FROM THE TOUCHLINE

by Pete Gibson

This week Huw is away enjoying time ‘on piste’, as today’s game is a postponement of the 21st January match. We hope Huw’s time ‘après ski’ will be full of Six Nations excitement and thoughts of our A&C 1XV finishing the season in style. Filling Huw’s shoes is our Director of Rugby, Pete Gibson, and here’s what Pete has to say…

It’s the last home game for the 1st XV and we finally get to play our second game against our friends, Old Haberdashers. Well known to be one our President’s favourite opposition clubs, we look forward to welcoming our Old Habs visitors to the President’s table and on the pitch at Ash Grove today.

Overall, this season has just flown by and it’s hard to believe it’s nearly over. It doesn’t seem long ago that our senior section of the club went through a rocky start, with many players injured which, in turn, hindered the ability to field three senior teams and at times struggling to have a 2nd XV take the field.

Post pandemic many social players have not returned to rugby as well, which has compounded the player availability issue. As many of you know, we are not alone and this issue has affected clubs up and down the country. Thankfully, as the season has progressed, players have returned and the injury woes eased and we have had some consistency across the 1st & 2nd XV. Our strong Senior Team spirit in well and truly back on track.

Johnny Rice and Adam Cook have worked hard with the 2nd XV team to turn things around and it’s great to see the positive results rewarding everyone’s efforts. They all deserve it. The 2nd XV have a couple of away games before they finish. Next week we are away at Faringdon, and we await the final date for the abandoned game at Chipping Norton. All supporters will be very welcome.

Our aim for the 1st XV this year was to be a top four league team and if we do things right today we will finish second in the Thames Regional 2 League. A great achievement. I’m personally very proud of all the players, their support team and coaches, Rich Hoskins & Dan Pearson.

With an eye on next season already, plans are afoot to build our squad and kick on and I’m buzzing with expectation. We have major plans for the Colts and the 2nd XV for next season with new support being offered with coaching and resource. The 2023/24 season looks bright and we plan to continue to lead our way into the Centenary Year.

Everyone has contributed an enormous amount of time and energy to the rebuilding of A&C as the best club in Bucks. The Club is a great place to be with so many fantastic people behind the scenes helping to create something special.

I have to say a huge thank you to Derek, Molly, Andrea, Deirdre, Steph and all the team who take care of the Club House, our players, members and guests on a continuous basis. They work so hard and it doesn’t go unnoticed. I wish them a restful Summer, but I know we have many events booked in the Club House calendar, not least one of my favourite events of the year, The Coronation Ball on the 6th May, I look forward to seeing many of you there.

As always, after today’s game our illustrious 1st XV Manager, Andy Grant, will sum this game up in one of his poetic match reports, look out for it on the website, as well as all the other great stuff that’s on the site too.

See you later in the Clubhouse for Super Saturday. My final words; thanks to everyone and “Up the Chilts!”