Pictures: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency
Cullompton Under-14s produced a superb second half comeback to claim the J.P Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Cup with a golden point victory over Topsham in a thrilling final at Sandy Park.
Trailing 17-5 with two minutes of normal time to play, Cully dug deep into their young reserves to claw their way back into the contest with two late tries and send the game into extra time.
With little to choose between either side in a gripping final, it was Archie Stoneman who proved the hero as he touched down for the match-winning score.
The final was a fitting conclusion to what was another hugely successful tournament run by the Exeter Chiefs Community department in conjunction with J.P Morgan and Premiership Rugby.
In total 10 teams battled for honours in the competition, which is a prestigious sevens festival for Under-14s at grassroots clubs, and takes place at all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs.
The festival gives valuable experience of the sevens game to youngsters, helping in their rugby development and working towards developing the stars of the future.
After a competitive day of action, which was watched by Exeter Chiefs stars Myles Dorrian, Dave Ewers and Alex Brown, it was Cullompton, Topsham, Exeter Saracens and Kingsbridge who progressed through to the semi-finals.
Cullompton saw off Exeter Saracens 40-10 in the opening match, whilst Topsham proved too strong for Kingsbridge winning 26-11.
Commenting on the day, Chiefs’ Community Development Manager, Marc Dibble said: “Once again the tournament was a huge success and we were delighted with the work put in by all the attending clubs. This is our second year of running the competition and it was evident that the standard of play from all the teams had risen significantly on the previous year.
“As for the final, I don’t think we could have asked for a more entertaining game. Our congratulations go to Cullompton, but also to the other nine teams who took part.”
As part of their prize Cullompton have also been invited to attend the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series Final in 2013.