score and see the game out at 21 – 12.
Tired heads and tired bodies don’t make for the best score line, but as a squad the lads worked hard all game and took the game to a very good Italian side. The Rugby Rovigo Delta team is an Academy squad for U19’s, that live together and train four times a week. The C&N lads were amazed after the game that the Italians knew the name of their opposite number, had watched the C&N game videos and worked out how they would try and beat us.
After the game, all the Tourists were treated to a wonderful example of Italian hospitality as the Italian players served us food at our tables. Under Mediterranean skies, Tour President Scott thanked our hosts in Italian, the team Captains exchanged Club Ties, Shirts and Shields and a great evening finished with the players and supporters from both sides singing Oasis songs and raising a glass to celebrate a fantastic day.