A special morning at The Slade today as TJs welcomed Old Elthamians for what promised to be a competitive encounter.

The morning began with a minute's silence on the first-team pitch to mark Remembrance Sunday, before kick-off at 11:05.

The last time these two sides met, at the start of the season, the result was a closely fought draw, with both teams crossing the try line five times. Old Elthamians arrived expecting another similarly tight contest. Unfortunately for them, TJs had other ideas!

From the outset, the intensity was right up there. Despite Old Elthamians having a considerable height advantage across much of their backline, they simply couldn't find a way through a TJs defence that was nothing short of outstanding.

After around ten minutes of pressure and several well-worked phases, TJs got the breakthrough. Sacha powered his way over the line to open the scoring and set the tone for what was to follow, with a well worked try from Bertie just a minute later.

The defensive performance deserves particular recognition. The coaches recorded not a single missed tackle throughout the game – an incredible statistic and testament to the commitment, organisation and determination shown by every player. There were some seriously committed tackles going in, and on a couple of occasions the temperature threatened to boil over as the competitive intensity reached another level.

TJs went into the break having scored twice, but there was no let-up in the second half. The boys continued to dominate, adding another four tries to complete a comprehensive six-try victory without conceding a single point. Sacha completed his hat-trick and Ollie scored a peach of a try, and Ned picked up a birthday try to complete the demolition - thirteen bumps at the end of the match inevitable!

There were plenty of highlights, not least winning a scrum against the head – always a satisfying moment! But ultimately, it was the collective effort that stood out. A fantastic defensive platform, excellent work across the pitch and a team that clearly wasn't prepared to give an inch.

A huge well done to all the boys. To go from a five-try draw earlier in the season to a clean sheet and six tries today shows just how much progress the team is making.

An outstanding performance, boys. Enjoy the win – thoroughly deserved!