After two straight wins on the bounce, Ross were confident of extending their unbeaten run last Saturday against mid table, Tewkesbury. However, after a hard fought encounter it was Tewkesbury who prevailed, winning 10-5.

The first half hour was dominated by a dogged Tewkesbury pack who were able to strangle Ross of any meaningful possession, and when Ross did break free, they invariably fell foul of the referees whistle, subsequently handing possession and territory back to Tewkesbury. It was from one of these penalties that Tewkesbury took the lead. After securing lineout possession 10 yards out, the Tewkesbury second row ploughed over from 5 yards out. Their fullback converted and they were 7-0 ahead.

It wasn’t until the last few minutes of the half that Ross put together a series of phases that put pressure on the Tewkesbury defence. Quick hands from Chay Brine and Huw Bellamy put Luke Gray clear, but he was tackled just yards short of the try line. From the ensuing ruck, scrum half, James Hughes wriggled out of two tackles to score and at half time, Ross went in 7-5 down.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first. Ross looked to up the tempo, however continued infringements led to a stop start half. The Tewkesbury defence held firm and a late Tewkesbury penalty secured them a 10-5 victory.

The Morris Aubrey man of the match was James Hughes for a tenacious display at scrum half. Next Saturday, Ross are back in league action away to Hucclecote.

All sport coaches in the county are being urged by Herefordshire Council to take advantage of three courses aimed at ensuring they are aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding children and that they can also deal with emergencies.

The courses, being run by Herefordshire Sports Development and the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire, are:

Thursday, 25th March - Safeguarding and Protecting Children
Wednesday, 19th May - Emergency First Aid
Thursday, 8th July 8 - Safeguarding and Protecting Children 2

All three courses are being held at Hereford Rowing Club, with a 6.30pm start, lasting three hours. If you would like to book a place on any of these courses, please visit www.morethansport.com/courses or ring Georgina Fenton at the Sports Partnership on 01905 542260.

Jan Perridge, Herefordshire Council's senior sports development officer said, 'It is extremely important that everyone who has regular contact with children is aware of their responsibilities in safeguarding and protecting children. Qualified coaches are required to attend safeguarding courses every three years and the first one is best suited for people who have not attended one before.

Coaches who have already completed the first workshop may prefer to reinforce and strengthen their understanding of safeguarding without repeating the first workshop by attending the Safeguarding and Protecting Children 2 Reflecting on Practice course. This differs from its predecessor in that it deliberately builds upon the practical experience people have already gained in their day-to-day role as a coach, giving them a chance to reflect upon as well as learn from other coaches' experiences. Coaches must have attended the Safeguarding and Protecting Children course before attending this course.'

Sports Coach UK, the course provider, delivers a whole range of other courses. Details of these can be found on the Herefordshire Sport website at www.herefordshiresport.co.uk. If there is enough demand for any of these courses (at least 15 people interested in booking), then more courses could be put on in Herefordshire.

For further information, please contact Amy Jenkins, sports development officer, on 01432 261539.