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2nd XV
This willing and ultimately
gallant side strove,
unsuccessfully at first, to
understand and enact the crucial
balance between sustained,
spirited aggression and
disciplined, intelligent tactics.
Emphasis in training on developing incisive
lines of running as a result of supporting
players thinking a step ahead paid dividends
later on with the eventual realisation that
not every tackle need become a breakdown
of play. Glimpses of how the team could
begin to rattle even well-drilled, stronger
opposition by attacking directly were
seen both in the pre-season baptism of
fire against Caldicott in December and
then especially in winning the second
half against Moulsford by two tries, when
Pammie Emefiele
ran in a hat-trick of
stylishly elusive breaks. The St John’s Sevens,
where a painfully slow start to the day
eventually blossomed into the format’s
intended enjoyment of playmaking for its
own sake, also helped, but was framed by
losses of fairly tight contests to Lambrook
and Shrewsbury House. These reverses were
mainly due to the reluctance of individuals
to tackle with sound technique and
sufficient heart before unassailable deficits
had already been conceded.
We tried to inculcate the notion that
attack begins with closing down space fast
and defending with bite, but this task was
made harder without the confidence born of
winning. Thus free fall threatened.
At home against Cothill we scored nine
tries, with two each from
Oliver Crawford
,
Amil Folawiyo
and
Oscar Hilton
.This timely,
deserved, well-supported 53-7 victory should
have proved the point that getting and staying
in front is easier and more enjoyable, but a
deluge of hail and sleet immediately before
kick off a week later washed away what was
still only the veneer of success: Horris Hill had
not abandoned their warm up. Preparations
thereafter hit peak intensity, exhortations
included.At Ludgrove, in response to the
command to ‘Return from the field new
men!’, by a collective existential act of will
the team reached the dressing room drained,
triumphant and happy. For we had dominated
a determined opposition, through yet more
rigorous rucking, creative link-ups and now
sharp enough execution near the try-line – all
inspired by a trio of tries from
TJ Amusan
.
If the boys do not underestimate what was
achieved that day, they will continue to re-
build themselves anew.
The other members of the team were:
Joe Standbrook
(c),
Benson Guo
(vc),
Joss Barrie, Jack Cross, Tanitoluwa Edu,
Mem Factor, Vadim Gurinov, Andrew
Heywood, Tom Howard, Sebastian
Howland, Florian Hull, George Lythgoe,
Santiago Mazza, Rory Nell, Marcus Ovey,
Daniel Ponomarenko, Tomi Ojora, Angus
Shepherd-Cross, Bertie Shepherd Cross
and
Alexander Sweetnam
.
KLHN
2nd XV
Opposition
Result
Score
Scorers
Us Them
St John's Beaumont
Cancelled
Moulsford
Lost
28 35
Ajibola, Emefiele x3: Cons - Barrie x4
Lambrook
Lost
5 12
Barrie
St John's Beaumont Sevens
Finished 4th in the Group Stage
Shrewsbury House
Lost
7 31
Factor M: Cons - Barrie
Cothill
Won 53 7
Crawford O x2, Emefiele, Factor M, Folawiyo x2,
Hilton x2, Ojora: Cons - Barrie x4
Horris Hill 1st XV
Lost
5 38
Hilton
Ludgrove
Won 34 14
AmusanTJ x3, Emefiele, Factor M,
Guo B: Cons - Barrie x2
Caldicott Sevens
2ndVII finished 2nd in their Group
“Emphasis in training on developing
incisive lines of running as a result of
supporting players thinking a step
ahead”
S u m m e r F i e l d s
2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6
81