Linlithgow U16 finished their pre-season programme with a trip to North Berwick on Sunday, and it proved to be exactly the sort of test the boys needed ahead of the start of the conference season.

On a brilliant day for rugby, Linlithgow started strongly against a physical and well organised North Berwick side. The opening half was a really competitive contest, with both teams defending well and looking dangerous when they had the ball.

North Berwick struck first after a sustained spell of pressure, but Linlithgow responded really well. The defence worked hard, with some big tackles across the pitch, while in attack we showed good structure and ambition.

That eventually brought the reward. Finlay Love made a powerful break through the middle before finding James Rae, who finished under the posts. Jack Stuart added the conversion to bring the scores level.

North Berwick responded with another try, but Linlithgow continued to compete and finished the half on the front foot. After a sustained spell of pressure close to the North Berwick line, Jack Stuart powered over from five metres to level the game at 12-12 at half time.

It was an excellent first 35 minutes from Linlithgow. The intensity was high, the defensive structure was strong and we showed that we could go toe to toe with a very good North Berwick side.

With a 26-player squad, there were plenty of changes at the break to make sure everyone got valuable game time. The second half was a different challenge. North Berwick raised the tempo and began to take control, while Linlithgow struggled to maintain the intensity and organisation that had been so effective in the opening half.

There were still plenty of positive moments and some excellent individual defensive efforts, but North Berwick were able to build momentum and eventually ran out 46-12 winners.

The final score probably doesn’t tell the full story of the game, but the second half was also a valuable reminder of the standards required at this level. We showed for 35 minutes what this group is capable of. The challenge now is to produce that level of intensity, structure and work rate for the full 70.

Jack Stuart was a deserved Player of the Match after an excellent performance at nine. His work rate, physicality and intensity stood out throughout and set a great example for the rest of the squad.

A tough test, plenty learned and lots to be positive about as pre-season comes to an end. Two more training sessions to build on the lessons from North Berwick before the conference season gets underway.

Thanks to North Berwick for a great game and exactly the sort of competitive fixture we needed to finish our pre-season.