On Easter Saturday Rosslyn Park U17s contested the final rounds of the Lexus National 12s tournament at Old Albanians, writes David Hitchcock.

The competition involved a round-robin of matches between 5 teams with the two top teams playing each other in the final.

Many squad members in the Elite Player Development Groups at Wasps and Harlequins, have county and regional honours, and Richard Coskie the captain has an England cap; The game plan focussed on a dynamic game, played at pace, with rolling substitutions and no kicking.

First opposition Exeter Chiefs Academy were simply blown away by direct running and close support that saw Park win by three tries to nil .

Richard Coskie provided the backbone in the middle of the field throughout the tournament - he marshalled the 12 and 13 channels letting no-one through and his precise passing launched his mid-field partners when ball was available. Vice Captain Marc Macmillan harried and carried in equal measure in the forwards and was at the top of his game.

Next up was Penrith, the Scottish Region qualifiers. A 0-0 draw was all that could be expected from a game which was constantly punctuated by the referee's whistle and that could have been lost had Penrith nailed an easy penalty in the first half.

A well-drilled Sedgeley Park side created a close game, but dominated through the front row of Brett Williams, Freddie Mills and James Reddey. Anthony Hitchcock weaved his way through the entire opposition pack to make the single deciding touch down of the game, which finished 7-0 to Park.

Altrincham were the most balanced side, but were no match for a Park team who re-discovered their true form. Quick ball from the breakdown and clever distribution from the outside halves, Nick Simson and Archie Lloyd produced some excellent wide moves. The midfield backs of Tom Steer, Hugh Kisieleweski and Richard Coskie exploiting the pace of Jermaine Hazzard-Mitchell and Ant Hitchcock in the outside channels. The result was a three try to nil win which barely did the team justice.

The final was a re-match with the similarly unbeaten Penrith. They pressured the Park line with unrelenting pressure from the start. The defence remained solid but eventually the drives sucked-in enough players for Penrith to force their way over the line on the wide outside. 0-5.

The second half was all Park. A rampaging break out by Mark Macmillan from the kick-off lead to the Park's first score. Penrith were unable to cope with the intensity of the Park forwards and speed of movement of the backs. Toby Yates at fullback and blindside wing carried the ball back with interest. Two more tries followed without reply.

Park won the final 19-5 and were crowned Lexus National 12s Champions and were presented with their trophy and medals by Saracens and England flanker Richard Hill.

In winning, they scored 10 tries and conceded only 1 - in the final. The U17 12s team in action in an exhibition match against the London Wasps Academy prior to the final of the Rosslyn Park Floodlit Sevens on Wednesday, May 9.

Rosslyn Park U17: Richard Coskie (Captain), Marc Macmillan (Vice Captain & Pack Leader), Brett Williams, Freddie Mills, James Reddey, Luke Saunders, Alex Cardyn, Sam Miller, Tom Anderson, Ant Hitchcock, James Caddy, Jonny Burt, Nick Simson, Archie Lloyd, Toby Yates, Jermaine Hazzard-Mitchell, Tom Steer, Hugh Kisieleweski, Nick Cuffey, Tom Layton.