Packwoodian 2013-14 pps 54-71 220914 PRINT_Layout 1 22/09/2014 14:26 Page 11
S P O R T: R U G B Y
Under 11A XII It really is a privilege to take the Colts for rugby here at Packwood. Wide-eyed, determined and fearless, every year these boys charge out of the changing rooms ready to put their bodies on the line. I then get to see them grow and develop as rugby players, dealing with the highs and lows that come with the game. This term was no different. A good mix from Years 5 and 6 made up the Under 11 A side which at first glance looked solid from 1 to 12. An early trip down to Malvern College for a coaching day was a great chance for the boys to pick up some new skills from quality coaching. In the games that followed the boys in green stood fast and, although the ball skills were a little rusty, the tackling was ferocious. The season began with the trip up to SMH where you know the conditions are going to be unpleasant. The match was a corker, with both sides intent on attacking. The strong running of captain William Stanford-Davis and Jacob Jones made sure the green machine was in front at the final whistle. Our next outings were real testers, coming up against two sides who were very able and who had an extra half a term of match toughness. The effort never faltered though, and against a strong Abberley side the team tackled and tackled all afternoon. The home victory over Altrincham Prep was a turning point and gave the team confidence going forward. Our pack was building up steam and the likes of Fred Stephens and Oliver Holcroft in the ‘row’ were terrorising defences. The solid unit of Jones, Stanford-Davis and Shaw showed strength as well as speed around the park, giving the team great ball to attack with. The next fixture was the highlight of the season; the challenge of a strong Prestfelde side stood before the boys and the reaction was so positive. Joe Pattenden playing at 9 was everywhere, Will Shaw never missed a breakdown and James Pickering shut the door on everything that tried to come through the middle. It was an impressive, all-round performance against very dangerous opposition. The team then enjoyed a winning streak right through to the end of the season with another battle against SMH that needed a captain’s performance from Will S-D to drag the team over the line. The Old Hall fixture showed what our wide players could do with the amazing running of Garret Healy, Jack Yeoward and Freddie Cox, three big names for next year. This match also saw very mature performances by Guy Macey at 10 and by Laurie Rathbone at full back, fielding a lot more kicks than usual and returning them with
interest. With their tails up, the boys finished the season playing an expansive game that involved the whole team. The last two matches were played with different rules and in different formats with Packwood coming out on top.
Played 10 Won 8 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 182 Against 109 v St Mary’s Hall v Abberley v Moor Park v Altrincham Prep v Prestfelde v St Mary’s Hall v Old Hall v Birchfield v Rydal v Yarlet
(A) Won (A) Lost (H) Lost (H) Won (H) Won (H) Won (A) Won (A) Won (A) Won (H) Won
28-22 5-28 14-19 15-5 33-7 28-14 17-7 42-7 N/A N/A
I have a lot of fond memories to take away from both training sessions and matches. Thank you to the boys for their hard work in providing those and, in particular, to the captain, William Stanford-Davies – a fine leader who did his talking through his performances and led the team by example. Good luck to those moving up to senior rugby next year and for those of you with another crack at Colts, don’t be late to the first practice! Team: William Stanford-Davis (Capt), Jacob Jones, Will Shaw, Fred Stephens, Oliver Holcroft, Joe Pattenden, Guy Macey, Edward Bayliss, James Pickering, Garret Healy, Freddie Cox, Jack Yeoward, Laurie Rathbone. JM
Under 11B XII Rise up, warriors, take your stand at one another's sides, our feet set wide and rooted like oaks in the ground. (Spartan poet, Tyrtaeus) “Where?” not, “How Played 5 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 4 many?” the Spartans For 68 Against 136 used to ask of their v Abberley (A) Lost 0-33 scouts – where their v St Mary’s Hall (H) Won 49-15 enemies were, not v Shrewsbury High Prep U11A (H) Lost 0-38 how many they were. (H) Lost 5-22 This year has certainly v Prestfelde (H) Lost 14-28 felt like a heroic battle v Old Hall unfolding. The first injury of the season was the coach! The next casualty was Freddie Cox who, having tackled like a demon, was promptly poached by the A team. Gus Ames went upstairs next. Having run in seven converted tries against St Mary’s Hall, the first half of the season revealed plenty of promise and some areas to work on. The mud-ridden second half of the season was our Thermopylae; memorable not for the victories, but the glory of facing superior opponents with your head held high. Captain Oliver Griffiths broke his wrist preparing for a match, then Edward Forde-Johnston went down. We battled on, recruiting from the Cs. We found some outstanding players, Louis Graham in particular who went on to play in the Under 11 Sevens! From adversity came a sense of fraternity, gratitude and humility sadly all too uncommon in modern sports. Rugby, a game for gentlemen? Still so at Packwood. Well done men.
Team: Gus Ames, Oliver Griffiths (Capts), Angus Hill-Trevor, Yuta Umetani, Henry Dickson, Alexander Barry, Max Macey, William Maunder, Fred Dollar, Sebastian Marmont, Freddie Cox, Thomas Dix, Edward Forde-Johnston, Will Tate, Jago Ainslie, Louis Graham. NW Page 63