After a night of relentless rain, the Burnham U10s arrived to a pitch that was wet, cold and whipped by the wind—far from ideal conditions to face a squad of 22 strong Braintree players while already two players down. Braintree looked big, physical, and ready for battle, and with Jack and Albie missing it seemed Burnham might be in for a long, hard morning.

But if the boys felt any trepidation, they didn’t show it. Their warm-up was the usual cocktail of fun, effort and chaos, and there wasn’t a hint of anxiety despite the intimidating-looking Braintree contingent running drills behind them. When the whistle blew, Burnham proved exactly why they’re becoming known for their heart and resilience.

As the match settled, so did Burnham—warming up with the weather and growing into the contest. Braintree brought a level of physicality the U10s haven’t yet faced this season, flying into tackles and rucks with real intent. Harry and Billy both took knocks in these exchanges, but with grit and team spirit in abundance, both returned to the fray determined to make an impact.

Harry’s reply came in emphatic style: a powerful, half-pitch solo run that left a trail of Braintree defenders on the turf and brought Burnham roaring back into the contest.

Every single Burnham player stood tall. In fixtures like this, teams can wilt under pressure—but not this group. Missing key players, facing a strong opposition, and battling injuries, they instead rose to the occasion. With tough tackling Albie absent, others stepped up to deliver the big tackles needed to keep Braintree from gaining any real momentum.

Braintree’s frustration showed at times with a few hand-offs and heated shoves, but Burnham’s response was perfect: more effort, more teamwork, and more smiles. And it must be said—Braintree showed excellent TREDS in loaning players to Burnham to keep the match competitive and fun.

With so many huge performances, the choice of Player of the Match was anything but easy. Billy and Harry rallied through injuries to put in incredible work at both ends of the pitch. Jenson and Josh tracked play superbly, producing brave tackles and slowing the Braintree attack. George and Thomas were immense in the ruck, providing structure and strength at every breakdown.

But today belonged to Henry (and his brother Joe who won U6 Player of the Week). In recent weeks he has turned a corner—adding fierce, committed tackling to his already impressive positional awareness, passing, and attacking runs. The biggest change? The return of his smile and the spring in his step, which shone through in a performance full of confidence and joy. With crunching tackles, superb support play, and a couple of sparkling tries, Henry was a standout in a truly standout team effort.

Burnham left the pitch having shown grit, skill, determination, and togetherness—proving yet again that a trip to Burnham is never an easy fixture for visiting teams. Every player should feel incredibly proud.

Well done Henry, and well done Mighty Under 10s!