Barracudas Robbed In Harpenden Semi Final

The Samurai Barracudas arrived at Harpenden hoping to retain their title and started positively against the Koru Kamikaze. With John Rudd taking the captaincy of a relatively young and inexperienced side the Barracudas started brightly with James Tirrell and Kristian Baller scoring early tries. A brief breakdown in communication saw Jake Smith pull one back for the Kamikaze but as the players started to gel under the guidance of Will Thomas the Barracudas scored 4 tries to win their first game 40-14. The second pool game was against Harpenden Praetorians and despite the local crowd getting behind the home team the Samurai Barracudas got into their stride with a 31 point haul whilst keeping a clean sheet. In the final pool game the Barracudas faced the other seeded team in the group, The International Marauders. With the players starting to work well together and Welsh 7s winger Gareth Wyn-Roberts showing electric pace to give the team a 12-10 lead at half time. With half backs James Tirrell and Kristian Baller pulling the strings in the second half and some excellent defensive work from David Fenlon and Marcus Johnstone the Barracudas scored three unanswered tries to beat an established Marauders side 29-10 to top the group and book their place in the quarter finals.

The quarter final was against the Akuma Scorpions who had qualified as the best runner up from the group stages. With the Barracudas hitting their stride the match was over by half time with the team taking a 24-0 lead with more trys for Wyn-Roberts and Johnstone . The second half brought more points with young fly half Cameron Pimlow and Sam Showering both scoring to leave the score at 40-0. With the score looking like a second clean sheet for the tournament the Scorpions scored an interception try to leave the final score at 40-7.

Next up was the Saracens team who had come into the tournament as favourites. The game started badly with two penalties from infringements at the breakdown leading to breakaway tries for young Saracens players Short and Hearn. Then with tempers fraying an altercation between the two scrum halves led to the Barracudas player being red carded just four minutes into the first half. With the Barracudas under heavy pressure the Saracens team scored again just before half time to give them a 21-0 lead at half time and things looking bleak for the Barracudas. The second half started with a bang as a great break from Tirrell put Johnstone in for the first of his two trys. With a second try moments later for Mark Bennett the crowd sniffed the most unlikely of comebacks and with less than 2 minutes on the clock Tirrell crossed the line to make the score 21-17. With the Saracens team in disarray at the performance of the 6 man Barracudas side, Marcus Johnstone crossed in the corner to make the score 22-21 to the Samurai Barracudas. The ref however had other ideas and following a discussion with his touch judges revealed that he had lost his score card and that neither touch judge knew the score. In a bizaare twist of events he awarded the tie to Saracens 28-22 to leave a somewhat shellshocked Barracudas squad bitterly disappointed.

Hardcastle, Showering, Fenlon, Hall, Baller, Tirrell, Fouracre, Pimlow, Bennett, Johnstone, Wyn-Roberts, Rudd (c)