by Paul Bolton

Defending champions Warwickshire suffered a surprise 25-12 defeat at the hands of a well-drilled Staffordshire side in their opening game in the Midlands Under-18 Championship at Walsall's Delves Road ground this evening.

Warwickshire, who won the competition for the first time last November, were handicapped by the late withdrawals of skipper David Askew (Warwick School) with a cut head and fly-half Lee Chapman, who was unavailable. They also ran into a Staffordshire side who were quick to the breakdown, disruptive in the line-outs and dangerous on the attack and who opened up a 25-0 lead before the champions rallied in the closing stages.

Staffordshire nudged in front with an early penalty from Lichfield's impressive fly-half Luke Massey and then rounded off a period of sustained pressure with a well-worked try for centre Dan Rowlands of Lichfield.

Warwickshire were given little opportunity to attack in the first half and they conceded two more unconverted tries in the last 15 minutes of the first half when flanker Mike Ridley (Newcastle-under-Lyme) was driven over from a line-out, then Newport wing Tom Smith rounded off another enterprising attack.

A fourth try from scrum-half Ric Wilson (Newcastle-under-Lyme) eight minutes into the second half and a conversion from Massey scuppered Warwickshire's hopes of victory.

But the champions displayed plenty of character in dominating the final quarter with blindside flanker Nick Elliott (Solihull School) powering over for a try that Warwick School full-back James Astin improved.

Replacement winger Terence Kuvarega (King Henry VIII School, Coventry and Old Coventrians) then showed his paces by sprinting over for the final score in the dying seconds.