With no senior game on Saturday, Enfield Ignatians Under-16s took centre stage but narrowly lost out to Woodford 22-15 in a friendly.

It was level pegging at half-time with the game finely poised at 10-10. But it was Woodford who emerged the stronger after the interval, with the hosts adding a further 12 points to complete a four-try haul; one of which was converted.

Ignatians certainly had their moments. Two tries from Lawrence Loo and one from Conor Gray kept the Blue and Golds in the hunt, although they failed to land their conversions.

Team spokesman Pete Doherty said: "It was a really good game of rugby. We didn't field our strongest line-up because of a few absences, but it was good chance for some of the other squad players to step up to the mark."

The senior side will make the trip to face Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) in the Middlesex Cup on Sunday, February 14.

It has been two years since the two sides last clashed in the Middlesex Bowl final, with the Ignatians, on the back of their best league season, emerging 31-13 victors.

This is effectively the quarter-final stage and the identities of two of the semi-finalists are already known. They are current holders Hammersmith & Fulham, and beaten finalists The Civil Service. The latter beat Ignatians in the 2008 final 41-8.

Meanwhile, Ignatians return to league action on Saturday when they host Saffron Walden at Donkey Lane.