Boys’ Rugby

2nd XV

The squad met in early September for our pre-season trip up to South Wales. We did various activities before a practice game against Llandovery where we really began to see the team’s potential. In our first game we came up against Sir Thomas Rich’s and a dominant performance saw the term kick off with a resounding Clifton win. This game was followed by two very tough games against 1st XVs: Old Swinford House and Richard Huish College. The games were close but we fell short in both. Regardless, it was a great experience for the side to play on the 1st team pitch in front of a sizeable crowd. After a relatively comfortable win against Cheltenham, we clashed with BGS in the toughest game of the season. BGS defended passionately and continually pushed the offside line, making any continuity in play very difficult, but eventually Clifton walked away with a deserved 12-7 win. The final game of the half term was against King’s Taunton 1st XV, which was undoubtedly our best performance of the season. Clifton produced some exhilarating rugby, dominating possession and highlighting the depth of talent in senior rugby, with a hugely impressive resulting score of 33-20.

The first game after half term was against Sherborne, a straightforward 32-0 win despite some poor discipline seeing Clifton reduced to 13 men for a significant period of the game. Wellington was always going to be the game that would be the biggest test and unfortunately we fell short at 20-10, largely as a result of conceding two early tries and multiple injuries. Next up was Marlborough which turned out to be a comfortable 31-5 win for Clifton. Sadly our final game of the season, and last opportunity to play on the Close, against Bromsgrove, was cancelled due to Covid, so our final game was against a very strong Millfield side. Despite having arguably our strongest side so far in the season, we ended up losing 39-5, a huge disappointment. It was a shame to finish the season with a loss but the 2nd XV can hold their heads high having ended with a 60% win ratio, losing just four games (two against 1st teams), with some performances of which we can be extremely proud.

This has been the best rugby season I have experienced at Clifton, particularly having played no competitive rugby last academic year. We had a good bunch of very talented players and although we lost a few games, we were always playing and training in great spirits whether we were losing or winning. Good luck next season to the Year 12 players and I will keep a close eye on the results.

Ben Paine (2nd XV Captain)

3rd XV

This was an excellent season for the 3rd XV, not only in terms of results but also, more importantly, in the manner in which the team played and the camaraderie that was present throughout the Michaelmas Term. Superbly led by number 8 Jonny Cook, the attitude of both the 3rd and 4th XVs was fantastic during training and this shone through with some fine performances against Cheltenham College, BGS and Sherborne School in particular. A tough last third of the term resulted in losses to Wellington College and Millfield School by nine and 10 points respectively, interspersed with a resounding victory against Marlborough College on the team’s spiritual home of BS3 on the Close. Sadly, the final opportunity to represent the school at rugby on the last Saturday of term for the departing Upper Sixth players, at home against Bromsgrove School, was spoiled by a Covid outbreak at our opponents’ school. However, the turnout at the end of season dinner was strong and a clear indication of the fine spirit that existed in the group. Thanks go to all the players who represented the 3rd XV with such commitment during the season and also to Mr Janke and Mr Simmons for their knowledge, enthusiasm and sense of fun during a long and enjoyable term.

Jim Williams

4th XV

The 4th XV squad was characterised by strength and depth this season, but in true 4th XV tradition, this did not mean that match days were ever straightforward in getting the team together and out there on the pitch. Sadly the season finished as early as 13th November with a comfortable win for Wellington College on their patch. Thanks must go to those boys who found some kit and got on the bus to enable that to happen, despite not playing for the team regularly that season. Integrity, spirit and resilience were certainly on display that day. No further fixtures occurred due to cancellations, one due to Covid, but the others almost certainly came about as a result of rumours of our devastating potential due to our expansive brand of rugby reaching the opposition. Working backwards from then, New Field saw three encounters, the November fixture of the three being an epic 12-12 draw with Sherborne. A memory that lingers here is more of an administrative one, when it appeared that the other senior teams had managed to arrive at Sherborne School for their away matches before some of the 4th XV squad completed the arduous journey from Wiseman’s House to their home pitch. The preceding game was a narrow 10-19 loss to Taunton School 3rd XV, which commenced with the most extraordinary try by Clifton from the kick off, with the ball passing through multiple pairs of hands with exquisite offloads before the final touchdown.

The first game of the season saw a comfortable win over Cheltenham College, featuring a hat-trick from Demi Azeez. Other notable performances in the season were notched up by AY Ogunbajo and Ore Wright, and the majority of the leadership was ably provided by Max Hanson and Hector Wright. As pleasing as it is to be able to mention these players, the most important thing to do in conclusion is to thank the squad for their dedication and good humour in training and matches.

Gilbert Simmons

U16a

The season was extremely successful, not just in terms of results but also in terms of how the personalities in the year group came together as young men. Early wins against Tommies and Taunton were only an indicator of what was in store for the team, and the Ryan Bresnahan Memorial Match against Rugby School brought with it a genuinely outstanding performance that, regrettably, we failed to replicate until later in the season. The matches against BGS, King’s Taunton and Cheltenham were easily won, but we had the feeling we could and would have to play better after half term if we wanted to win more matches. Thankfully, Marlborough and Sherborne were matches in which we were pushed and actually behind for a time, but emerged as convincing winners, playing some great rugby. It was the confidence taken from these performances, both away against historic rivals, that set us up for the big three games to end the season. Wellington were always going to be a huge challenge, but they rarely threatened and we dominated the game, running away comfortable winners on the Close by a score that did not flatter us. Millfied were next and though they were dangerous early on with the ball in hand, by half time we assumed control and by the end were again comfortable winners.

The last match was Bromsgrove away, a repeat of three years previous, which we had won in the last minute to go unbeaten. We were well prepared and would have taken some beating, but Covid got the better of Bromsgrove, so the game was cancelled. A sad way to end a superb season during which we played 10 and won 10. As ever, I mention no names as we were a proper team that had some exceptional players in key positions. Everyone played their part and it was a season of achievement and enjoyment for everyone involved. Thank you to all those who played for the side, plus staff such as Dr Patrick who blew a whistle for us. Lastly, thanks to Mr Harris for being Mr Harris and to Mr Hughes for his work helping us develop some depth in the group; and to Mr Slym, not only for his technical input, which was outstanding, but also for being such a great support to all the boys and to me in running the side.

Alan O’Sullivan

U16b

It was fabulous to get back on the pitch and play under nearnormal conditions, despite a certain respiratory illness. The team thought so too, and they approached everything we did with enthusiasm and energy. The three College core values of spirit, integrity and resilience were shown all season and everyone can be proud of their contribution. Twenty-six players represented the team in all and it was not uncommon to take a squad of 20+ to a match. What was most encouraging for the squad was the fact that anyone included on match day would play. There were some frustrations: the first was that some schools were not able to field a team at B level; the second was that with a different bounce, a couple of games (Marlborough and Sherborne, both away) could have been wins. Such is life.

I would like to thank Mr Harris for all his hard work coaching and for his refereeing when called upon. I would also like to thank all the parents for their support - it really does make a difference to the players. I do hope that many of them continue to play and enjoy rugby in the Sixth Form.

Jonathan Hughes U15A

With a long period away from contact rugby, the season got underway with the boys itching to make tackles, hit rucks and play as much as possible. The first game against Sir Thomas Rich’s suggested that they should stick to touch as they convincingly won the touch game and controlled tackle game but lost the contact period. Having said that, the opposition did have six boys over six foot and probably 100 kilos! Not to be perturbed by this warm-up match, all the future matches took the full format and the boys truly showed what they were capable of. The team was led by Harry Delaney and Ollie Taylor and the first four matches were convincing wins, including victories over Cheltenham College and Sherborne. With some matches cancelled, the team were perhaps a couple of games lacking in prep before facing Wellington College away and the five minute warm-up did not help matters. The boys went two tries down before fighting back. Matty Dixon was a warrior and as a scrum half showed his forwards how to tackle, and with a superb individual try from

Fin Kandavanam-Lovell, the boys were back in the game. It finished four tries to two and this performance spurred the team on to beat both Marlborough and Millfield.

The National Cup was something of a walkover as we found ourselves in round 4 without having played a match. We faced Sherborne away and managed a gritty 15-0 victory, which took us into the Lent Term to play the next round. Before this we were away at Bromsgrove, and the writing was on the wall when I walked out to see the boys warming up with one ball rather than their usual three. A heavy defeat was not ideal before facing King’s Taunton away, a very tight match. With the scores tied at 19-19, the message was to kick the ball into touch as the away team would win. This easy option was not taken and two missed two penalty kicks allowed King’s to counter attack, but Harry Delaney finally kicked the third penalty to win the game outright.

The quarter-finals of the National Cup took us to Radley College, away. Confidence was high until the warm-up when the boys saw the size of them! They played a rather boring forward-dominated game and mastered the driving maul from their lineout, which contained a 6ft 7in player. The team scored some fantastic tries when they had the chance to attack, notably from Player of the Season Austin Rowe. Unfortunately we were well beaten but this did not mar what had been one of my best seasons as a coach at Clifton (I think there have been 18 so far). Credit must be given to this team who did not rely on superstars but came together as a tight squad and aimed to play some creative rugby and scored some superb tries, with Ollie Harris top try-scorer.

Andrew Wagstaff

U15b

The season began with a mixed format match against Sir Thomas Rich’s. The lack of rugby from the previous year was evident in some unfamiliarity with the rules, such as conversions following tries, but the hard pitches and reduced numbers suited the fast and expansive game the team were looking to play. Some fine team tries and a couple of outstanding individual efforts from Ricardo Thompson demonstrated that there was plenty of talent and potential within the squad. A close defeat to Old Swinford Hospital followed, the teams separated by a single conversion, with Clifton again producing some excellent handling in the backline led by George Herring, and supported by strong performances from the forwards, with Paul Finlay and Oliver Donoghue to the fore. However, a trip to Cheltenham brought the team down to earth despite some determined performances in defence, most notably from Josh Hogwood and Ben Russ. Unfortunately Covid then intervened, leading to the cancellation of a number of fixtures in the run up to half term.

The second half of the season was always going to be demanding, with away fixtures at some of the country’s traditional rugby strongholds. The challenge was compounded with injuries and resulted in two of the side’s most reliable performers, Alex Phelps and Josh Litt, being promoted to the As, an opportunity they grabbed with both hands. Despite heavy defeats to both Sherborne and Wellington, the team continued to produce bursts of exciting attacking rugby, with Barney Pridmore and Billy Rowe developing an effective half-back pairing. To their credit, the squad regrouped admirably to push

Marlborough all the way in their next match before a late try secured it for the visitors. It was a great shame that indiscipline then saw Clifton unable to secure what could have been a memorable victory against Millfield, though some valuable lessons were learned. Throughout this difficult run, the whole squad showed tremendous resilience and perseverance and it was fitting that their effort was rewarded in the final match of the season at Bromsgrove, where a hat-trick from Henry Packham helped Clifton clinch a hard-fought victory.

Clive Jones

U15c

A good term for the Under 15C team in terms of training and development of players. There was a growth in skills across numerous boys in forwards and backs. The awareness of the game of rugby union really improved over the term; they were generally an absolute pleasure to coach and they should be delighted at their efforts. Sadly, we played superior opponents at several schools. Some would not have been able to play us if weight limit rugby was present and we have played lots of teams whose boys have played the sport for more years than some of us. Our results have therefore been disappointing and do not tell the full story. The application, spirit and enthusiasm of our boys at the matches has been outstanding and says a lot about the character within the group. The last 10 minutes away against Wellington, where we restricted their team to their 22 and scored on the five-metre line, is an example of such endeavour. The wins against Taunton and Bromsgrove away have shown our true potential. I would like to thank in particular Marcus Whittley, Tom Weston and Charlie Read for leading the boys in their commitment in matches, Alex Babich for his tackling prowess, and Kun Liu for his running skills. If you keep trying you will improve year on year. Well done!

Jay Gardner & Bogdan Dumitrascu

U15d

It has been a fairly good term for the Under 15D team. There have been several boys who have progressed from the Ds to the Cs as they have learned the basics and shown pleasing ability at rugby as novices. The attitude in the group has been good and the performances against Marlborough and Wellington displayed guts and ability at times. I hope the boys have enjoyed the fitness, games and drills of the sessions as much as their coaches in seeing them develop. Well done!

Jay Gardner & Bogdan Dumitrascu

U14a

Having not played competitive rugby for a couple of years, there was a thought that this year’s Yearlings would take a few weeks to find their feet. The coaches needn’t have worried as this cohort announced themselves onto the circuit with an exciting brand of mature, running attack and bonecrunching defence. Sir Thomas Rich’s and Old Swinford Hospital were victims to Matt Small’s devastating finishing, with eight tries to his name after only two matches. The Ryan Bresnahan Memorial Match against Rugby unfortunately succumbed to Covid but a hastily arranged match against Clifton RFC allowed a few more boys to experience A team rugby and become part of a cohesive and close group. Comfortable wins away to BGS and Cheltenham, including a Will Brown hat-trick, brought the first half of the term to a close.

A memorable tour to Kingsbridge, where the boys enjoyed the delights of South Devon weather in October, proved to be a valuable team building experience.

A match against the hosts was a dominant affair, with Small and Logan Bowden running in four tries each. After the break, the ferocity of the opposition turned up a notch by welcoming Sherborne and Wellington to Clifton. Sherborne raced into an early two-try lead, and the team showed remarkable resilience to fight back to a 30-15 win. Wellington at home was the boys’ first experience of a game on the Close. With Max Jones leading from the front, the team came out 30-10 winners, surely the first of many victories. A trip to old rivals Marlborough brought a 50-15 win before the crunch game against Millfield. Millfield raced into an early lead, but tries from Lewis Popple, Jones and Small secured a famous win. The final challenge was Bromsgrove at home, and on BS1 for the first time. A large and vocal crowd saw Bromsgrove dispatched with the most complete performance of the term and the unbeaten season was achieved! Huge congratulations to all the boys but a special mention to Max Jones for demonstrating superb leadership throughout the season.

Charlie Balfour & Charlie Callander

U14b

This was a really talented group of players who enjoyed an outstanding and unbeaten season. They trained with dedication and great determination and gained hugely by training with the U14As throughout the term and this highlighted a super talented squad of players rather than just the success of the two teams. Early matches were won with conviction and some ease, with the team racking up the points. However, in the second half of term the true calibre of this team emerged. Impressive wins over Sherborne and Wellington College were followed by two fantastic away matches against Marlborough and Millfield. In both the games the boys went behind and looked to be in real trouble, but the resilience shown was superb and those who witnessed it will never forget the try that won the game against Millfield. The boys played a fast-paced and largely passing game, aiming to use the width of the pitch wherever possible. The result was great schoolboy rugby and a real pleasure to witness and coach. They are certainly a set of players to watch over the coming years.

Simon Tait

U14c

The U14C team had a tough season in that they played on a strong circuit and, given the disruption of playing various formats of the game due to Covid, it was hard to get momentum going. The boys all stuck at matches well and trained hard together to really bring on their individual and collective skills. They showed enthusiasm and always gave it their all. Many of the boys showed great resilience when things were not going well and tackled their hearts out. Michael Germaine-Coyne, Hugo Averis, Tom Flavin, Halbie Wagstaff and Ben McKinlay all stand out in this regard. They were very much supported by some strong passing from Oli Hosier and Dylan Danhawoor. Bradyn Chan’s game came on hugely in the forwards and he will certainly be one to watch in the future. The boys played as a team and supported each other throughout. We hope you enjoyed the season and enjoy more success next year - well done!

Nick Luker

U18 Rugby Sevens

The U18 boys finally got their Rosslyn Park squad together the week before the tournament. Sometimes you are a victim of your own success, and with many boys involved in academy rugby, nailing down the squad for the National Schools Sevens proved a difficult task. However, we were good to go and looked good. The draw proved somewhat unkind with our first pool match being against our arch-rival Wellington College, who eventually went on to win the tournament. Sevens is a game of fine margins and having this opening match proved a challenge that came too early, Wellington winning the match 17-10. All now rested on the next match, which needed a big score to put us in with a chance of progressing as best runners-up. A big scoreline of 33-0 against St John’s Leatherhead set up a final match against Eton College. A scoreline with a difference of more than 30 points would secure us a best runners-up. The game was so tense throughout, with the points gap growing with each minute. In the last play of the match, Clifton secured a score of 38-7 and moved into the next day of the competition. The next day’s pool saw us join

Hampton and Ipswich. In order to progress to the semi-finals we needed to win both matches. First up was Hampton and the boys’ best performance of the tournament with some amazing defence to come away winners 28-14. Ipswich then beat Hampton to set up a final pool match with the winners moving into the semi-finals.

With a number of injuries our squad was beginning to become stretched, but the group never failed to surprise the coaches and the game proved a tense, tight affair with both teams looking very tired. It was Ipswich, however, who managed to take the spoils, winning by one score. To come one game short of reaching the semi-finals of the Rosslyn Park Sevens was an outstanding effort and a notable mention must go to Sam Worsley who put in the most amazing sweeping performance in sevens I have seen from a school boy. Well done to the squad of Tomoya NeuwendijkAdachi, Pete Carter, Joe Wooler, Gruff Lloyd, Eamonn Rogers, Sam Worsley, Ellis Davies, Shay Sainsbury, Sam Homer, Tom Gardner, Will Windows, Ollie Buckle and Magnus Allen.

Matt Salter