Douai Crest


DOUAI Rugby 1980 to 1989

1980 -1981


P 18 W 9 D 0 L 9 F 250 A 205
This season was not as good as had been hoped, with nine wins and nine losses. The team was led by P Brockman, Capt., who only managed to find his true form on a couple of occasions, but he was an effective Captain on the field, who coped well with a difficult job.
The main problem was blending some gifted players into a team, and developing a successful combination. In C Johnson, the School had one of the most talented backs that Douai have produced, and J Darby's determination and ability was most impressive. D Joyce, at full back, was the most improved player of the year, while M Boag, at scrum half, gave a quick and effective service from the scrummage.
The forwards were ably led by J Tomlinson at flanker, and in R Keeble, K Edgecumb, I Tootell and G Farley, we had a sizeable and heavy pack, who were only outplayed on one occasion. Also at hookers, we were well served, with I Thomas and D Jackson.

The trouble with the season was that we won two out of the first five games, and then won the next four. We then went to sleep, and lost the next five matches, - and finally finished with a flurry of three wins! An understandable worry for the Coach!
The Old Dowegians match was lost 18-22, but there is no description, other than to describe the Old Boys team, as "very strong".

Colours were awarded to: P Brockman, J Tomlinson, M Boag, J Darby, K Edgecombe, R Keeble.

Seven members played for Berkshire Schools u/19 : S Carr, J Darby, K Edgecumbe, R Keeble, C Johnson, I Thomas, I Tootell and P Brockman. And J Tomlinson played in the Berkshire Golden Jubilee games.

Sevens: The sevens team had flair and skill, but lacked pace and strength.
Nat West Seven : one match won, one lost, and one drawn.
Streatham/Croydon : Lost 2 matches and won one.
Surrey Sevens: Won two games, but lost in the third.
Douai Sevens: Won all three matches in our group, beat Radley in the semis, and lost to Bryanston in the final.
Roehampton Sevens: a miserable display in general.
Oxford Sevens: The team reached peak form, and we just lost in the semi-finals.
M Boag captained the team, and he was joined by P Brockman, S Carr, K Edgecombe, C Johnson, D Joyce, R Keeble, P Leonard, I Thomas.


1981-1982


P W D L F A
"If one judges the season in terms of matches won, it could not be said to have been very successful; but the results belie the actual achievements of the team". So said the coach at the end of a mixed season, who unfortunately does not show the actual results.
The boys did well in a number of games, including the game against Blackrock College which was drawn. Only three schools were noticeably superior - Eton, Cranleigh and Prince Edwards, Zimbabwe, whilst we were on a par with all the rest.
J Hutchinson, M O'Donnell, R Booth, and J Boxall all played very well, and K Edgecombe, D Jackson and P Rabley formed a formidable front row.
The Old Dowegians were beaten on this occasion, not only in the pack, but also at the lineouts. This was mainly due to S Dawson who jumped consistently.
The school hosted Prince Edwards, Zimbabwe, who were undoubtedly the best schools rugby XV seen in England last season. The pace and power of the players proved too strong in the second half, and we lost 35 - 12.
Five boys were selected for Berkshire u/19, R Booth, K Edgecombe, P Griffiths, P Rabley, D Whitton. J Boxall reached the South England trial in the u/16 group.
Mr P Smith then goes on to congratulate I Thomas on his outstanding Captaincy.
There is no mention of Sevens at this time.

1982-1983

P 17 W 9 D 2 L 6 F 200 A 127
The results culminated in a good season, much to the organization and spirit of the team. There were a number of high points which offset the disappointing results against the Oratory, K C S Wimbledon, and St Georges.
The team gained experience in rucking technique, and getting hold of the ball. The pairing of I Willis and S Dawson in the second row was light, but they are both strong and fast, with flanker, Capt. D Whitton outstanding, in defence and harassment.
In the regular season, after a 15 a side competition, we lost the first three matches to Marlborough, Eton, and St Georges, but came back to beat Bearwood, draw against a strong team from Reading, and thereafter beat Magdalene, UCS, Kingswood, and Trent. We then lost to KCS, and Canford, drew against Cranleigh, but won against Pangbourne and Dauntseys, before going down to Oratory. We beat the Old Dowegians 8-0, and were victors over Leighton Park.
Those selected for Berkshire u/19 - J Boxall, C Parkin, M Ronan, J Willis.
J Boxall represented the south and south West, and was also selected for the England Trials.

Colours were awarded to: D Whitton Capt., T Bedford, S Dawson, J Willis, M Ronan, C Parkin, J Boxall, B Richards, J Baker, J Leonard.

Sevens

:
Windsor - we lost in the first round, and ended up playing for the final of the Plate.
Douai - after a disappointing start, we went out as second in our Group.
Surrey - We beat Sutton Manor 30-0, Windsor 22-0, St John's 18-0. That put us into the next group, and we drew with RGS Guildford 16-16, beat St Benedicts 30-4, which put us into the semi-finals. We then met Wellington, the eventual winners, and lost 24-0, but in our last match, we beat Downside, to come third, overall.
Rosslyn Park - We won our group, but then came up against Kings Taunton, and lost.
Oxford - We again won our group, and courtesy of a team no longer interested, we found ourselves up against Clifton, who we then beat, 10-6. In the final, we then lost to Durham 16-4.

The team: C Parkin Capt., D Whitton, J Boxall, J Leonard, J Willis, F O'Donnell, S Bowe, I Bedford, J Baker.

So we had a good season overall in the Sevens category.
Colours were awarded to S Bowe.
We were then treated to a very amusing trip to Italy, as the team played three matches there. They were up against a National Select XV, who they lost to 16-4 in a total bog. Their next match was against Ospitaletto , which we also lost 14-8, and the third game was against Brescia, which we won 34-6.


1983-1984

P 17 W 12 D 1 L 4 F 188 A 100
This season the XV had the best results since Murphy's team (78-79), which was mainly due to J Boxall's expertise. He was the most accomplished player in the side, and under whose captaincy, the team exhibited great cohesion and determination.
After a fifteen-a-side tournament, in which we won the Plate competition, the side settled down to the normal battle between the teams, local or otherwise. Unfortunately, and despite two tries scored by J Boxall, St George's beat them 13-18. That then signalled a resurgence, and the next three games were won, before we came up against Cranleigh, who beat us 3-13. After that, the results were mostly wins, including a good win against the Old Dowegians 9-7, an exciting, strongly contested game, in which M Warde acquitted himself well in Boxall's shoes - he was away on representative duty.
The current stars of the side went to J Boxall himself, Simon Bowe and Michael Condon, with Stephen Lang kicking the goals. Vice Capt. L Bedford, the hooker, had to be taken off against Kingswood, with a broken wrist, which obviously prevented him from playing further. Toby Webster dislocated his elbow, and C Adolph left the field with severe concussion.
Amongst the forwards, P Noble, Q Baker, and T Webster were all prominent, and with a makeshift front row of P Townsend, V Jones and Patrick Hinds, they all ably demonstrated their worth and versatility.

Colours were awarded to: C Adolph, L Bedford, S Bowe, M Condon, P Hinds, I Hutchins, P Noble, M Ronan, P Townsend, T Webster.
6 players were selected for Berkshire u/19, and S Bowe for the Midland South.
J Boxall reached the final England Trial.

Sevens:
Windsor - We won two matches and lost one, so we were out.
Douai -The side reached the semi-finals, and then lost to the eventual Winners, Radley.
Oxford - We won our group, but then lost to a competent B.G.S. team.
Roehampton: With the team totally depleted, with eight reserves in, we won two and lost two.


Team was: C Adolph, L Bedford, G Chesterman, M Christie, M Condon, I Hutchins, P Hinds, C Mackenzie, P Noble, P Townsend, R Weston.


1984-1985


P 15 W 4 D 1 L 10 F 137 A 247
Despite the results being less than pleasing, I Hutchins, Capt., was warmly applauded by the coach, for demonstrating high leadership qualities and determination, in what was a disappointing season.
There was plenty of effort, throughout, but the Douai 15 a-side tournament did not enhance its hosts. However, the side beat Leighton Park, Magdalen Coll, Pangbourne, and Dauntseys and were only badly beaten by Cranleigh and Eton.
I Hutchins and N Peters were always busy, with N Fletcher always in back-up mode. The front row remained solid, with D Moloney, A Henderson, and C McWilliams all working hard. D O'Donnell, R Weston and J Damer all played their part, with occasional pops at goal from S Lang, but it was overall too much.

Colours were awarded to: I Hutchins,Capt., R Weston, Q Baker, G Chesterman, S Lang, D O'Donnell, N Peters, M Strong

There is no mention of Sevens in the report.

Tour of Italy - After a difficult journey, the team travelled to Ospitaletto, only to find that the pitch was completely under water. We lost a very muddy game, and also the two games against Brescia which we had won in the past! It was not a great success, as vandals chucked a brick through the carriage window and G Chesterman got a sliver of it in his eye. The journey home was uneventful.

1985-1986

P 18 W 5 D 1 L 12 F 111 A 220
The performance of this year's XV was both surprising, and on paper, disappointing. There were no players who were outstanding in the backs, and the pack of the opposition seemed to get heavier each time.
The start of the term saw George Griffiths come down to help with pre-season training. This resulted in a win in our first match against Bearwood, but it went downhill from that time onwards. Losses to St George's, Reading, and Cranleigh we anticipated, but not the score against Cranleigh, as we went very close.
Our next game was against Leighton Park, which we won, and the following game was Eton, our high point of the season, in which C Opia scored two tries. We won the match but only managed to win another game before Rugby closed down.
We did well in the more difficult fixtures, and our disappointing results were against local rivals, such as Oratory and Pangbourne.
Two members of the team were selected to play for Berkshire u/19 - B O'Connor and M O'Donnell.

Colours were awarded to: M O'Donnell and S Lang.

There is no mention in the archives about the Captaincy position, and whether it was good, bad or indifferent, and there is also no mention of Sevens.


1986-1987

P 14 W 5 D 1 L 8 F 115 A 231
The season started with a week's pre-season training, culminating in the fifteen a side Festival. This is now one of the premier events in the South of England, with most of the major southern schools taking part. Section A was won by Sherborne, and B was won by King's, Taunton.

The commitment of the forwards was impressive, and the backs showed some flair, and we were therefore pleased to win against St George's. Bearwood were also beaten, but Reading, always formidable foes, were narrow winners.
For the rest of the season, the team was decimated by injury, with C Opia out, in particular, and in total, some 28 boys played for the team. We beat Leighton Park, and Magdalen School, but lost to St Edmunds and Eton.
Even the Captain, J Duckney, following in father's footsteps, could not escape, and considering that many players were Colts, the results were quite encouraging.

J Duckney, C Opia and J Joyce played for Berkshire u/18, with C Opia being selected for the South and South West team to play the London Schools. Despite scoring a try in both his matches, he was not selected for the final England trial.

The team left the UK for Portugal on Dec 15, and the first match against Beleneses was won 9-3. Their second opponents failed to turn up, and so a practice match was arranged, against a Portugal u/16, and that was also won. The third match was also won against Lisbon u/16, 24-3.

Colours were awarded to: J Duckney, Capt.

Sevens: The team was potentially strong, but did not produce the results we hoped for.
Douai - We won our group, but lost to the eventual winners, Harrow, in the quarter finals.
Rosslyn Park - We narrowly lost the first game to a refereeing error, but we did score the most points by beating Christ's Hospital 46-0.
Oxford - We won the first two games, but were then beaten by Oakham, who were the eventual winners.
The Squad: C Opia Capt., N Devaux, J Duckney, C Foden, J Joyce, A Kern, P Whitton.


1987-1988


P 16 W 4 D 1 L 11 F 71 A 226
"Victories were notoriously hard to come by this season, only four being achieved in a tour lengthened fixture list". Nevertheless, the side kept up its spirits, largely as a result of the confident captaincy of P Whitton.
We lost to St George's, but beat Bearwood, and drew with Reading, to get the season going, but then it got really tough. St Edward's Oxford, was a nasty shock, as they won 46-0, and similar entries are made for the remaining local teams.
We then left the area for the Isle of Wight, where we were successful on the two occasions we ventured forth. T Ogboru and A Glendinning both had a successful tour, but then it was back to the grindstone again. C Foden, A Kern and G Strickland all put points on the board, but it was not to be.
A Kern was selected for Berkshire u/19, with P Whitton accompanying him as a reserve.

Colours were awarded to: P Whitton, Capt., B O'Donnell, T Ogboru, A Kern, J Varley, A Glendinning, C Foden

Sevens: The Sevens season continued beyond the end of term, due to the changes of term dates, and our chaps stayed behind to a man. After a mediocre rugby season, the results were better than expected, and it was especially pleasing to have had such a good run in the Open Tournament at Rosslyn Park, against schools who play two terms of Rugby. Out of 16 matches played, we won nine, with six defeats and one draw.
Our Capt. N Devaux was awarded his well deserved colours!


1988-1989




The Magazine regrets that it has not been possible to publish an article on the Rugby team of 1998-1989.



1989-1990

P W D L F A
This season was Philip Smith's last season in charge, and the boys were desperate to do well. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as they lost most of their matches, but the spirit was there. Narrow scores were the order of the day, with last minute scores against us, - and so we moved into the nineties with yet another poor year.
Various members of the team did well. I Anison showed remarkable flair, and there was strong running by S Dalton and B Essenhigh. J McWilliams organised many extra scrum practices for the forwards, but C Stanley, a County prop the previous year, twisted his ankle just before the Eton game. With their 6ft 5in, and 6ft 6in, lineout jumpers, we were somewhat depleted, but the School later glowed in the passion that had been shown on that day.
With regard to the Magdalen match, we were warned about the referee from all sides. There was such disarray in the scrums, that in the end, Phil Smith walked on, awarded the match to Magdalen, and took the team off. Everybody was relieved!
Black armbands were worn in deference to Abbot Gregory's recent death. They might also have had something to do with the aggressive Oratory side, who snatched victory in the last few seconds.
Abingdon was set to be the fairytale ending for Phil Smith, but after we had let them score a simple try, J Spragg went over from five yards, in some anger. However, our county men were exhausted, and the rest faded badly, - so we trudged off, not daring to look at Phil Smith, in our defeat.
Four members of the side were selected for Berkshire: I Anison, J McWilliams, C Stanley, and Capt. J Mandich. I Anison and J Mandich were further selected to play for the South against Romania.

Colours were awarded to: C Stanley.

Sevens: Windsor - We beat Windsor, and gained entry to the quarter finals. We were then beaten by Wellington.
Bucks - A re-organised team saw us through to the quarter finals again, but we lost to Royal Latin 22-24.
Douai - We went through our Group, beating Garthill, Rugby and an Invitation Vll, and then battled St Edward's Oxford, who we beat 20-0. We then met Radley in the semis, and won 24-6. In the Final, we played RGS High Wycombe, and in a very close game we were beaten 4-6. Phil Smith's words, when we finally came off the park, were "I'm very proud" - and this was exactly what we needed.
Surrey - After the extra-ordinary performance at our own tournament, we found ourselves up against Millfield, who we lost to. A certain amount of confusion reined, but we were still out!
Rosslyn Park - Quick victories over Caterham, (18-6), Marlborough and Wellington saw us through the early stages of our Group. Lancing College was our next opponent, and we lost 4-6. When we discovered that Caterham, who went up with us, had won the whole affair, we were really unhappy!
Oxford - Our first match against King Edward's, Stratford, was played in biting cold conditions, but we won. Against Burton, we also won and won ourselves a tot of whiskey in the coffee that Phil Smith had brought. That sparked us off for the third round, where we beat Dame Alice Owen 32-0, and crossed the Iffley Road to the main ground. St George's were hungry to avenge their 15's defeat, but we won 24-0. In the semis we then played Lord Wandsworth, and our sparkling duo of Dalton and Anison ran riot, and we won 26-0. So our Final was against St George's, Harpenden, and after their forwards were rolled back from a highly charged trio, we ran out winners by 18-6!
And so we won the Oxford Sevens for the first time since 1958!

Team: J Mandich,Capt., I Anison, D Berrell, S Dalton, J McWilliams, J Spragg, C Stanley, S Strong, W Wellesley-Davies.

Portugal Sevens - We toured Portugal, and played Benfica, and drew 6-6, and beat Monmouth 18-6. We then beat Lisboa 58-0, and qualified for the next round. Our next match was against Hereford, which we eventually won 14-6. The semis were against the other Monmouth side, which we might well have lost, but a tap tackle just got us home 18-16.
The Final was against Caiscais, a Portuguese team who mustered a thousand supporters. We were 10-13 down, when suddenly D Berrell found himself with ball, everybody screamed "run", and so eventually we scored!
We were mobbed by the English fans - and so we were able to give something back to crown Phil Smith's retirement from Rugby, and to compensate the effort he put in over the years. But the achievement belonged to the players, who will carry the scars of victory everywhere they go!