Syston celebrated a County Cup double at Welford Road on Tuesday evening, lifting the silverware in the colts’ and men’s matches at the home of the Leicester Tigers.
Defending the trophy won in convincing style against Belgrave in 2018, Syston beat Oadby Wyggestonian 33-27 in the men’s match after their colts had secured a 26-22 victory over Market Harborough.
Two tries from flanker Redd Oxley set the colts on their way to victory, though Harborough fought back from 14 points down and produced a try worthy of any cup final occasion with a sweeping attack from their own 22 and superb offloading and support play for scrum-half Joe Laferty to finish under the posts. The conversion put them ahead for the first time at 15-13.
Syston fought back with tries from Will Hutchings and Will Westwood to lead 26-15 before Harborough struck again to cut the gap to just four points.
It was Syston, though, who completed a memorable double after also winning the Colts League as skipper Jamie Hudson lifted the Laurence Fenton County Colts Cup from the presentation party led by Leicestershire RU president Steve Rice and Michael Kapur, Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire.
The men’s game was similarly close, with Oadby Wyggs making the most of their opportunity in their first final since 1981, going within a score of upsetting the holders in a dramatic late fightback.
Syston led 10-0 before conceding tries from Elliot Keable and Byron Measure when they found themselves a man down due to a yellow card in defending their own line.
A Laurie Harries penalty put Syston 13-12 at half-time and in the second half they stretched their advantage as they used their forwards to keep up pressure in attack as the lead reached 28-12 and then 33-17.
But Wyggs were never completely out of the game and two tries in the final five minutesm when their own forwards gained momentum close to the tryline, set up a grandstand finish before their rivals closed out victory and a double on the evening.
