Five meters short of the line, tackle, jackal, steal, text book stuff. Expecting the refs whistle for a penalty, still expecting, still expecting, it never comes. Still their ball, play moves on, suspected knock on, play to the whistle, just play to the whistle, it will come. It doesn’t, ball fumbled, we’re on the try line, we press for the ball, the try, the win. The ball has other ideas, bounces into their hands and off they go, we chase, but to no avail. They score, they win, we lose, we’re out, knocked out, Nationals over, the dream over for another year.
Five seconds that changed the face of our day, ran our emotions into the ground and ended in absolute heart break. That is sport, the harder you work the luckier you get, but still there are so many variables. We shouldn’t have let them get into the game, we gave them too much space at crucial moments that meant we were in the fight we were in and when the margins are that close the slightest error or fortuitous call, bounce, move can have huge implications on the game.
Still reeling, still in shock, still gutted it’s hard to make light of a day that had gone so well, that had promised so much for this young team. However it was a day filled with success and promise and some wonderful rugby.
After arriving later than planned due to unforeseen navigational issues we had fifteen minutes to warm up and play Y Strade from Wales. With better preparation I think this would have been a win, but a draw it was and it got the day rolling as we needed, no loss, no change in plan, still needed to top the group and so win all our games. After a two hour gap we faced Perins who we had played earlier in the season and who we knew we needed a big score against as other schools had done the same. For this game Bath and Harlequins selectors watched on as our boys set about their task with furious ferocity. Kick off, collect, score, convert, repeat, was the theme for the game as we amassed 64 points to 5. A handsome victory, and an outstanding performance with great tempo, duly noted by the selectors. Next were KCS Wimbledon who had been the U18s undoing in previous years. We knew they had been beaten by Y Strade and so a win was vital. Again the boys set about their task with a 33-7 win. With Colstons then beating Y Strade the group was shaping to be ‘the group of death’ as In at the side had coined it in the pre-tournament build up. Any fault from either of four teams would result in failure. Thankfully we again stepped up and beat Colstons 31-19.
The plaudits rained in from the opposition coaches and the academies commenting on the strength and dynamism of this squad of boys, such high praise does not fall on deaf ears, and it is important the boys know they are being taken notice of and remarked upon. That is what partly makes the defeat to Eton in the last 32 so sickening, we were there, we were in the mix and we fell short. Best of luck to Eton who have a strong team with some quick boys. The if, buts and maybes will reign on for a little while longer, but one thing is for sure, this is a special team, a special bunch of boys, team mates, friends and I expect over the next couple of years to see great things from them.
It has been one of my most pleasurable seasons with a year group, made all the more so by the parents who have travelled all over the country with good humour and ever reliant support taking a huge weight of my shoulders when it came to first aid and medical. If these boys want to, they could go on to do something special, but it comes down to how much they want it, how much are they willing to put in, while balancing commitments. We will be here, we will provide them opportunity, it is for them to take it and to succeed.
Best of luck in your exams boys and final club rugby games, rest up from a school point of view and we’ll see you for 1st XV pre-season next term.
Thank you
RDG
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