Ninety per cent of the side are under-13 players with only a handful of under-14s making up the team.

In a competition dominated by true under-14 teams, the Blacks have turned out each week with unwavering enthusiasm and courage.

From the start it was known the season would be about building skills and player combinations that would hold the team in good stead for next year when they will compete on a level playing field.

Bowral faced a tough Kiama team on Sunday, one that included eight Illawarra representative players. The Blacks have only three in comparison.

Bowral were determined to maintain a solid structure at the breakdown, hold a tight defensive line and hopefully set the platform for the backs to move the ball wide.

The team’s forwards were very quick to the breakdown and managed to put together four or five phases of attacking play on many occasions.

The scrum was solid against a much larger tight-five, conceding only one scrum on Bowral’s feed.

Unfortunately the Kiama open side flanker proved very difficult to contain and he scored seven of the nine tries conceded.

The Blacks could only wonder what the result could have been if their number six didn’t have the same impact on the game.

Bowral’s sole try came from captain Tim Lewis who recently gained selection in the NSW Country under-14 side.

His defensive effort was also outstanding.

Other noteworthy performances were from both locks, Henry Blumental and Lachlan Hennessy, while flyhalf Riley Byrne and inside centre Harrison Bow made numerous line breaks with some quick footwork.

Bowral lost 57 - 5, although the scoreline did not reflect the intensity of the game.

This team will be one to watch next year, but in the meantime all the boys are determined to give the opposition a run for their money.