LAST year, a dominant King Edward VI team defeated their opponents from Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth High School by 50 points.

So it is great credit to the Tyne Valley teenagers that they were upset to lose by a margin of 36 points in the final of the Northumberland Schools U15 Rugby Championships on the hallowed Newcastle Falcons turf at Kingston Park.

The scoreline flattered the Morpeth schoolboys slightly, and discredited the battling QE team who stuck to the task all night and defended bravely against constant pressure.

That is not to say KEVI were not worthy of the trophy. They were more wise to the ways of the sport having played it longer, with the Hexham lads presenting the ball to their opponents to allow quick tap penalties and also turned their backs at penalties..

Two big refereeing decisions went against them as well but wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the game, as Morpeth retained the title they won at a canter last year.

The game started at a frantic pace with both sets of players up for the challenge.

QE captain Ben Robson led from the front and was fingertips away from a great interception on three minutes, his intervention alleviated early pressure though.

KEVI were asking all the questions and, after a great steal by Robson close to the try line, they were over on nine minutes as they recycled the ball after Hexham failed to clear their lines sufficiently.

With the score successfully converted, QE regrouped and the response was immediate.

The kick off ball was spilled by a Morpeth player and, quick as a flash, Robson pounced to gather and sprint over the line to bring his team back in it. Shaking off a groin injury, Jack Donaldson returned to kicking duties and levelled the scores from the tee.

With Joe Hanning excelling in particular with some ferocious tackling, Queen Elizabeth defended resolutely as KEVI attacked at pace.

And they managed to find the smallest of gaps on the left to play in their winger to put his side back ahead, the try standing despite a strong suggestion of a knock on.

King Edward kept coming back and it took a brave act from Thomas Ludman to push his opponent into touch close to the line, while the spirited Donaldson drove his side forward with a run past three players spurring his teammates on.

The Hexham schoolboys had performed admirably to stay in touching distance of their rivals, but the margin was opened to 10 with the final action of the half when a clearance from Donaldson was returned at double quick speed and KEVI were over for a third try.

QE’s task got a lot harder within a minute of the restart as their opponents grabbed their fourth of the evening from the kick off.

However, Hexham refused to lie down and the commitment from the 15 youngsters was to be commended.

There were stand-out performances from man of the match Donaldson who got stuck in at every opportunity, while Harry Armstrong’s strong bursts forward gave his side hope of clawing their way back into the tie.

It was from one of these runs on four minutes that QE scored their second try, powerfully swatting off tackles to make his way over the white line.

Ten minutes later, he was again steamrollering his opposite numbers before cleverly offloading while grounded after a second challenge. After a couple of phases, QE had their third try as Jake Tuddenham touched down through a melee of bodies.

His try took the score to 34-17 in KEVI’s advantage as they exploited the left wing for two further tires, and it would have been a true reflection of the game if the final whistle had been blown there and then.

However, Morpeth showed a ruthless streak by running in three further tries, the first of those a big blow to Hexham after the referee overruled the touch judge’s flag for the ball going into touch.