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DOUAI Rugby 1960 to 1969
1960-1961
P 18 W 3 D 2 L 13 F 87 A 170
After three highly successful season, a drop in standards was not
unexpected this year. We managed to win 3 School matches out of 14,
played in the two terms. But the team was not as bad as the bare
figures suggest, and of the defeats, only three, Whitgift, and
tourists, Terenure and Castleknock, were by large margins.
The scrum was a lively and efficient unit, but a little short of
weight. Add to that, the weather was pretty horrendous throughout, and
the boys found that their energy was used up in trying to hold their
opponents. However, M J O'Kane's hooking was superb, and he was rarely
out-hooked. He was supported by L Gordon-Stables and T M Haigh as
props, the former playing with great fire in all phases of the game. R
J Bond and D J Power worked hard in the second row, and the latter
should be a great asset next year. J S Cochrane, Capt., in the back row
was outstanding, his tackling most decisive, and his pack leadership
was also good. But N E Cetti and D W Soulsby were slightly
disappointing. Cetti, showed outstanding promise as a Colt, but it was
never fully realised. Soulsby is young, and next season we shall expect
more of him.
We had hoped that the backs would be the stronger department, but
they were well below par. G P Geoghan, filled the scrum half position
admirably, but last year's fly half, J S Philipson, lost his place to F
Murphy-O'Connor, because of injury, and could not regain it. E D Carter
and A P Marshall in the centre tackled wholeheartedly, but their
handling let them down, and too often they were caught in possession.
On the wings E C Osborn may well develop into a good wing, but he lacks
rugger sense and confidence. F Aung, on the other side, ran well, and
was always willing to go from defence to attack.
For the full back, D J Haile, this was a busy and successful season,
always sound and steady, but he also tried to come into the line when
it was available.
The team did not get too depressed by their defeats, although they did
become a little too defence minded. The Colts who were bloodied in the
Easter term, acquitted themselves well, and next year..... but perhaps
it is dangerous to prophesy!
Colours were awarded to D J Haile, L Gordon-Stables, D W Soulsby, N E Cetti, and M J O'Kane.
The match against the Old Dowegians was lost 0 -3, to a far heavier
pack, and some excellent backs. The School tackled manfully throughout,
but in the end C H Huntley found his way through to touch down.
Old Dowegians: M Horgan; J Anderson, R Barnsley, C R Segal, M Walshe;
D(?) Allanson, K Murphy-O'Connor; M Whetter, S Gonzalez, T Price, P
Berry, P Cranfield, C J Morton, C Hopkin, C Huntley.
School: D J Haile; E C Osborn, E D Carter, A P Marshall, F Aung; F
Murphy-O'Connor, C P Geoghan; L Gordon-Stables, M J O'Kane, T M Haigh,
R J Bond, D J Power, J S Cochrane,Capt., D W Soulsby, N E Cetti.
1961-1962
P 16 W 4 D 0 L 12 F 93 A 238
Hopes ran high at the beginning of the season, as we had four regular
members of last year's scrum. D J Power, Capt., T Haigh, D Soulsby, and
H Duncan. To these could be added, J Head, who played in several games.
Outside the scrum, F Murphy-O'Connor and E C Osborn had also remained.
Others were on the fringe and had played on occasion, last year. "What,
then, went wrong?" asks my correspondent.
Without doubt, the absence of the Captain, through illness until
November, was a great handicap. D Soulsby, at vice captain, gave of his
best, always played hard, but was not as forceful a leader as D J
Power. Individually the team looked good, but they gave up too easily
when the going got tough, and this failure to fight on was the most
noticeable against Kingswood, Terenure, the Old Dowegians, and Nautical
College Pangbourne, when the School conceded heavily with a few minutes
to go.
Among the backs, P Fletcher on the left wing was the outstanding
player. His covering and tackling were outstanding, and in attack he
developed a very effective swerve. On the other wing E C Osborn was
disappointing. Probably the fastest runner the School has ever
produced, he rarely seemed so, slow into his stride, and though he did
shine on a couple of occasions, he lacked finesse. G Groundwater played
some good games in the centre, with his pace and evasive running, and
more will be expected next year. In the other centre position, N
Groundwater continued to be injury prone, and was only available for
three matches. H Duncan, a wing forward by preference, had to slot in
to the centre, which he did cheerfully. F Murphy-O'Connor and J
Greenwood slotted in as half backs, and R Wilson took over as full
back, where he inspired confidence by his cool courageous displays.
The forwards lacked a certain amount of weight in the tight, and
although they were often hard pressed, they gave a good display, -
until, however, they potentially "blew up" at the end of the match.
D Power, Capt., deserved much praise for his efforts, and for his
leadership when he did much to rid the team of its lethargic approach.
Colours were awarded to: D Power, F MurphyO'Connor, P Fletcher, H Duncan.
The match against the Old Dowegians was a struggle for the School.
A strong Old Boys side gave them little chance, and with Segal,
Allanson and Horgan in full flow, with the speedy Aung outside them,
the School lost 0-35.
Old Dowegians: B Waghorn; F Aung, C R Segal, M J Horgan, D Haile; D
Allanson, K Murphy-O'Connor; M Whetter, M O'Kane, C J Morton, P G
Cranfield, C Hopkins, J Renn, A Rawlingson-Plant, S Hughes.
School: J Simmons, (R Wilson); P Fletcher, G Groundwater, N
Groundwater, E C Osborn; F Murphy-O'Connor, J Greenwood; T Haigh, D A
O'Kane, A Cox, D J Power, N Newberry, D W Soulsby, J Head, H Duncan.
Sevens - We entered two tournaments. At Esher we were eliminated
by Whitgift, the eventual winners, in the semi-final, having beaten
Reigate G.S. 5-3, Selhurst G. S. 11-5, and Cranleigh 13-8.
The team was A Cox, D Soulsby, N Newberry, M Storey, F Murphy-O'Connor, P Fletcher and E C Osborn.
At Roehampton we were beaten in the first round by Taunton 3-15. Nevertheless, a good showing, all round.
1962-1963
P 13 W 2 D 0 L 11 F 78 A 152
"Judged solely by results, the XV might be written off as a poor side -
this would be unjust". So says my Correspondent in the Magazine. After
the first collapse in the opening match the side rallied, and on many
occasions played very good and entertaining football.
E C Osborn, Capt., was the fastest player we have ever had at Douai,
but, yet again, he did not use his speed to his advantage. As a
Captain, however, his cheerful approach kept the side together, so that
they always played hard to the end of each match.
(Ted Osborn is yet to become our second Rugby Blue, at Oxford
University, after R M Cooper, who achieved his Blue just before the
war).
However, on to the Rugby. Osborn's tackling had improved greatly since
last season, and he and D M Smallwood (on the other wing), showed elusiveness
and hard running, until it was found necessary to move him to centre. G
T Groundwater normally at centre, pulled a muscle, and was off games for
some time. The other centre became C R Reichler, who with a good football
brain, should do well next year. E J Lange, at full back, proved a dependable
player and improved throughout the season.
F Keane displaced the regular scrum half, J Greenwood, and had P C
Jeffrey as his fly half partner, slightly built, and the rather heavy
marking he suffered undermined his confidence, as the season wore on.
The forwards all played so well together, as a pack, but C P Nicoll at
open side, with J Houston, who led the pack from the number 8 position,
were outstanding. S F Pearce at hooker also got his fair share of ball,
as did A V Dow in the lineout. W Woollett on the blind side was also a
hero.
So, this season has shown how statistics can lie - and how a team can
bounce back, after a less spirited side would have been left in despair.
Colours were awarded to: C P Nicoll, J Houston, S F Pearce, W Woollett, G T Groundwater, and D M Smallwood.
The match against another strong Old Boys team showed a loss of
3-20. All the Old Boys team were playing serious Rugby outside Douai, -
and it showed!
M J Horgan; J Anderson, P S Griffith, D J Allanson, F Aung; F
Murphy-O'Connor, Rev D Welch, A H Renn, S J Hughes, J M O'Kane, C J
Butler, D J Power, P M Griffith, P G Cranfield, J S Cochrane.
School: E J Lange; D M Smallwood, G J Young, G T Groundwater, C R
Reichler, E C Osborn Capt.; P C Jeffrey, F Keane; R W Dennis, S F
Pearce, M W Whitewright, P J Rice, A V Dow, W Woollett, J Houston, C P
Nicoll.
Sevens - At Roehampton we were beaten by Perse 15-6 in the first
round. In the South East Sevens we lost to Sevenoaks 11-3 also in the
first round. In the plate Competition we reached the semi-finals,
beaten by Bancrofts.
1963-1964
P 15 W 11 D 2 L 2 F 148 A 74
This side was a good one by any standards, and as a team it must rank
with some of the best that Douai has produced. We have had players of
greater ability, but rarely had a XV in which every member has backed
up his fellow players so well.
The chief credit for the success must go to C P Nicoll, Capt., whose
match play was exemplary and his spirit at practice did much to create
the cheerful and willing spirit which permeated the side. It is perhaps
no coincidence that this XV put more effort and energy into its
practices than any since M J Horgan's sides of 1957 and 1958.
With no great speed in the backs, G Young, on the wing was no slouch,
and the midfield were quick off the mark, with the ability and constant
alertness to take passes quickly and change direction at the same time.
Of the 38 tries scored, F Keane scored 11, but eleven other members
also scored at least one each. We were sadly lacking a good place
kicker. P C Jeffrey kicked well in practice, but lost confidence as the
season progressed. In fact, only 8 of the tries were converted.
The stronger department of the side was the pack, and the front row of
E Neville, A Aung and J Smith was exceptionally strong and efficient. R
A Gude and J C Giles in the second row, got through a lot of work,
noticed and unnoticed, and there was nothing wrong with the engine
room.
C P Nicoll, J Clouston and P D Carter made up the back row, and for all
round efficiency must compare well with the best packs Douai has
produced.
P C Jeffrey, at full back, played well, - and occasionally very well. C
R Reichler's experience in the latter part of the year when he was
still in the Colts, showed, and he ran with great determination,
scoring several tries. A J Nicoll, the other centre, had a good eye for
an opening and his tackling was a feature of the season. A J Austin,
with very good rugger sense, used it to keep moves going when all
seemed lost. A P Fletcher improved with each game, playing with F
Keane, at scrum half, who was always aware of the chance of a quick
dash for the posts.
Colours were awarded to: P C Jeffrey, C R Reichler, G J Young, A P
Fletcher, F B Keane, A C Aung, J R Smith, J G Giles, and P D Carter.
The match against the Old Dowegians was lost, by 0-27. The Old
Boys were exceptionally strong this year, and with players like C R
Segal, D J Allanson, M J Horgan and M J Welch all playing well, the
School were really under the cosh.
Old Dowegians: C R Segal; F A Aung, D Allanson, M J Horgan, P R
Fletcher; F Murphy-O'Connor, M J Welch; D O'Kane, T W Price, C J
Morton, D J Power, P G Cranfield, S J Hughes, C J Butler, A
Rawlinson-Plant.
It was round about this time that the Old Boys decided to get serious,
and try to send a team to Twickenham in the National Sevens. They very
nearly achieved the necessary qualification!
School: P C Jeffrey; J G Young, C R Reichler, A J Nicoll, A J Austin; A
P Fletcher, F B Keane; E P Neville, A C Aung, J R Smith, J G Giles, R A
Gude, J Clouston, P D Carter and C P Nicoll, Capt,.
Sevens: In the Surry Sevens, we were beaten by Trinity, Croydon,
in the first round. At Roehampton, with a full team, we beat Crypt
11-0. In the second round, Rydal were too fast for us, and beat us 11-0.
1964-1965
P 14 W 8 D 2 L 4 F 169 A 83
With an entire new back division to find, a season of only average
results was expected, but in the event, the team was only defeated
twice against Schools, and ended on a high note, by beating
Castleknock, who later won the Leinster Schools Cup, by beating
Blackrock in the final.
E P Neville, Capt., was a fine Captain, and his example welded the XV
into a very strong team, even though they were lacking experience
throughout. With M McCabe, and P Hussy, he formed a solid front row,
with R A Gude and M Robinson just behind them. P D Carter at number
eight completed the back row with M Smith and S Sinclair.
We were not so rich behind the scrum, however. J Clouston, who played
wing forward last year to Keane's scrum half, returned to his normal
position of scrum half, and he played extremely well, and was the
leading scorer with six tries. J Kerr at fly half, showed fine
attacking sense on many occasions, but needs to improve his defence. W
Reading and D Reddin-Clancy filled the centre positions adequately, and
their defence was always sound. W Olivier and W Osborn played on the
wings, the former being elusive, while the latter too often tried to
cut inside when his speed would have taken him past his opponent.
E Neville was to be congratulated on the way he brought out the best in the XV, and united them into a proper team.
The Old Dowegians match was again lost, but not by much, 6-11. It
was again, a strong Old Boys team, with several players at the top of
their game. C R Segal, D J Allanson, M J Horgan, and P G Cranfield were
still there, plus a number of more recent leavers.
Colours were awarded to: J Clouston, M McCabe, M D Robinson, and R A Gude.
School: A Borbolla: W D Olivier, W J Reading, D Reddin-Clancy, W J
Osborn; J D Kerr, J Clouston; E Neville, M McCabe, P S Bussy, M D
Robinson, R A Gude, S M Sinclair, P D Carter, M Smith.
Sevens : We can report little success. We entered two competitions in
addition to the Public Schools at Roehampton, but were eliminated in
the first round of all of them. The experience showed that only by
practicing extensively, would the School be up to speed.
1965-1966
P 15 W 8 D 3 L 4 F 147 A 69
The XV enjoyed a successful season winning seven and drawing three of
the 13 school matches. S M Sinclair, Capt., was a great success as
skipper. Always giving of his utmost, he brought the best out of his
team by example and encouragement.
In the backs, however, J Kerr at fly half broke his ankle at the
Beaumont match, after he had shown great penetration, and this proved
to be a blow from which the backs never fully recovered from.
The backs, in fact were swapped around somewhat. J Gorman who had
looked a likely replacement for Kerr, ended up at full back. P
Usher-Somers eventually came into the hole, and all was well
thereafter. W J Reading and D Reddin-Clancy played some good games, and
their defence was sound. Reading ended up playing for Hampshire School,
and Clancy played for London Irish Schools in the Christmas holidays. W
Osborn on the wing runs with determination, and was the leading try
scorer, whilst E J Hoogewerf on the other wing, lacked a little in
confidence, but showed us memorably, a side-step, a swerve, and a great
scoring run against Oratory.
Of the forwards, one can only say that they ranked well against the past
Old Boys, and of the colours who were awarded, six of them went to the
forwards. To single out any of them would be an invidious task, when they
worked so well together, but P F Ashforth, should be mentioned - one of
the very few who achieved their colours whilst still a Colt! He played
for the under 19 Sussex schools team!
S M Sinclair, who was also chosen as captain of the London Irish
Schools team, led a very enjoyable season for all connected with the XV.
The match against the Old Boys was lost again this year. It was played
on the Monastery pitch, on a bit of a bog - but two tries by M J Welch
did the damage, and the Old Boys won 3-9.
There is no record of the team, but M J Welch, D J Allanson, J
Clouston, and J Philipson are all mentioned, so it must have been yet
another strong side.
School: P Usher-Somers; E J Hoogewerf, D M Reddin-Clancy, W J
Reading, W J Osborn; J B O'Gorman, C L O'Reilly; M F Smith, S J Hirst,
P W Thompson, S M Sinclair,Capt., D A Pugh, H G Cullen, P F Ashforth, P
A Bailey.
Colours were awarded to: S M Sinclair, W J Reading, W J Osborn, M
F Smith, P F Ashforth, S J Hirst, D A Pugh, P W Thompson, and P
Usher-Somers.
Sevens: We entered three meetings this year, and had some limited success at each. At Oxford,
we beat St John's, Southsea, 13-5, Solihull, 18-0, and also Caerphilly
GS, before going down to a big High Wycombe GS team, 8-11.
In the Surrey competition, we were drawn against Wimbledon College, and
won. However, Ashforth had to leave the field with a head injury, and
in the ensuing game, we were then beaten by Wanstead.
At Roehampton, we were drawn against Mount St Mary's, who we beat 15-6.
We then met Royal Belfast in the second round, and they were too good
for our side and we lost 6-9.
The correspondent says that when the School moved the ball about, they
looked very competent. However, in every match that they lost, they
forgot this important principle of the game!
1966-1967
P 15 W
4 D
1
L
10
F 129 A 211
Although only five members of the 65-66 side remained, we started off
with great hopes for the season. P Usher-Somers, the Captain, and D
Reddin-Clancy could play in the centre, which would provide plenty of
thrust, and give a solid defence in midfield. We also had a couple of
likely looking half backs, whilst the remaining colours, M F Smith, D A
Pugh and P Ashforth were evenly spread amongst the forward.
However, things did not work out as planned. After a promising start, L
Brady did not play as well as had been hoped, and Usher-Somers had to
be brought in at stand-off. Reddin-Clancy then played at inside centre
with S Jones playing at outside centre. A J Griffin and J N Jones were
on the wings, with P F Harrington at scrum half and P Sweeney at full
back, and we seemed to have a settled back division. But this took time
to sort out.
Usher-Somers proved a very good Captain, both tactically and in his own play, well backed up by Reddin-Clancy.
However, injuries then took their toll. The Captain missed several
matches, Harrington and S Jones also missed a few, and the lack of
experience in key positions showed up dramatically.
The forwards were, on their day a very strong pack, but occasionally
they had an off-day, when they lacked drive and purpose. M F Smith, S A
Robinson and H Wheeler were very solid in the tight, whilst D A Pugh
and P F Fletcher were as good a second row as we have had. The
outstanding forward was P Ashforth, and with D Brister and G Forrester
were a back row which showed promise throughout.
The Old Boys produced a very strong team this year, with W Osborne, who
later played for Oxford University, and D J Allanson of Rosslyn Park,
scoring wonderful tries between them. M Welch, jinking and side
stepping, with P Nicoll and J Clouston on his shoulder, and M Horgan
kicking the goals, the score was inevitably 8-33. Brister scored for
the School, with Smith kicking a conversion and a penalty goal.
School Team: P Sweeney; A J Griffin, S Jones, D M Reddin-Clancy, J
Wynn-Jones, P Usher-Somers, P Harrington; M Smith, S Robinson, H
Wheeler, D A Pugh, P F Fletcher, D A Brister, P Ashforth, G Forrester.
Colours were awarded to: D M Reddin-Clancy and P F Fletcher.
Sevens - We firstly played in the Cranleigh Sevens, where we had
a most enjoyable afternoon. We beat Wellington (3-0) and Cranleigh
(10-8), but lost to KCS Wimbledon (0-10). There was no outright winner
on this occasion.
We then sent two sides to Oxford, but both were beaten by Oundle (3-10), and St Nicholas GS (0-12).
In the Surrey Sevens, we showed that we had some ability – We beat
Epsom, and then Wandsworth, but the third round saw us defeated by
Dulwich.
At Roehampton we had hopes, but after beating Hurstpierpoint comfortably (18-5), we were then defeated by Tiffin’s (0-9).
1967-1968
P 14 W 3 D 0 L 11 F 96 A 158
To win only three out of fourteen matches, does not suggest a very good
side. This team, however, was by no means as bad as the results would
suggest, and the season showed what a slight difference there is
between success and failure. In seven of the eleven defeats, the margin
was six points or less, and in two of those games we lost the lead in
the very last minute of the match, having led for some time.
P Fletcher was accredited a very good Captain, although he was not
fully match fit for much of the season, a great disappointment to a
keen and skilful forward.
The backs showed promise, never entirely fulfilled unfortunately. P Sweeney,
at full back, was always dependable, and often extremely good, with tackling
as his forte. M Sullivan started on the wing, lacking some pace, however,
and will be useful next year. K Mahoney started in the centre and was moved
to the wing, with a goodly improvement. S O'Flaherty was the most accomplished
player in the back division, with a good side step, and swerve, and was
always speedy off the mark. We will expect great things of him next year.
A Griffin, on the other wing, has pace, weight and strength but lacks the
confidence to get to the goal line.
B Lowe filled the scrum half position after a battle for supremacy. His
kicking from behind the scrum was very good, his passing improved
throughout, and he developed an effective break from the base of the
scrum.
D Catton at stand-off half had a good season. Still eligible for the
Colts, he found the game a little bewildering at first, but was playing
with confidence by the end of the season.
The forwards were a little lacking in fire after Fletcher's injury. P Thompson
and G Forrester were solid as props, and they supported D Brister, the
hooker, who was something of a disappointment, and he did not play as well
as last season. The second row of P Fletcher and T Stocks gave a good shove
in the "engine room", while H Crean and T McClement gave of their
best as wing forwards, with F Barnes at number 8 kicking goals on occasion,
completing the pack .
The match against the Old Dowegians was cancelled due to weather conditions.
Colours were awarded to: P Fletcher, S O'Flaherty, A Griffin, G Forrester,
T McClement, and P Sweeney.
School team: P Sweeney; M Sullivan, K Mahoney, S O'Flaherty, A Griffin;
D Catton, B Lowe; P Thompson, D Brister, G Forrester, P Fletcher,Capt.,
T Stocks, T McClement, F Barnes, H Crean.
Sevens: Oxford - Both the School teams went out in the first round, to
King's Taunton, and Belmont. At Roehampton we lost to Christ's Hospital
in the first round. Our main problem was obtaining possession, and we only
had our hands on the ball three times against Christ's!
1968-1969
P 13 W 5 D 3 L 5 F 123 A 98
In school matches the final analysis read as above, which suggested an
average season. It could, however, have been so much better. One great
lack was the absence of a goal-kicker. In the Leighton Park match, S
Jones converted five out of seven tries scored, and with a penalty goal
going over, courtesy of S McCall, we had more points from kicking than
in the whole of the remaining 12 games!
S O'Flaherty, Capt,. had a very good season as a player, and also as a
Captain. His tackling and generalship got us through several difficult
periods in various matches. Occasionally he tried to do too much on his
own, but his play was well up to standard. S McCall, the other centre was
dependable, with the wingers outside in A J Griffin and K D Mahoney, who
had all the necessary attributes.
D A Catton, a very gifted player, was part of a very successful pair of
half backs, and his tackling was devastating. He was supported by S R
Jones, who survived considerable punishment at the base of the scrum,
but learned how to escape the clutches of opponents, and make breaks
for the line.
M J Crean, at full back, the last line of defence, didn't just see himself
as a defender. He scored several tries, and had a good appreciation of
when to join the line.
The forwards as a unit were first class, and on most occasions provided
enough good ball to win the match. D J Beesley, T Neville, and G D
Moore formed a solid front row. I C Hartley and P M Thompson provided
ballast in the second row, and D M Sullivan and W F Forrester buzzed
about as wing forwards do, with T McClement the outstanding forward at
number 8.
The Old Dowegians sent a strong, but younger side down to face the
School. But with M J Welch, C P Nicoll, and J Clouston available, it
was never going to be easy.
Old Boys team : F Murphy-O'Connor; F Aung, M Welch, D Reddin-Clancy, D
Smallwood; J Kerr, J Clouston,; M Smith, S Hirst, M Kulesza, R Gude, P
Fletcher, P Nicoll, C Butler, P Usher-Somers . The score was School 8,
Old Boys 25.
School: M Crean; K Mahoney, S McCall, S O'Flaherty,Capt. A Griffin; D Catton,
S Jones; D Beesley, T Neville, G Moore, I Hartley, P Thompson, W Forrester,
M Sullivan, T McClement,
Colours were awarded to: D Catton, I Hartley, P Thompson, W Forrester.
Sevens: We did not have great success in any of the Sevens tournaments we entered.
At Oxford, we beat Wiggeston 6-0, but then lost to Whitefriars 13-0.
At Surrey, we beat Reeds 10-6, but lost to Worth 8-5.
At Roehampton, we beat Haverfordwest 6-0, but then came across our nemesis - Royal Belfast and we lost 19-0.
The team was, O'Flaherty, T McClement, P Thompson, W Forrester, I Hartley,
D Catton, M Sullivan, M Crean, K Mahoney, J Coombes, and M Crowther.
1969-1970
P 14 W 1 D 0 L 13 F 61 A 224
"In terms of the season just closed, in which only one of the inter-school
games was won out of a total of fourteen played, was a disaster".
It would, however, be unfortunate if this year's XV was judged only on
these statistics. We only had the Captain, D A Catton, back from the previous
year, and much of the side were filled with this year's Colts, raw and
inexperienced. The abiding impression of the whole season was of a side
who showed tremendous keenness, and spirit, which meant that they gave
each match, win or lose, their all.
Never did they give in, and much credit must be given to the
outstanding player of the team, D A Catton, at fly half. I C Hartley
never played a bad game, and T Neville and D Beesley were always to the
fore. A W Brister made up the front row, with them, a short one,
however. H A Montgomery and R A Corser were in the boiler room, And G A
Hayes also played well in this area. R M Masrieh played in almost every
match and was a capable and industrious wing forward.
In the backs, J R Wills played at scrum half, but when he agreed to
move his position to full back, his place was taken and then kept by W
E Yates. S P Luscombe and K C McGarry showed promise, but later lost
interest. T Catton was brought into the centre to play alongside S B
Fitzgerald, and between them they showed much endeavour, particularly
with a view to next year. A J Allen, on the wing, and J A Combes, the
other centre, played soundly, but they needed more confidence in their
ability to penetrate an opposing defence. Perhaps too much was expected
of them, but they appeared not to improve as time went on. At full
back, C P Vaughan started rather diffidently, but he improved more than
most of the other players.
Colours were awarded to: T E Neville.
The match against a strong Old Dowegians side ended -- 0-22.
Old Boys: F Murphy-O'Connor; W Osborne, M Welch, D Reddin-Clancy, F Aung;
E Sinnott, J Clouston; M Kulesza, A Aung, S Hirst, P Fletcher, P Ashforth,
S Hughes, P Griffith, P Nicoll.
School: C P Vaughan; A J Allen, T M Catton, J A Coombes, S B
Fitzgerald; D A Catton, Capt., W E Yares; A W Brister, T E Neville, D J
Beesley, G A Hayes, H S Montgomery, R A Masrieh, I C Hartley, R A
Corser.
Sevens: We entered the Surrey tournament, and lost to Royal Guildford GS 10-13.
In our first game at Roehampton we lost 3-13to the eventual winners,
Monmouth. It was a league set up, and we beat Lancing 16-0, and lost to
Prior Park, 5-6. Only the winners went through.
The team: C P Vaughan, K C McGarry, D A Catton,Capt., W Yates, S B Fitzgerald, T E Neville, I C Hartley.
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