Due to floodlight issues at The Rectory the RNEC and Pedrick Cup finals were moved to Keyham.
After a lot of hard work by the club and the Cups organising sub-group of the Combination Executive, the event happened and was very successful.
Thanks to Fraz Pearson for helping to organise the pitch. Thanks to a number of people for making it a good evening. Rikki Bentham and Hannah Pomfret for running the bar, to Paul and Nikki for cooking hundreds of sausages and burgers. To Pete Jewell for managing the catering.
Thanks to Spider Kelly for organising with Babcock to use their car parking lots for the evening and then to directing the traffic to use them. To Babcock for agreeing to our using them. If I have forgotten anyone thanks to you too.

The first game was the Pedrick Cup between our Third team managed by Jim Moss and The Medics Squirrels managed by Mike Dymond.
We had beaten them probably three times during the season so I was confident.
The first fifteen minutes or so and the squirrels really ran at us and looked extremely dangerous and I found my earlier confidence was fading fast and I began to think that we would do well to win, typical student running around like gazelles on adrenaline.
They scored the first try but could not convert it. 0~5. Not long afterwards Leighton Stark attempted a long range penalty from in front of the posts, it imperiously sailed over the crossbar. 3~5.
Our try scoring was opened by scrum half Billy Sutton that was converted by Leighton Stark.
10~5.
The Squirrels came back with another unconverted try to level the score at 10~10.
So far it was an even looking game despite the Squirrel's furious start.
Then Brandon Bonser on the left wing took advantage of a loose pass just inside their half and ran in unopposed to score under the crossbar, giving Leighton Stark an easy conversion. 20~10.
That was it at half time, a decent lead.

That seemed to pop the Squirrel's balloon and we started to pull away at the start of the second half, first with another Leighton Stark penalty, 23~10, then Sam Fincham scored in the corner, two defenders on him, one in front trying to stop him crossing the line and one pulling his shirt to full stretch trying to hold him back, he had the strength to make it and ground the ball. Another excellent sideline conversion by Leighton Stark. 30~10.
The Squirrels were not quite done and they managed to score a converted try. 30~17.
It was not enough to dent our growing thoughts of lifting that cup. Connor Yeoman got the next try also converted by Leighton Stark, and with the game in the last fifteen minutes, Ceiran Poat scored our final try halfway into the posts under some pressure with Leighton Stark easily converting. 51~17.
With the referee Gail Randall announcing ten minutes to go the good sized Services supporting crowd relaxed with the feeling that the cup was ours to lift.
The Squirrels were clearly unable to make up the difference in that time, nonetheless did not give up and scored the final try but could not convert it. And so ended the game at 51~22.
Ceiran Poat lifted the cup presented by Fraz Pearson and then lifted it again surrounded by the jubilant team.
All in all a great game. Well done to the team this being the second game of the week and it was only Wednesday, one more to go on Saturday. Exeter Engineers in the semi-final of Devon's David Butt Cup, at home.
Thanks to Jim Moss for his smooth management of the team and impeccably keeping a record of who went on and who went off during the game and the scorers.

A short pre-report
Flow of the game.
Medics try. 0~5.
Penalty Leighton Stark. 3~5.
Try Billy Sutton. 8~5.
Conversion Leighton Stark. 10~5.
Try Medics. 10~10.
Penalty Leighton Stark. 13~10.
Try Brandon Bonser. 18~10.
Conversion Leighton stark. 20~10.
Half Time.
Penalty Leighton Stark. 23~10.
Try Sam Fincham. 28~10.
Conversion Leighton Stark. 30~10.
Medics converted try. 30~17.
Try Connor Yeoman. 35~17.
Conversion Leighton strk. 37~17.
Try Josh Hemmings. 42~17.
Conversion Leighton Stark. 44~17.
Try Ceiran Poat. 49~17.
Conversion Leighton Stark. 51~17.
Medics Try. 51~22.
Full time.