Douai Crest


DOUAI Rugby 1970 to 1979


1970-1971


P 14 W 6 D 1 L 7 F 109 A 197
The record in matches against other schools was disappointing for a side which only rarely played up to its full potential. Their weakness was in their lack of confidence. Last year's side had a poor record, but they had played some pleasing football, and one expected this team to do well this year. Had they started well, things might have been different. But they fell to some large defeats, and it proved fateful.
C P Vaughan, Capt., playing at full back, was a great loss when injury prevented him from playing. A J Allen was the most improved of the centres, and with more experience, could become a very good player. K C McGarry played several excellent games, and his tackling was mostly sound, but on other occasions, he seemed in a dream. S P Luscombe and S B Fitzgerald scored a number of tries between them, but the fly half position was never really filled. In Vaughan's absence, T R King latterly performed well as a full back, and D B Bromham showed some good touches when he took over at fly half. M P Daly came nearest to providing an answer, and he was well served by J Walsh at scrum half. We had expected the back division to be the stronger department, but the lack of confidence let them down.

The forwards acquitted themselves well, and were rarely outplayed. R C Forrester, A F McLean and H S Montgomery were solid, with Mclean's hooking being first class. The second row included G A Hayes and J J Haywood, who gave much impetus in the tight, but could have done better in the loose. They were both amiable giants! J K Button, R A Corser and J G Hawes made up the back row, with Button going all out for 80 minutes, and Hawes was the most improved player in the side. R A Corser, the vice captain, played extremely well throughout.

Colours were awarded to: C P Vaughan, R A Corser and A J Allen

The Old Dowegians match was lost by the School, 8-23. Weak tackling let in E Osborn for a couple of tries, but it was the second half when the School really weakened, and the weight of the Old Boys pack proved significant. No record is available of the sides who played, but M Welch, I Hartley and E Osborn all feature, so it must have been a strong one.

Sevens: We entered three Competitions. Only on the first day of Roehampton did we play well. In both our games we led until the end, but we lost to Blundells, 10-11, and Merchant Taylors 3-5. At the Surreys, our handling let us down, and at Oxford, we were without some of our best players.
Team: C P Vaughan, A J Allen, R C Forrester, S B Fitzgerald, D J Walsh, S P Luscombe, S Bond, G W Haigh, I Matthew, S A Barder, and B Barratt.

1971-1972

P 12 W 8 D 0 L 4 F 232 A 137
Fr Wulstan's appointment to the Parish of Malvern marked the end of an era in Douai Rugby. He had been Coach to the team from 1955, when he took over from Fr Anthony Baron, and during that time he did much to improve the quality of School rugby, and also strengthen the fixture list. His place was taken by Fr Brian, assisted, aided and probably supervised by Fr Terence Fitzpatrick.
There were only three players remaining from the previous season, and when T King, Capt., got injured, D Walsh took over, to secure a good record, particularly against Schools. It was becoming less well appreciated that boys should prepare against men, so when records are now recorded, it is normally against Schools that the record must be judged.
The forwards, well drilled by Fr Terence, rarely failed to secure plenty of good ball for the backs. The set scrums were excellent with J Norman, and M Doran propping S Bond, and giving him plenty of room to show his skill as hooker. W Hosking, G Haigh, J Primavesi, and J Adie all contested the second row. The back row emerged as J Wilding, R Forrester and M Ward, who were inexperienced, but they could run, pass and tackle.
The backs were equally useful. D Walsh and S Barder were the outstanding players, scoring tries regularly, whilst R Elks tackled courageously. D Allen at full back was noticeable for his cool catching and kicking in the full back position, while the diminutive E Vale took over from T King at fly half.

Colours were awarded to: T King, D Walsh, R Forrester, J Wilding, J Bond, S Barder and R Elks.

The Old Dowegians beat us 11-25, with a strong team.
F Aung; R Olivier, M Welch, W J Reading, J Coombes: F Murphy-O'Connor, W Yates, C Nicoll, W Forrester, I Hartley, A Aung, S Hirst, P Ashforth. Plus two escapees!

Sevens: By this time, seven-a-sides were playing in groups. At Roehampton, we lost to Christs Hospital 4-10, but we beat Loughborough 16-6, and St John's Leatherhead 14-0. Unfortunately we just missed going through to the next round by a point as Christ's had a better result against Loughborough.
Our attendance at Cranleigh and Oxford did not result in any advancement.


1972-1973

P 17 W 9 D 1 L 7 F 342 A 254
This term, more fixtures than usual, possibly ever, were played. Seventeen matches did, in fact, prove to be a severe test for all concerned. Nevertheless, it improved the standard, which was always exciting. We played Whitgift, (holders of several sevens titles), at the start, and ended playing Blackrock College, and in between we played Cranleigh, Radley and St George's Weybridge. Playing against these teams, as a small school, our record stood proud.

Pride of place must go to J Adie, the Captain, who regularly exhorted and encouraged the team to greater efforts. Big and strong, he proved himself one of the best second row forwards the School has had in years.
With his vice- captain, P Fletcher, they made the greatest impact on games. He has got a deep appreciation of the tactics of the game, while his strong, and fast running, consistently led to the scoring of points for the team. With E Stack at scrum half, calm and efficient in all that he did.
He moved from the centre to fill a gap left by last year's incumbent, and he also scored tries.
Various others distinguished themselves without comments being noted, but this was a great team to watch and be with.

Colours were awarded to: J Adie, P Fletcher, P Labey, B Donnelly, B Barratt, E Stack, S Knapper, D Allen, J Norman, M Doran.

The School drew with the Old Dowegians, 14-14, and I will leave it to the reader to judge the quality of the Old Boys team.
J Coombes; C Harris, S McCall, D Reddin-Clancy, A Allen; F Murphy-O'Connor, J Clouston; N Cetti, S Hirst, A Aung, P Ashfort, W Forrester, W Forrester, N Samengo-Turner, J Simmons, J Daly.

School: P Labey; M Melbourne, B Donnelly, B Barratt, M Shanahan; M Harrington, or A Hill, E Stack; S Knapper, P Fletcher, D Birchenough, J Adie, Capt., S Morris, M Doran, K Chapman, J Norman.

Sevens: At Oxford, we won our first match, but went out to St Joseph's, Stoke on Trent.
At Roehampton, we found ourselves in a difficult section containing, Bedford Modern, St Georges Weybridge, and Prior Park. We beat Bedford 18-6, and St Georges 14-10 (after extra time), but we lost to Prior Park 0-4. After something of a dispute we were put through, the first break we had had at Roehampton since we won! We then beat Bancroft 20-0, but finally lost to Downside 18-10 in the Quarter finals. Fletcher's ankle injury as he played Prior Park, gave out, and he wasn't able to tackle Downside.
The team are to be thanked and congratulated for all their efforts.
Team: M Melbourne, B Barratt, A Hill, E Stack, P Fletcher, (sub M Healy), B Donnelly, J Norman.


1973-1974

P 17 W 6 D 1 L 8 F 148 A 218

The results of this year's team were disappointing. Perhaps too much had been expected. About 10 of last year's team had returned, with some experience of First XV rugby. But for some reason, things never went quite the way one hoped.
P Fletcher, the Captain, emerged from the season with great credit. Not only was he an excellent captain on the field, - reading the game in a most mature way - but he also helped maintain a high standard of fitness and training, even when wins became harder to come by.
The team was, therefore, happy and always gave of their best.
The back row of the scrum, S Knapper, P Fletcher and G Hamilton -Jones (or S James), made a marked impact on every game. D Wilson, at scrum half, was a tremendous competitor, with a fast break round the base of the scrum. A Hill and M Harrington, together with E Ottmann and P Gallagher also made an impression on the watcher. C Vernon, at full back, was faultless in his catching, and his all round play was a definite asset to the side. P Maguire and C Pullan who were shrewd forwards, were tireless in their efforts, throughout the season.
But despite those good things, which promised so much, the actual season was disappointing. The standard of opposition was no doubt a factor, with several new sides to contend with.

School team: C Vernon; E Ottmann, J Kirwan, M Harrington, P Gallagher; A Hill, D Wilson or M Howarth; S Knapper, P Fletcher, G Hamilton-Jones or S James, P Maguire, M Healy, C Pullan, K Chapman, J Norman.

No colours were awarded during this year, to Christmas - the team had not quite proved themselves.

Sevens: Oxford - we returned to winning ways, by reaching the Final, where we lost!
At Roehampton, we beat Blundells, and Haberdashers' Aske, but a try by Wrekin against us in the last seconds prevented any further progression to the next stage.

Colours were now presented to: D Wilson, M Healy, A Hill, E Ottmann, C Vernon, G Hamilton-Jones. With P Fletcher already with his Colours, this band made up the entire Sevens team.

The team did not play the Old Dowegians at this time, and the two old boys in charge, Fr Brian and Fr Terence, found that time was of the essence, and stepped away from the training ground. (In fact, Fr Brian was called to take on the role of Headmaster).
Their place would be taken by Philip Smith, who joins us from Solihull School, and the Warwickshire u/15 team, and also Mr Alan Lloyd.


1974-1975

P 16 W 6 D 1 L 9 F 186 A 214

The season did not have the best of starts. Captain A Hill limped back to School, and was off games for two weeks. This meant it took much longer to achieve the right balance in the half back line.
This team played actually 18 games, but we have excluded those matches against men's teams, so matches against the Old Dowegians may no longer be covered, and in this case the first match was against P Fletchers XV - neither of which the School won.
During this term, we held one Coaching Sunday, to which five coaches came from outside, giving very valuable instruction, and Carwyn James (the 1971 Lions coach), attended the Dinner as a guest.
A Hill and S James were both selected for Berkshire, with A Hanna, a reserve. During the summer, four players would be attending a Coaching Course at Bisham Abbey, for potential U 19 players.
With regard to the team M Melbourne at last started to show what he could do. P Maguire and C Pullen, for their play, were awarded their colours. J Gilbert, emerged from a scrum and ran 20 yds to score, and C Vernon played well against Ellesmere Port as part of a tour to the Isle of Man, and G Hamilton-Jones will also not forget the same match.
A Hill, who had been the dominant player in the team, won at least two games on his own, which obviously did him no harm with the local selectors.

Colours were awarded to: P Maguire, M Melbourne, C Pullen.

Sevens: E Ottmann was appointed Captain of the sevens team. At our own Douai Sevens, we won all our games, convincingly. At Oxford, - the team lost both matches by narrow margins, suffering from over-confidence, in the first, and a lack of confidence in the second.
At Roehampton, the team started well, winning two games, but in the third match they started slowly and were two scores down to Epsom before we knew it. In the end we nearly pulled it off, but were beaten 16-10 in the last minute.
The result reflects that Sevens is now a really competitive game for well drilled sides. More time must be allotted to practicing.
At the end of his first series of Match editing, Paul Smith thanked everybody for their help and support for the team.


1975-1976

P 19 W 10 D 0 L 9 F 205 A 255

All in all, the 1975 season was a successful one, with 10 of the eighteen inter-school matches being won. The main problem was one of injuries, which led to thirty one people playing for the first XV, and in fact, no one actually completed every match.
Paul Bendall, Capt., led the team well, recovering his sang-froid after two dismal defeats against Eton and St George's Weybridge. We then moved into winning mode, and J Abel set the ball rolling with a great try, and was swiftly followed up by S Dunbar's considerable drop kicking ability.
With a now considerably enhanced fixture list, our tasks were always going to be tremendous.
A huge Cranleigh pack caused us some problems, but in an enjoyable game, we lost the match.
There is not a lot to say about this team - they were good, but not great.

Colours were awarded to: P Bendall, P Hearn, A Hanna, S Dunbar, T Evans, P Gale, M Vincenti, A Lawson.
B Hayes and A Hanna were selected to play for Berkshire u/19 team.

Sevens - there is no mention of sevens in the records.


1976-1977

P 18 W 8 D 0 L 10 F 261 A 240
The Magazine apologises for the omission of a photograph of the First XV. The print was too poor in quality for good reproduction.
The prospects for the 1976 season looked very good on paper, but in fact the team finished with only an average performance, winning about as many as it lost. S Dunbar, Capt., gave a good account of himself in that role, but the team, overall, did not come up to expectations. We lost the first 4 games, and did not get our act together until we played Wimbledon College. P Walker was concussed against Eton, and K Tomlinson had his hand cut open against St George's Weybridge. Against Wimbledon, J Tracey left the field, before half time, but S Dunbar's kicking was very effective in that match. Against Reading, K Tomlinson and M Segrue, in the centre, became especially effective, while M Forrester and M Gale had outstanding games against new fixture, Dauntseys. The match against the Old Dowegians was cancelled, and the final match against Rossall was unfortunately lost. We had matches against Jersey/Guernsey that term, and were successful in both matches, and those wins certainly boosted our confidence.

Colours were awarded to: D Akkermans, M Gale, M Forrester, J Tracey, and H Young.

School team, in no particular order: S Dunbar, Capt., A Lawson, D Akkermans, M Gale, M Forrester, J Tracey, H Young, M Malloy, C Cetti, A Lavarello, C Mauduit, S Ellis, J Ward, M Hollings, A Abel, G Leniston, S Hayes, M Pereira, R Norman, P Walker, G Vernon, M Segrue, K Tomlinson, M Franklin, J Ellis, N Murphy.

Sevens: By this time, there were now 7 Competitions to enter. D Akkermans was appointed Captain, and we entered them all.
We didn't do well in the Streatham/Croydon Seven, or the Douai Sevens, but in the Surrey Sevens we reached the quarter-finals.
The team then won the Berkshire Sevens, beating Newbury GS (20-0), Oratory (22-6), Dauntseys (9-0), Reading (14-4) and Windsor GS (14-4), to take that title.
Roehampton Sevens -, we found ourselves in a difficult group, and we did not progress further - Churchers, St Pauls, Pangbourne, and Queens, Taunton .
Oxford Sevens - we reached the Semi-finals, playing Wyggeston, and lost 16-0, whilst at Hereford, we reached the quarter finals.
It was a good year for Sevens!


1977-1978

P 18 W 9 D 1 L 8 F 294 A 194

Another mixed bag of a season. N Murphy, well backed up by S Haynes and J Forsyth, scored consistently around the park all season, and several others, notably G Leniston and M Franklin, who put in a goodly shift. K Tomlinson, Capt., in the centre, played well throughout the season, and contributed much of the good that the team enjoyed.
K Tomlinson, N Murphy and G Leniston were all invited to play for the Berkshire u/19 side at Christmas.
The team started well, and looked set for a good season. We beat Cranleigh for the first time in history, but after the good win against Bearwood, it all fell apart, and we allowed our opponents to put us behind the eight ball! But the team scored the most points to date, and so we must have been uplifted.
The match against the Old Dowegians was won by the School, 22-10, but the team was not recorded.

Colours were awarded to: K Tomlinson, G Leniston, M Franklin, N Murphy, S Haynes.

Sevens:
Windsor Sevens - we beat Radley 22-0, but were edged out by Windsor GS 13-4.
Douai Sevens - Playing and beating Eton, Prior Park and Stowe in the group matches, led us on to Marlborough (6-4), and then we beat Reading ll, 22-0. In the semi finals against a strong Downside team, we won 3-0, and then in the Final, against Radleywe won 9-6.
Surrey Sevens - the team were beaten in the second round by Belmont, who went on to win,
Oxford Sevens - after scrambling to get to the semi-finals, we were beaten by a large side from QEGS Bristol. N Murphy and S Haynes were injured by this time, and off the field.
Roehampton Sevens - the team played badly, and the correspondent says they are best forgotten, losing two, winning one and drawing one.
Team: K Tomlinson, M Segrue, N Murphy, S Haynes, F Anyaegbunam, J Forsyth, M Franklin.


1978-1979

P 16 W 13 D 1 L 2 F 202 A 109

The 1978-1979 season was the most successful for a considerable time, only two matches being lost during the year. The pack was rather small, but mobile, and the backs had flair, skill and pace, and we were very fortunate with injuries.
The match against K Tomlinson's team was won very easily, which confirmed the necessity for practice - the Old Boys ran out of steam in the second half! In the second game against Eton, a try by S Hayes brought the two scores level, in the final minute. St George's Weybridge were beaten by the pace of the backs, with N Murphy, Capt., showing considerable flair and skill.
And so it went on - we won the next nine games, until we got to Cranleigh, when the music stopped. It was, however, something of a release, and although A Bush jumped well in the lineouts, their two jumpers jumped higher. And a heavier pack drove us off the ball. We lost 12-18.
The Old Dowegians brought out their strongest team, to try to avenge the defeat at the start of the year, but stamina told, and the School had won their last match. Unfortunately there is no record of the game and who played in it, but I am sure that they would have been only too glad to have lost to as good a team as this one.

N Murphy, the Captain, had a final trial for England, and was selected as a reserve full back on the English Tour of Australia. With S Hayne, A Bush, C Mauduit, D Uwemedimo, and S Muskett , N Murphy also played for Berkshire, who won all their inter-county matches - Douai players scoring all the points.

This must surely be the best team that Douai has ever put out, against the strongest fixture list in our history, and it is a pleasure to record same.
Inevitably there were a large number of Colours awarded to:
N Murphy, S Haynes, A Bush, D Uwemedimo, C Whitworth, T Eldridge, N Furminger, S Muskett, M Watson, C Mauduit.

School team in no particular order: N Murphy,Capt,. M Watson, N Furminger, S Haynes, T Eldridge, C Lloyd, D Uwemedimo, S Booth, C Mauduit, A Bush, S Lamond, A Lawson, C Whitworth, S Brockman, A Witt, D Weiner, R Keeble, P Brockman, J Poland, S Vincenti, S Muskett, J Darby, J Whattey.

Sevens: Streatham - Beat St Joseph's, Skinners and Trinity. Lost to Dulwich in semi-final.
Surrey - Beat Christ's Hospital, Mount St Mary, and Brynteg. Lost Downside in Quarter-final.
Oxford - Beat Q E, & Barnet. Lost to Christ College Brecon in Quarter-Final.
Roehampton - Beat Mill Hill, Drew Blundells, Lost to Churchers. Lost to Rossall - eventual Winners.
Team: S Haynes, N Murphy, A Bush, P Brockman, C Whitworth, D Uwemedimo, S Booth.

This team then went on tour to Canada. They played and won all five games they were committed to.
Team: Murphy, Haynes, Bush, Mauduit, Booth, Lloyd, Brockman, Furminger, Johnson, Uwemedimo, Watson, Witt, Whitworth, Weiner, Heys, Whatley, Main-thompson, Keeble, Darby.
What a season - I wished I could have been there!


1979-1980

P 16 W 7 D 0 L 9 F 175 A 256

The season was not as successful as we had hoped, the team being beset by injury, and a total of 28 boys playing for the side. Capt. A Bush's injury made it difficult to get possession, and we struggled throughout the middle part of the season when we lost to Bryanston and Canford.
Nevertheless, we did well - C Johnston and P McGrellis together with R Keeble all operated efficiently and scored tries.

Colours were awarded to: P Brockman, R Keeble, J Tomlinson.

Four boys were selected for Berkshire u/19 - D Corser, R Keeble, J Tomlinson, C Whitworth, while A Bush and D Whitworth were selected to attend an England u/19 coaching course.

The School beat the Old Dowegians once again, (11-0), but again there are no records of the
Old Boys team.

Sevens: Streatham/Croydon - Lost to Dulwich, and John Fisher, beat Wandsworth
Douai - Beat Prior Park, Lost to Leighton Pk, and Royal Latin.
Oxford - Beat RGS Guildford, Lost to St Joseph's Ipswich.
Roehampton - Beat Ellesmere, Grenville, and lost to Loughborough, and Bryanston,
Colours were also awarded to; D Whitworth for his Captaincy and play.