Rugby

P14 W5 D1 L8

I was not very optimistic before the season started but the arrival of 5 potential new 1st XV players enhanced what would have been a weak squad. It also increased competition for places and consequently by the end of the season 25 players had appeared for the team. Preseason training was the usual mix of hard work interspersed with the occasional good spirited laugh and as well as welcoming the new players we were glad to have PPC from Australia who has joined the school to coach Rugby and assist with Maths. The season began with the usual game against an OS team all of whom had to be under 19 on the day of the match. This weakened their potential but having said this they scored two tries while we achieved none; however Mark Critchley came to our rescue with 5 penalties and one superb drop goal from outside the 22 from a rather poor drop out by the OS. We therefore eventually ran out winners by 1812. The next game was a scrappy affair in which we were never able to turn our territorial advantage into more then just one try. Our major problem was with the backs who seemed unwilling to run in straight lines but thought they were playing very well because they could pass the ball across the pitch to the winger without dropping the ball, though rarely making the gain line. This was to prove to be one of our major problems which only began to be corrected towards the end ofthe season. Nevertheless we did manage to beat Sir Roger Manwood's 11-3 to record our second victory. Already better then last season ! This was followed by a very tough match against Cranbrook for the Bob Chance Trophy. We in fact played with great courage considering that we spent most of the time on the back foot. Cranbrook were on top form and j udging by their results from the rest ofthe season this was one oftheirbest displays. They ran out winners by 35-0. The next game was against Dover College and one I had earmarked as a victory. In fact formost of the match we were in the lead, had a measure of control in the forwards and our backs were defending well. We were leading 14-10 with 15 minutes to go when James Vincent scored what seemed to us a legitimate try but the Referee was unsighted for an instant and the opposition player lying next to James stole the ball from under his outstretched arm. The referee gave a five m e t r e scrum insteadofatry. Had the try been given I am sure that we would have gone onto win. But to Dover's credit they seemed more determined to win while we were content to hang on and they scored a lovely try from a tap penalty to win 15-14. I was very disappointed with the result but both PPC and myself knew we had a lot of work to do to get rid of apparent softness in the side and to create the will to win. The next game against Reeds College was a similar encounter; a game we should have won on paper but never looked like winning afterthe first five minutes. The result was a depressing and very boring 3-3 draw. The season now appeared to be on the slide and with some tough matches ahead I was a worried man. We went on to lose heavily to Hurstpierpoint 3-34 and Duke of Yorks 5-50 with displays I would rather not remember. Our next game at St. Lawrence College proved to be the turning point of the season. Although we lost 3-35 we put up one of the finest second halfperformances I have seen from a 1st XV. We trailed 35-0 at halftime and after team talk I thought that we would be looking at a 70 odd point defeat. But the side rallied and outplayed the opposition for the rest of the game and with a bit more thoughtful play by the backs could have scored two or even three tries. In the end we had to be satisfied with only a penalty. The first game after halfterm was against Chatham House in which we were caught cold after only one practice. We were not helped by the departure of James Ferris for the rest of the season. The game was a messy and untidy fair best forgotten. I felt optimistic that we could give King's School Rochester a run for their money but some poor defensive errors and a lack of punch up front meant that we were easily defeated; however this was the first game in which Mark Cntchley played scrum half and Martin Slattery had moved from fullback to fly half. They looked a very promising partnership and Martin

Slattery scored an excel lent try from a ruck which had been well set up by the forwards. We put up a very brave display against Emanuel School but in the end were easily beaten 9-31. All the coaching and hard work that the team had put into training came into fruition in the last three games of the season. We beat Kent College in a very tight game with athrilling finish in which we defended our line solidly forthe last five minutes conceding about 10 penalties on many occasions for what I do not know. The forwards had won us a lot ofpossession but the backs did not put it to good use, if they had done so the game could have been easily won before the last five minutes. One moment ofrugby will stick in my mind when Jon Milsted (Capt.) and Chris Thomson were at the centre of a maul that went thirty metres down the pitch but unfortunately when the ball was released our new fly half, who shall remain nameless, kicked the ball away! I was expecting an easy victory against St. Augustine's College but they proved to be a very tough opposition and at the end ofthe game I felt that we were lucky to win 8-0. Then came our best match ofthe season when all aspects of our game came together and our backs at last produced the goods. The game was only five minutes old when a fine move produced a ruck in "gym" comer which was fed quickly down the line to Philip Brown who straightened and then spun awell timed pass to George Horton, in his debut game, to score a fine try in the corner. The rest ofthe halfwas fairly evenly matched but in the last quarter we took control and from two set scrums just inside their 22 we scored two excellent tries down the blindside. The first was a solo effort from Mark Critchley who chipped the ball over the oncoming defence, went onto catch his own kick to score a well deserved try. In a similar position Mark Critchley drew their defence and passed the ball to Khanna who ducked under the covering wingers tackle to scuttle home. So the season finished on a high note with three wins on the trot and with nine of the side returning next season I hope we can start from where we left off ! I would like to thank Jon Milsted for his hard work as Captain. After a poor start he matured into a worthy Captain who led the team through adversity to some credit worthy performances in the last few games. In fact it is a more difficult task to turn a losing team into a winning team. Well done Jon. Mark Critchley was the outstanding player of the season. He started at fly halfbut finished the season at serum half, a position in which I feel he was better suited. His pass was very good and he tackled with more confidence than he did at fly half. He was also our leading points scorer with 66 points. David Wootton (Offside Dave) was one of the most improved players in the side and covered the ground at great speed, sometimes too fast for the Referee. His tackling was brave and gutsy. Leslie Bond did not figure in my plans at the beginning ofthe season but he forced his way into the side and then steadily improved. Ifthere was any loose ball to be won in the line out he was there. He was the most improved player of the year. Piers Cart was a committed team player and one ofthe fittest in the squad. His tackling and cover defence were good and if the backs had used him in attack more effectively he may have added some tries to his overall contribution. Ben Woodcock worked hard throughout the season and stuck to the task of improving his game. He was a brave and determined player. Bobby Pawarwas a new addition to the school from King's School Rochester. He was the only player in the team that consistently made and passed the gain line. Many attacks were set up by one ofhis powerful runs. The other new players to the school ,James Vincent and Tim Watts, made worthy contributions to the side, the latter with a good burst of speed and the former using his height advantage to good use in the line outs. Both should be able to make more telling contributions to the side next year. Martin Slattery proved to be our most versatile performer. He was a back row player for the U 15's but he started the season at fullback were he showed great promise and subsequently, afterthe injuryto James Ferris, he movedto fly half where he also acquitted himself very well, scoring three tries. In which position will he find himselfnext season ! James Ferris also showed great promise as a tenacious runner always looking forthe quick breaks. It was a shame that he was injured in a road accident justbefore half term. I would like to thank PPC for all his help with the 1st XV and we all look forward to more daags next year. ISH as usual has been avery astute adviser; for example suggesting that Martin Slattery could move to fly half. He also did a very good job at running the 2nd XV. I also thank Mick Dodd and his staff for the excellent condition of Stoney, one ofthe best 1st team pitches in our circuit. Finally I would like to give special thanks to RMS both from myself, to whom he has always been a great source of wisdom and from Sutton Valence School Rugby Club for all that he has done to make Rugby a success at the school. His select XV appears at the end of this report.

The following represented the team : Jon Milsted (Capt.), Mark Critchley*, Piers Catt*, Leslie Bond*, David Wootton*, Bobby Pawar*, Ben Woodcock, Martin Slattery, Tim Watts, James Vincent, Ian Harrison, Amit Khanna, Chris Thomson, James Ferris, Nick Bunyan, Philip Brown, Greg Clifford, Giles Cook, Toni Janes, Johnny Tse, Will Hodson, John Delaney, Andrew West. Full colours * Half colours +

0.S. (Palmer Cup)(h) Sir RogerManwood's(h) CranbrookSchool(a) DoverCollege(h) Reeds School (h) HurstpierpointCollege(h) Duke ofYork's School(h) St. Lawrence College(a) ChathamHouse(a) Kings's, Rochester(a) Emanuel (Abbot cup)(h) Kent College(a) St. Augustine'sCollege(h) Sir JosephWilliamson's(h) 18-12 11-3 0-35 14-15 3-3 3-34 5-50 3-35 0-23 7-32 9-31 16-11 8-0 17-3 W W L L D L L L L L L W W W

Senior House Matches Founders Junior House Sevens Westminster Raymond Wickham Kicking Trophy Giles Cook

Finally it is with sadness that I report the death of Raymond Wickham, a stalwart supporter of Rugby atthe school, whom I hadthepleasure of meeting on the touch line on many occasions. His memory will be kept alive thanks to his generous gift of the Kicking Trophy which the boys compete for each year and which he always presented. I am sure that many past winners are grateful for his gift. SKS Under 15 XV, 1995 Season

Brian Little, the managerofAston Villa F.0 ., and not the equally respected ex deputy-headmaster of Sutton Valence presently carrying all before him at Welbeck College, was recently praised to the heavens for turning the fortunes of that club from relegation likelihood to championship contention in a period lasting from December 1994 to December 1995. His winning matches rate was about 40%. Who am Ito complain at the comparable record of a Sutton Valence under 15 XV who won four of their ten matches this season? Disappointed tam, however. While the learning path is never smooth, so long as the gradient is upward, it is always acceptable even if its shape is a little like the teeth on a saw. Far from resembling an assembly ofticks joinedtogether, our performance this season was closer in shape to a capital W. For those still managing to read these notes and for those who may be confused by the word picture, we failed to make sufficient upward progress and the variations in standard were rather too extreme for comfort. The team began well enough with two good wins. Sufficient talent and potential was shown to encour- age us that a good season was assured. From that high point until halfterm our fortunes were to dive down. Teamwork was forgotten. The ability to win the ball was reduced. We developed the knack of playing badly in the first half such that despite many a superb rally in the second, once the oranges had done their work and a session of tough team talking had concentrated the minds, we never were close enough to the opposition score to regain the initiative. We did sometimes lose while looking the better side at the end of the game. Straight after half term we won convincingly and looked sprightly in so doing. Once again we con- vinced ourselves that we could, in the best ofEddie Waring-speak "put up a grandstand finish". Alas, it was not to be that simple. While we did finish in a blaze of glory, there were two defeats to endure first. We all knew where we were weak but, out of politeness to each other, we failed to talk enough about the problems. We were all able to see the faults in others quicker than those in ourselves, or, because we knew we were ourselves lacking in some areas of the game, we were reluctant to dwell on the problems of others. We also knew we had talent. I am grateful we managed to show it in the last match. The season had been a helter-skelter ride for us but it was a great challenge to RMS who worked