On the afternoon of Wednesday 16 October, the 1st XV ran out in front of the whole school to thunderous applause to play their annual Davies Shield rugby match against Aylesbury Grammar School. With Next Gen XV once again providing live stream and commentary, the atmosphere was electric.
Shiplake started well, pinning Aylesbury back with some strong attacking play and a well organised defensive effort. However, early penalties allowed AGS to relieve the pressure for the first 10 minutes and it was a defensive error at the lineout which saw AGS score a well-worked try, breaking through the centre channel and chipping to score in the corner. The home crowd were stunned into silence, but the 1st XV rallied and were led by some big carries up front from F Partridge and W Rider, and marshalled around the pitch by the pair of E Jones and A Mullens.
Eventually, Shiplake began to open up the AGS defence. Quality play, fast recycling of possession, powerful running, and some great offloads began to take its toll on the opposition and it wasn't long before W Rider and F Partridge both crashed over the line to give Shiplake a lead, swiftly followed by some great linking play between the forwards and scrum-half E Jones. At the half-time break, Shiplake went in leading AGS 19-5.
The second half started in the same vein with Shiplake on the front foot and AGS rarely getting a touch of the ball and being met with fierce defence when they did get their hands on it. It didn't take long for Shiplake to add three more tries to their tally with full-back O Perkins joining the attack and A Mullens finishing off a brilliant day with a brace of tries to put AGS away. Aylesbury rallied late in the game to make the scoreline 38-17 but overall, it was a dominant display by the boys in maroon and white and tremendous support from the whole school, particularly the lower school who were loud throughout the fixture. A huge thank you must also go to the grounds, maintenance, and marketing teams for their support and input in the weeks leading up to the event.
Report: Mr R Edwards, Director of Rugby
Flickr album: Davies Shield Rugby 2024 |
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