In a week where all our thoughts and prayers had been concentrated on our young star Tom, as he underwent corrective surgery to a double skull fracture, news that he had returned home on Saturday having had the successful procedure on Thursday, spread quickly and the group chats blew up with Get Well messages for Tom and his family.

As we met Sunday morning, the atmosphere in the changing room was quieter than normal. The motivation for this particular match against the best team in Sussex was unspoken but obvious within the Squad. This result mattered, and the whole squad set about the game from minute one with an unwavering determination to get the job done for Tom.

Within 10 minutes, Brighton were 2 scores up, with some beautiful dummy runs in the centres setting up our 2 wingers in space to finish using their blistering pace. Each winger scored a hat-trick as Brighton executed phase after phase sucking in the Pulborough defence, only to throw the ball to the wingers who exploited the edges and were untouchable! They had a field day.

Pulborough were able to battle back, never giving up as their experience and brute force started to put pressure on our set-pieces. With 8 minutes to go Pulborough scored a try and had a chance to go ahead but missed their conversion from out wide, leaving the score at 33-32 to Brighton. Brighton dug deep and knew they would have to fight to the very end, but Pulborough kept knocking on the door. They did not want to lose to a team that had earlier in the season leaked 50+ points to Heath, their nearest and unbeaten rivals. Pulborough knew as favourites for the league title, this game must be won.

In the final 2 minutes, Brighton had fought bravely to get near the opposition 22, but Pulborough were strong, expertly slowed the ball down and wanted possession badly. Not today I’m afraid. Brighton No. 9 somehow marshalled his forwards for one final push and managed to dig the ball out of a massive pile of limbs, to then find a non-existent gap and execute the perfect pass to his blindside winger who was untouched all the way to the try-line!! Brighton 38, Pulborough 32.

Pulborough kicked off for the last play of the game. After a frenetic scramble for the ball, it ended up in the Brighton No.13’s hands who left the back of the breakdown and kicked to put the ball over the dead ball line… the contact was terrible…. the ball may struggle to reach as it wobbled like a dead duck but over it went and the game was over. Scenes!!

The score was immediately relayed to Tom and his dad Dan. Dan told us on hearing the result Tom raised a huge smile... although smiling hurts!! Believe me, that smile meant more than all the unlikely results in the world to us as a Squad. Brighton U16s… Job done.