Rugby forward Patrick Lavelle made an impact on his county debut for Staffordshire under-17s in their curtain raiser against Leicestershire.
The 16-year-old from Stone was one of two Stafford Grammar School (SGS) players to earn selection and despite suffering an 18-10 loss the county team manager, Nick Dermott, praised their efforts.
“Patrick is very strong and the Leicester players will have felt his presence on the pitch as he put in some monster hits. For a team that only played together for the first time in that match, they did really well,” he said.
The Stone teenager, who also turns out for Stoke RFC under-17s, was joined by SGS 1st XV team mate Alex Smith, 16, (Lichfield RFC). The pair hope to retain their places in the Staffs line-up against Lancashire on 1st May in preparation for the county championships next autumn.
“This is the first year I have got into the county team. The experience of playing a higher class of rugby is great and it’s also a challenge, but it’s something I really look forward to,” said Patrick.
Meanwhile, Stafford Grammar’s under-13 sevens finished runners-up in the Independent Schools’ Association (ISA) regional championships in Herefordshire, while the under-16s chalked up 160 points and conceded just 40 at the ISA national sevens at Maidenhead to bag third place.
