There was another bout of nostalgia as Matt France was reunited with the red and black jersey number 4 shirt, as he played his first game for Alton in almost a decade. Service man Matt is a World Cup winner with the Army. He was part of the Army Masters squad that won the Masters Rugby World Cup. It is great to see him back playing for Alton.

The size and quality of the squads that have been fielded in the second half of the season, with returning Alton players like Matt, Paul Moran, Jim Kerr, and others, have seen the Masters go undefeated in 2015. The hope now is that this squad will stick together, and continue to go from strength to strength.

In their final match of the regular season, Alton RFC’s Masters travelled to Monkton Lane to play London Two South West Club Farnham RFC’s veterans team, L’Escargots, and ran out 14-19 winners in a hugely enjoyable game played in a great spirit by both clubs. In the first game of the regular season, the Masters were roundly beaten at home by Farnham, 0-57, which shows the progress that has been made as a squad.

The Masters have one more game, against Rugby Club Loule in Portugal on the 18th April. This will be a real test as they see 30 players fielded against them, as they will all be seeing double, attempting to play whilst full of port. As they say in Portugal, “Boa sorte Mestres seus tolos bêbados” – Good luck Masters you drunken fools!