Hartlepool’s united rugby side failed to win a match at the Bangkok International Sevens, but there was no shortage of effort on drama on the final day.

Thumped in all three group games on Saturday, when they mustered only two tries, the town’s select team lost were involved in three Titanic tussles on Sunday in Thailand’s capital.

They were a different animal and were unfortunate to lose out by five points, four and two in their fixtures on the Sabbath.

United gave their all in a hard-fought quarter-final, losing 12-7 to Spanish outfit Wiss, Aidan Jackson-Smith scoring Hartlepool’s try.

It left Pools in the Plate semi-final where they were denied 21-17 by the Thai National Under 20 squad.

Danny Charters, Robin Caswell and Jackson-Smith touched down for United’s tries with Cameron Lithgo close to winning it with the last attack of the game.

Hartlepool finished by playing the Shield final, beaten 33-31 by the quicksilver Laos national team, Lao Nagas.

Aaron Jeffery, Lithgo and Callum Whitehead ran in tries but four Lao scores saw United trail 26-14.

A fifth Lao breakaway seemed to seal the deal at 33-17, only for Hartlepool to stage a grandstand finish.

Tries by Jackson-Smith and Adam Smith, with Lithgo converting both, brought them within two points but they ran out of time.

Coach Michael Ainslie said: “We are really disappointed to have not won a game.

“If we had shown the attitude we showed today on Saturday, we might have got something out of it. But all credit to the lads, there was some pride in our performance on the Sunday.

“You could see the difference between the two days. The players who didn’t perform on Saturday stepped up to the plate on the last day.

“Speed was an issue, with seven big forwards in our nine-man squad, we were not going to catch the little, quick uns.”

Hartlepool were sponsored by AP Consultancy, JB Recycling, Saica Pack and Seymour Civil Engineering, while award-winning town company Hart Biologicals were the principal Bangkok International Rugby Sevens sponsors, its founder, Alby Patison MBE presenting the trophies.