Otley Under-15s are champions

DRIFFIELD............18

Otley Under-15s are the county champions after winning the Yorkshire Cup in the competition for junior clubs on Sunday.

The Otley squad clinched the competition in a nail-biting final which saw some of the finest junior rugby played this year according to Yorkshire officials who attended.

For some members of the Otley squad this was the fourth time they had won the competition having taken the trophy at Under-11, Under- 12 and Under-13 levels.

Driffield applied the pressure in the opening moments of the game but Otley fought back to their opponents' line. Otley flanker Tom Monkman then created an inspired move which saw him charge down a Driffield clearance attempt and fall on the ball for the first try.

Driffield, undaunted, fought back into the Otley half and secured a quick penalty between the posts after a high tackle on one of their players.

Otley were up for victory and from the base of a loose scrum ten metres out the gifted scrum-half James Taggart jinxed his way through the Driffield defence to score a vital try.

It really was end-to-end rugby as Driffield applied the pressure yet again laying siege to the Otley line resulting in another try to take them within two points of their opponents.

With just seconds to go before half-time Otley full-back Henry Wood cleared up a loose ball and drilled a clever kick deep into the Driffield half. Taggart again sold the dummy, centre Simon Bissell then gave a perfectly timed pass to winger Andy Hudson who romped over the line to give Otley a 15-8 lead at the break.

In the second-half Otley played with the wind and an excellent try from the powerful Simon Bissell seemed to clinch the match. But Driffield had other plans, piling on the pressure in the Otley half. Two tries were disallowed by the referee who had a perfect view of the proceedings.

Still Driffield continued to bombard Otley's impressive defence and with just a minute to go they pulled two tries back to make the close of the game a cliff hanger.

In the end Otley held firm and were justly recognised as the top team in the county for their age group.