It was a successful week for the Shiplake rugby teams; after a few difficult games against rivals, the teams ended half term mainly on a high, delivering some good results and showing what the training and experience had all been for.

Rugby

1st XV 22-10 Mill Hill School

Thank you to Mr Tom Armstrong and 1st XV Captain Finn Arbuckle for the following report of a highly successful game against Mill Hill:

‘It is a genuine test of character to continue to get back up when you have been knocked down, time and time again. After what has been a really testing first few weeks, character was exactly what was needed from the boys in the Shiplake 1st XV, both throughout the training week as they prepared for the final game of the half term against Mill Hill, and indeed on Saturday morning itself. From Monday through to Friday, each training session left us feeling more and more rejuvenated, as we built on the lessons learned in weeks past, and committed to making the adjustments needed to threaten a victory.

From the moment we arrived at Mill Hill, it was clear that there was a different buzz about the group and the pre match preparations showed promising signs. The whistle blew to start the game and there followed twenty or so minutes of nail biting rugby, with both teams looking dangerous in attack and clinical in defence. It was the Shiplake backline however, that looked to have the upper hand and the hard work from the forwards that created the space which allowed the likes of Will Gresswell, Rhys Edwards and Callum James to look so threatening. After a few very near misses, the team found themselves in the opposition’s twenty-two once again, and following a great surge forward from Joachim Ridley Barker, which put the Mill Hill defence on the back foot, Casper Wise released quick ball to the backline, ultimately putting Callum James in great position to score a fantastic opening try. 5-0 Shiplake College. Perhaps enthusiasm got the better of us after registering the opening points though, because guards dropped and Mill Hill answered with their own try off the restart. They converted to take the lead and then shortly before the half-time whistle, took advantage of a kickable penalty to go into the half 10-5 ahead.

At half time Joe Tucker, Joe Booth, Harvey Hendry and Captain Finn Arbuckle came on to play their first rugby after concussions sustained three weeks before at Pangbourne. They were joined by Ross Johnstone, recently back from an injury to his thumb. In the half time analysis we called for calm and reinforced the notion that strength of character was key to regaining ascendancy. The score remained 10-5 for some minutes, but ultimately, the second half was soon to become ours. We put pressure on the Mill Hill forwards and Henry Birdsey and Seb Rivett, among many others, did a great job at moving the ball forward at the breakdown. Finn Arbuckle was clearly thrilled to be back on the pitch, tackling voraciously and ever eager to run at the opposition with ball in hand. It was not long before we secured our next try, this time from Harvey Hendry on the other wing, who completed an excellent attacking phase with a great individual effort. 10-10.

The Shiplake boys continued to pile on the pressure until Joe Booth took the team into the lead with a lovely snipe around the blind side of the ruck, 5 metres from the Mill Hill try line. Shiplake 15 – Mill Hill 10. The try of the day came not long afterwards, this time from Will Gresswell, who ran from his own half and cut through several would-be tacklers. This was converted by Joe Booth to bring the score to 22-10, with only a couple of minutes left on the clock. This was to be the final score and the elation on the faces of the Shiplake players was fantastic to see as the whistle blew to signal their well-earned victory.

There were many stand out performances on Saturday morning and special mention should go to Sam Wisely, who’s commitment and game management at full back, was excellent. Will Gresswell looked threatening every time he had the ball and Miles Bridgeman’s kicking from hand made sure that we put huge pressure on the opposition every time we were awarded a penalty. The whole forward pack worked tirelessly and created the scoring opportunities for the four backs – something we focussed on all week. Indeed, we played wide rugby, and it paid off. Interim team manager Mr Jonnie Howorth added his praise at the end of the match, commenting on how much he had enjoyed watching the game and the team effort that was on display from start to finish. All those who took part should rightly feel very proud of the win and we now eagerly look forward to our fixture with UCS, after the half term, determined to maintain this current trajectory.’

2nd XV 44-19 Mill Hill School

Thank you to Mr David Sharkey for the following report on a successful match against Mill Hill School:

‘"Win the moment in front of you right now." Paul O'Connell

We know from previous games - see last week's report versus Cranleigh - that the scoreboard does not tell the whole story; how very true of this match. It was hard-fought and created by a team willing to work hard for each other and win each moment play-by-play. This performance was no accident: it was borne out of a series of focused and productive training sessions all week. Mr Mallins spoke after the game of it being the best 'team performance of the year so far' and few who saw the game would argue with him. The team had worked hard this week on the tackle technique, playing 'heads up' rugby and recycling the ball through a series of phases. The opening exchanges of this fixture gave us plenty of opportunities to test these areas as Shiplake were put under Mill Hill pressure from the off. The visitors were able to weather the storm and when they got a foothold in Mill Hill territory, they seized their chance. A quick tap from scrum-half Harry Rees sent Ollie Potter charging towards the home side's line. A clever draw and pass put Lucas Smyth (making his 2s debut) into space and he took contact but not before offloading to Rees in the tackle. An excellent cover tackle may have denied Harry the score but not the offload and nothing could stop James Crozer who finished off the mesmerizing move by touching down for the game's first try. A swift reply from the hosts showed this would not all be one-way traffic for Shiplake. The battle of the breakdown was immense as Oli Greco, (2s debutant) Ieuan Thomas and Justin Van Veuren ensured Shiplake quality ball from which to work. Powerful carries from Jack Peck (on his debut for the 2s) had Mill Hill scrambling to stop their line being breached. Unfortunately for the home team, they could not stop the thunderous Hugh Rutledge from crossing for a score. Another industrious display by Tom Hallam, who tackled with a constant ferocity, meant the home side never had a moment's peace with the ball in hand. Such pressure, along with great efforts on the floor from pack-leader Tom Paine meant Shiplake were able to turnover quick ball and put Brad Wilkins over for a try. If the first half appeared to be Shiplake's, then Mill Hill would have something to say about that as they pounded the visitors' defensive line desperate for a score. Some lacklustre and uncharacteristically poor tackling from Shiplake allowed the home side over the line and to half time with a score line of 14-17.

The second half begun at the same intense pace as the first had ended and both sides had good opportunities to seize the initiative. Neither side could and it was a well kicked penalty from Lucas Smyth about 15 minutes into the half that kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Then the deadlock was broken.

Quick passing from replacement scrum-half Lewis Bishop added to the pack's great efforts at the breakdown. Great carries - from 2s veterans James Vizard and Jack Douglas - gave Shiplake good field position deep in Mill Hill territory. A deftly weighted cross-field kick from outhalf Ollie Potter put the speedy Harry Rees over in the corner. Sensational line breaks by centres Will Parton and Lucas Smyth along with clinical distribution from Potter meant the Mill Hill backline were chasing shadows for much of the second half. Brad Wilkins' show-and-go started a 50 yard break from the kick-off was one of the season's highlights so far. Two tries apiece for Lucas Smyth and Jack Douglas meant the game was now beyond Mill Hill who showed their fight with a late score. This was a great collective effort that generated a fantastic team performance and was hugely rewarding for all involved. We look forward to pushing ourselves even more when we return after half-term.’

U16B 33-28 Leighton Park

Mr Alex Duncan and Mr George Miller provide the following report from a successful match against Leighton Park:

'A record crowd, made up of the U16A and C squad alongside our loyal parental fans, saw the U16Bs win a remarkable game of rugby. The match had everything: Tries, conversions, big scrums, competitive line-outs, classic tackles, superb off-loads, pride, ability, jinking runs…and even a pitch invasion in the form of an overly interested rabbit!

The game started with Shiplake firmly in control and two tries up after 15 minutes. However, Leighton Park came back at Shiplake and the pace of the opposition wingers caused Shiplake to bust lungs in defense. The contest continued to ebb and flow with scores at both ends including a fine finish from Joe Kerrison after Joe Ruffle and Will Brunning set him up in stylish fashion with quick feet and hands. Shiplake were seemingly in control with 10 minutes left but with the score at 33-21 Leighton Park refused to give up. After crossing the line with 4 minutes to go the visitors were just one try behind. They banged on the door but some seriously heroic last-ditch tackles from all over the field meant time slipped away for the travelling team. Shiplake were victorious and were greeted with rapturous applause from everyone including the opposition and their coaches. The tunnel and final squeeze at the end of the match must have felt very good for this ever improving side.'

U16B 36-24 Mill Hill

Following a successful match against Leighton Park the U16Bs took on Mill Hill on Saturday Mr Alex Duncan and Mr George Miller provide the following report from another successful game for this burgeoning side:

'Another home game and the 2nd XV pitch is starting to feel like a fortress. Shiplake dominated the scrum once more and the backs play in the game was impressive, with numerous breaks, including from Oliver Dorrell, making his first start of the season. An early try from Luke Tremayne calmed the nerves and further scores from Lucas Brooks were making it look like a comfortable morning. However, like in previous games, some mistakes crept in and Mill Hill replied via an interception. With the score 17-7 at half time, Shiplake knew they must up their intensity…and boy did they! Some huge tackles and a very even contest followed until Lucas scored his hat-trick, topping off a fine performance. Mill Hill struck back again though with some ill-disciplined off-sides by Shiplake. However, a win was out of reach for Mill Hill and Richard Adams scored a superb individual effort from number eight to seal the win. Another fine performance and many stood out for doing the ‘unseen’ work of tackles and rucking. Congratulations to the whole squad.'

U15A 40-15 Mill Hill School

Mr Richard Curtis writes the match report from another successful match for Shiplake:

‘With a couple of players returning from injury the U15A squad were in positive mood going into the match with Mill Hill after a run of three defeats. And straight from the first whistle Shiplake got into their stride moving the ball down the right hand channel before sweeping back left and cutting the opposition’s midfield apart in that movement to score under the posts. As usual, that was the cue to sit back and see what the opposition had to offer and it was not long before the U15s were on the back foot conceding penalty after penalty and eventually a well-worked try. The game then ebbed and flowed with both sides picking up the odd score here and there with Shiplake going into half time with a 11-point lead at 26-15.

Rationalising their game in the second half, the U15As picked up two more well-worked tries and kept the opposition at bay, beating back wave after wave. A great victory and a very nice way to end the half term. Final score 40-15.’

U15B 10-27 Mill Hill School

Thank you to Mr James Arney for the following report:

‘The U15Bs were missing several of their forwards so the battle in the rucks and mauls was always going to be hard-fought. Mill Hill’s pack were much larger than ours and despite a valiant defensive line they managed to put 3 tries on the board before half-time, and one more just after the break. Shiplake were the more skillful side however, and the forwards really stepped-up their efforts. Shiplake came back to score two superb tries. The first from Max Weinreich and the second, an inspired move off the back of a line-out, scored by Jack Powell. However, Mill Hill capitalized late on, and in the end it wasn’t sadly to be for the U15Bs.’

U14A 33-24 Mill Hill School

Thank you to Director of Sport Mr Duncan Traynor for the following report from a successful game against Mill Hill School:

‘After a great performance against Cranleigh (despite the result) Shiplake were hungry for a win. Mill Hill won the toss and decided to kick off, after Shiplake gave away a penalty Mill Hill spotted a gap in the Shiplake defence and went over the corner. But Shiplake didn't let that get the better of them as they quickly replied with a try from James Burgess. Then soon after that the Shiplake forwards ran some hard lines that gained Shiplake some vital metres, then when the backs got the ball wide to Theo Fewtrell, Theo finished off a great counter attacking try for Shiplake. Then once again Shiplake got caught on the back foot once again and Mill Hill went over to bring the teams level. Then just before the break Shiplake went over again to head into halftime with the lead, but knowing it was by no means going to be an easy second half.

As the second half kicked off Shiplake were straight away stuck in their own 22, which after a strong 5 minutes of defensive pressure on the Mill Hill attack they eventually went over to again bring the scores level. With not long to go Theo Fewtrell went over again to give Shiplake an 2 point lead with around 2 minutes to go. Mill Hill were Attacking once again in the Shiplake 22 with 2 minutes to go which demanded a strong defensive performance from Shiplake. But then Archie McArthur turned the ball over with Mill Hill defence not being defensively organised James Burgess made a burst down the wing then offloaded the ball off to Alex Bartlett who used his pace to get away from the defenders and seal the win for Shiplake in the last play of the game. The final score being 33-24, the whole team played brilliantly but special mention to Theo Fewtrell who was awarded man of the match.’

U14B 10-10 Our Lady Abingdon School

Mr Duncan Miller provides the following report from Wednesday’s match against Our Lady Abingdon:

‘On a sleepy autumnal afternoon, the U14B team travelled to Our Lady Abingdon school, eager to improve upon a hefty defeat to Cranleigh last weekend. Despite some promising spells of early possession, the opening five minutes did not go quite according to plan, and some sloppy turnovers resulted in OLA breaking through the Shiplake defence to score in the corner. However, after a rallying team talk from assistant coach Muhley, Shiplake started to control the game with some excellent ball retention. Toby Coles marshalled the backs excellently from 10, and some hard running and rucking from Sam Green, Sam O’Brian and Olly Rouse-Roberts ensured they kept moving forwards. This momentum eventually resulted in a try, when Ben Day broke the line and popped the ball to Will Symons, who then offloaded to Adam Hunt to score his first try of the match. 5-5 at half time.

A ferocious start to the second half for OLA meant that Shiplake were once again a try behind. However, they soon galvanised and began to play their best rugby of the match. Some strong running from Freddie Diver and Harry Clark allowed the backs to throw the ball around, and a moment of magic from Harrison Tunn (involving him gathering his own chip kick) led to Adam Hunt scoring his second try of the game. With the scores level, Shiplake were pushing hard for the win, but just couldn’t get over the line for a third time. Despite dominating the second half, OLA nearly stole victory from the jaws of a draw, but two fantastic tackles from full-back, Joe Duncalfe, kept the scores level. Final score, 10-10.’

U14C 29-31 Mill Hill School

Mr Aled Elmore provides the following report on what was an incredibly close match for the U14Cs:

‘It was a misty Saturday morning at Shiplake where the U14Cs did battle with Mill Hill. Barely 3 minutes into the fray, Mill Hill scored, followed quickly by another try. Eager to avoid a repetition of the match against Cranleigh, the team returned to the pitch, with renewed vigour and determination. James Radford and Freddie Westbrooke-Burr scored three tries between them. A close match ensued from here, and among the scrums and penalties the leading score swung back and forth as each new try was seized. The game was incredibly close; it was only by one conversion that Mill Hill seized the victory.’

U12A 50-5 Our Lady Abingdon School

Mr Tom Crisford provides the following report from another successful game for Shiplake’s U12A:

‘The U12A team played a very inexperienced Our Lady Abingdon team on Tuesday, which was a real opportunity for the team to put into place some of the work that we have been doing on the training pitches. The team produced some entertaining rugby, moving the ball with accuracy and pace and the OLA team struggled to keep up with the skill that Shiplake was demonstrating. Despite some impressive moments there is still plenty to work on, as on occasions the wrong decision was made as to when to take the ball into contact or when it should have been passed along the line. There will be much tougher tasks ahead for the boys but with a convincing score line of 50-5 there is plenty of positives to be taken from this game.’

U12B 7-5 Our Lady Abingdon School

James Perry provides the following report from a successful match for the U12Bs:

‘Shiplake started off badly in the first half, where Our Lady Abingdon managed to score five tries. Shiplake’s Matthew Grundy responded with two tries. However, we made a great comeback in the second half, with Alex Wilson and Harry Wood getting past a number of the rival’s players and scoring three further tries, meaning the game ended 7-5 to Shiplake.’