7 minute read
Rugby Football
from Feb 1966
by StPetersYork
At 35 the Troop is now the largest it has ever been. The new entry numbered 15, of which four joined as Tenderfeet. These were soon invested and made good progress with their Second Class tests under Plews. The scouts with Second Class started on their First Class training with Map-reading, Tracking and Estimation all completed. We welcome I. L. Boyd as Assistant Scoutmaster, who prepared the scouts with their First Class Badge for taking the Pioneer Badge next term.
On Monday evenings during the term 17 scouts took a course at the Fire Station for the Firefighter Badge and were all successful at the end. They were Blomfield Cantrell, Cooper, Dodd, Buckman, Jervis, Johnson, McIlroy, Martin, 'Phillips, Plews, Powell, Summers, Varley, Willis.
SCHOOL MATCHES
In losing this all-important first school match, the School team never fulfilled the promise of the earlier club matches, and felt seriously handicapped by local conditions—very long, lush grass, heavy with dew—after practising on a dry fast surface.
From the outset we were six points down in as many minutes (a penalty and a try), and throughout the match we had to endure the irritating spectacle of scoring only after Durham had established a clear marginal lead.
For constructive rugby, the School had much the better of the game, but Durham claimed their successes mainly from individual opportunism, for which our back-row forwards were largely to blame.
Clegg, moving left, twice sent Morris over for tries, both very similar, while Atkinson was at hand to complete another good movement and a third try. Emsley's conversion and Harding's dropped goal completed the score for the School, but still three points in arrears.
The School did enough in this game to win any match, but yet committed more than enough mistakes to lose. Team : —Rawlings; Miers, Clegg, Morris, Duckworth; Harding, Emsley (Capt.); Donnelly, Hart, Martinson, Pickersgill, Hardman, Doyle,
Boyd, Atkinson.
Another very poor start—two converted tries to our opponents in the eighth and tenth minutes of the game. Thereafter the team can undoubtedly take credit for stemming what looked like becoming a flood-tide. Indeed, for a period of the second half the pack got well and truly on top, although one could never sense that this superiority would spread to the backs. A penalty landed by Emsley closed the gap, and much of the second half the game hung in the balance. 24
1st. XV, 1965-6.
[Catcheside
Top: C. J. M. Duckworth; C. S. Martinson; N. G. A. Morris; R. F. Harding, Esq.; J. S. Atkinson; R. D. -Harding. Middle: G. F. Hardman ; P. R. H art ; M. Donnelly, (V.-Capt.); D.J. Emsley, (Capt.); W. R. Pickersgill; A. S. Medlycott ; C. W. Clegg. Bottom: P. Abel; T. H. Vickers; J. J. Vooght.
IR. Talbot-Jones
I R Talbot-Jones
The O.P. Match—Hardman jumps in line-out.
IR. Talbot-Jones
The superior speed of the Bradford backs was, however, always much more threatening, and a further penalty, this time for Bradford, finally set the seal on our endeavours. Team : —Rawlings; Miers, Clegg, Morris, Duckworth; Harding, Emsley (Capt.); Donnelly, Hart, Martinson, Pickersgill, Hardman, Doyle,
Medlycott, Atkinson.
This victory might well have been a morale booster. Try-scoring was not a difficult matter against our opponents' high tackling and weak positional sense, but the standard of play and techniques employed deteriorated so much that the game became ragged, confused and frustrating.
The School's start was anything but convincing; indeed, they were lucky not to have been in arrears with a penalty against them, but after Emsley had landed a long-range penalty from mid-field the School's teething-troubles seemed over for the time being, and three further tries followed in quick succession before half-time.
In all, tries were scored by Emsley (2), Clegg (2), Duckworth (2), Morris and Medlycott, with Vooght converting two.
Newcomers Vooght and Groundwater were virtually untried. Team : —Vooght; Groundwater, Clegg, Morris Duckworth; Harding,
Doyle, Medlycott, Atkinson.
v. DENSTONE COLLEGE Played away on Saturday, 23rd October. Lost 11-21.
The last minute retirement of Emsley from the selected team did not omen well for this match, always a severe test at the best of times, but defeat in the end by only 10 points was a due reflection on the team's spirit, which alone at times seemed to be holding our opponents at bay.
Thirteen points to Denstone in the first half was just reward for their superior line-out technique and some incisive running, but with the slight breeze and slope in their favour the School dictated matters more in the second half. Morris gained a fortuitous try which Vooght converted, while a penalty by Vooght and a fine long-range drop-penalty by Harding helped to close the gap.
Vooght played an outstanding game at full-back, but both newcomers Beaumont (for Emsley) and Vickers found the pace a bit hot. Team : —Vooght; Groundwater, Clegg, Morris, Duckworth; Harding,
Doyle, Medlycott, T. H. Vickers.
v. LEEDS G.S.
The Leeds G.S. team came here unbeaten and from the kick-off they showed that, if allowed to do so, their pack could dominate. They forced play down the right-hand touchline and a try was scored in the first five minutes. Only three minutes later a cruel bounce gave Vooght no chance 25
at all and the opposing left winger scored under the posts (8-0). A further penalty against the School for a line-out infringement made it 11-0.
But the School began to fight back quite magnificently, and the forwards won complete control—only the lack of pace in the centre and dropped passes stopped us from scoring a large number of tries. Medlycott, in fact, scored the first try against Leeds G.S. this season.
After the interval Pickersgill scored and it was 11-6. The School hammered away at the Leeds defence which stretched but did not snap. Right at the end, cruelly, play sprang back to our line and Leeds scored a final try (14-6).
St. Peter's were most unlucky to lose this game as for long periods the pack—collectively and individually—played so well that the entire Leeds team seemed to lose all confidence. Team: —Vooght; Abel, Morris, Clegg, Duckworth; Harding, Emsley (Capt.); Atkinson, Hart, Donnelly, Pickersgill, Lazenby, Doyle, Medlycott, T. H. Vickers.
Colours re-awarded to Clegg, Pickersgill and Hart.
Colours awarded to Medlycott.
v. GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL Played away on Saturday, 13th November. Lost 8-12.
Victory for the School still remains elusive and as last year Giggleswick gained victory by the narrow margin of four points.
The School were lucky to find the game equally poised at three points all at half-time, for they had made many mistakes, let in Giggleswick for an unopposed blind-side try, and only managed to draw level with a try by Abel on the left wing after an orthodox movement.
The game sprang to life in the second half when the forward struggle became intense. Giggleswick seemed to have gained a commanding lead with a drop-goal and further try, but a break by Harding sent Clegg over for a try which Emsley converted, and one point stood between the two teams.
The chapter of mistakes, however, continued for the School, and Giggleswick were let in for a last unnecessary try, which settled matters. Team : —Vooght; Abel, Morris, Clegg, Duckworth; Harding, Emsley (Capt.); Donnelly, Hart, Martinson, Hardman, Pickersgill, Atkinson,
Medlycott, Vickers.
v. AMPLEFORTH COLLEGE Played at home on Saturday, 20th November. Won 16-0.
This game was played in treacherous conditions and was won convincingly by the School. The School pack completely dominated the opposition, and the half-backs, Emsley and Harding were able to take good advantage of this.
Despite great territorial supremacy, the School's only score in the first half was a try by Clegg, converted by Emsley. In the second half, however, the constant pressure of the School forwards produced three more tries. Two of these were opportunist tries by Duckworth; Emsley converted
