The afternoon started off with W&G officer Steve having a jovial catch up with Stockton chairman Graham Newton pitch side, comparing senior section results from the day before and gently goading each other about performances and common friends. The game started soon after and Billingham came flying out of the blocks scoring a few tries in quick succession, but more importantly showcasing an improved defence that had been worked on in the fortnight previously in training. The discipline was much better, our penalty count down and our missed tackle count improving too. We showcased some great carrying in attack in the forwards and some high quality execution in the backs to get over the gainline and score tries. Stockton to their credit found their flow in parts of the first and second halves, with their close carrying game getting them valuable metres and a few tries. Cardio was once again fantastic from the tee adding extras. The forwards as a whole were excellent in the scrum and gave us a great platform to attack and didn't give away easy ball to the opposition at their scrums. There's a lot to come from this team yet, and staying in ugly games later in the season will prove to be a big part of how we generate a successful season.