Both teams had to make late changes with Rovers still assembling their side at lunchtime and giving two Colts an opportunity they grabbed with both hands, and which they will remember for some time.

West were hit by illness to both Will Corbett and Liam Pennick, which gave the opportunity for the Tyers brothers to pack down together in the second half. James in the second row and Matty in the accustomed role of flanker - more Boxing Day family memories.

West set off at a rate of knots. However,  Rovers worked hard all afternoon and kept the hosts out until the 13^th minute - Chris Atkins forcing his way over under the posts to set up an easy conversion for Matt Siddle, who was playing at scrum half.

The second try wasn’t long in coming. It was started by Will Hilditch who took a clearing kick in his own half before setting off through some despairing tackles to send Ollie Connolly racing in from just inside the 22 – another easy conversion for Siddle.

Max Tennant the limped off after being tackled on the touchline,  and it looked his hopes of being the afternoon’s hero had disappeared,  as he was replaced by another speedster in Lewis Scott.

However, it was a forward who completed the first half scoring with Jay Corbett finishing off another spell of pressure. The conversion was missed but at 19-0 West were well in control.

The changes were wrung at half time with Liam Liston on at hooker, Matty Baggs at scrum half and Zac Southern at fly-half as well as Connor McLurg, Tom Robertson and the Tyers boys in the pack.

Tennant also reappeared without a limp, and he promptly got his first of the afternoon. Peter Youll ripping the ball on the half-way and quickly feeding the left-winger who set off on a diagonal which took hm under the posts. Rovers continued to battle and got a well-deserved try from a scrum wide on the right – Dan Charters spotting the opportunity on the blindside. Daz Fawcett’s boot had been immense all afternoon and he nailed the conversion from the touchline to reduce the arrears to 19 points. But it wasn’t to signal a Rovers revival as Tennant again stepped up. This time receiving the ball in space on his own 22 and haring up his wing to flatfoot the Rovers cover to set up another easy conversion.

Max prefers scoring his tries in front of the clubhouse crowd, and he milked the applause again with the final try of the afternoon to complete that hat-trick. This time prop Jack Angus was the architect as he spotted a gap showing quick feet and hands to pop the ball to Tennant who once again was able to make his way to the posts at some speed.

It completed the rugby with the action transferred to the clubhouse where the better halves of some of the Gingers and Stashers players, who had enjoyed their own game in the morning, raised a tremendous amount of money for the Alice House Hospice. At last count the money raised by their raffle was well in excess of £1,000.

Together with the hard work of the bar staff, aided by club volunteers,  it rounded off a day where Hartlepool's rugby traditions were the winner.

West Squad: Jack Angus, Aidan Jackson-Smith, Liam Liston, Tom Robertson, Owen Nugent, Jake Linighan, Jay Corbett, Isaac Robinson, Connor McLurg, Chris Atkins, James Tyers, Matty Tyers, Matt Siddle, Matt Baggs, Ben Reed, Zac Southern, Ollie Connolly, Peter Youll, Will Hilditch, Max Tennant, Lewis Scott, Sam Knight.

Referee: Revis Phillips.