Aluredian
69
Rugby
Under
14s
by Peter
McKegneyP
re-season sessions looked
promising, with mobile, ballcarrying
forwards, speedy wingers,
plenty of fly-halves, but no centres!
The opening game at Canford
produced a pleasing win, with
Jamie Wild and Blaine Tottle showing pace and
power. A very much under-strength side lost
narrowly to Clifton, but then travelled to
Plymouth to score a record 85 points.
The game away to Blundell's was a disappointing
draw - we didn't really turn up until the last
quarter, then regained the lead, but let it slip on
the final whistle. With Leo Goodman-Jones
restored at centre for the Bristol Grammar School
game, King's really turned it on with six excellent
tries and immaculate place-kicking by Leo. This
was followed by victory over a previously
unbeaten Monmouth team, and easy wins over
local rivals Taunton and Queen's. Between the
local games Truro School came up with a very
strong side to win 29-7, and the final game
against Sherborne was a narrow defeat in an
error-ridden game.
The pack was strong, with Blaine Tottle and
Hamish Manger the stars. Between them they
scored 27 tries. However Paddy Cartwright and
Simon le Gallais worked tirelessly in the second
row. Jamie Wild, Laurie Moorhead at No 8 and
Charlie Rodgers had their moments but will have
to work harder next year. Alex Dunham and
Aaron Dobie also gave of their best in the front
row.
The backs never quite developed the fluency I
was hoping for, partly due to injury. Conor
Bannister and Will Potter were rapid wingers who
made the most of their chances. Conor's power
was complemented by Will's footwork, and Joe
Merriweather was fearless at full-back. Leo
Goodman-Jones, Ben Pritchard and Jack Holmes,
all skillful fly-halves by trade, played in midfield,
but never really clicked as a unit, although as
individuals all caught the eye on occasions.
Harry Sharp was a lively scrum-half, but was
pushed all the way by an
improving Albert Healey. Charlie
Granville showed power and
some pace, but may be better
suited to the pack in future.
Henry Willis also showed
promise in the games he played.
This team were a delight to
coach. They enjoyed their rugby
and wanted to listen, learn and
improve. Blaine Tottle was an
excellent captain, and I have no
doubt they will continue to do
well in the future.
Blaine Tottle scores for the Under 14s
during their 36-7 win against Monmouth
T
he Bs frequently found
themselves up against bigger
opposition, and Canford were
no exception. But skipper
Harry Parkin led by example,
with Bryn Llewellyn and Max
Molle breaching the opposition defence on a
number of occasions. And it was a fantastic
team performance to beat Plymouth 56-0. Try
of the match came from Henry Willis who
touched down after some great forward drives
and a neat sidestep by Harry Parkin.
We showed flashes of brilliance at Blundell's,
but had to cope with the faster opposition's
back line. Nonetheless both Max Germain and
Harry Parkin impressed, and Gilbert Kelsey and
Bryn Llewellyn played well in unfamiliar
positions. For the Bristol Grammar School
match we lost several of our best players to the
As, but put up a brave fight against much
bigger opposition, the final scoreline hardly
reflecting the quality of our performance.
Albert Healey was the stand-out player in the
defeat against Monmouth, but we were back to
our winning ways against Queen's, where we
showed lots of good touches, handling well
despite the wet conditions. Callum Matthews
scored two tries on the wing, and Will Fung
was the pick of the pack.
Taunton School scored two soft tries early on,
but Harry Parkin rallied the troops, and tries by
Will Bishop and Ralph Lawson put us back in
contention. From there on in it was all King's,
as we ran out 39-17 winners, and though we
were later outgunned by a stronger, faster
Sherborne side, it was this win that stayed in
the memory!