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Rugby 1st XV Team 'Blog'
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MATCH REPORTS
Wednesday 8 November v Edgeborough (last match of the season) YES!! The 1st XV played very well indeed in this our last match of the season. Jake at fly-half scored 2 tries, converting 3 and Haider Rubbani, playing at scrum-half on his debut, also scored to prove that all the hard work has been worth it this term. The whole team performed well, with the forwards winning very fast ball for Haider to feed out to Jake and backs who ran well. Our defence was much stronger. Our backs got up to their man very quickly which forced many errors in their handling and in defence our forwards and backs were spread out across the field to make an inpenetrable wall that Edgeborough could not break down. This was by far the best team performance of the season, and not just because we won! We attacked and defended together and played with great team spirit. This forward momentum gave us the base we needed for Jake to run powerfully through their line to score his tries and Haider to pick up from the back of the scrum and with a quick dummy, dart towards the line, 10 meters away, before the opposition could stop him from scoring. Well done boys. A tough season, but you persevered and got your reward. A very good team performance and an excellent win. Final score : Eagle House 21 Edgeborough 0
Saturday 4 November v Oratory Prep We knew going into this match that it would be a tough test for 'The Eagles'. The Oratory proved the only team to beat us last year in a very close match and we were determined to do ourselves proud. We worked very hard to stop a well drilled and fluid Oratory team, however, we did not move forward as a team, leaving gaps for Oratory to find. We suffered from players trying to cover for others which undermined their own responsibilities. We had players hanging back behind rucks, mauls and at times scrums to watch where Oratory were going. This was to prove our downfall. The team were full of determination and fight to the end and I feel that we are not far from where we need to be. It is bound to 'click' soon as players find their confidence and learn to help each other and play together. Final score : Eagle House 5 Oratory Prep 46
Wednesday 1st November v Moulsford The fact that this was Moulsford's first match of the season and that they had only had one practise session before hand should have meant this was a close match. However, bickering and fighting within the team and the negative feeling that this brings, along with a complacency born from losing a number of matches meant that this was our worst performance of the season. This is to take nothing away from Moulsford whose exceptional fly-half and inside centre pairing tore us to shreds as our defence was pulled around at will. Our forwards , with the exception of Dominic Auger - who was certainly UP for the match, failed to compete, the backs were not up to the opposition quickly enough and the tackling was non existent and half hearted most of the time. Emanuel Vila, our Albanian flyer threatened with his usual vigorous runs and did tackle well when called upon, but to no avail as he was often left without support. My overwhelming concern is that so many of The Eagles were watching and not acting. Often we would have only one or two players competing for the ball in a ruck while most of the team stood behind the ruck, pointed and waited! This left maybe a winger and a back with our full back to face the whole opposition back line plus some forwards. Of course this meant huge overlaps and an unacceptable number of certain tries for Moulsford. On Friday 3rd November, we are lucky enough to be joined by the Wellington College 1st XV Coaches for training at Wellington on the pitches by the golf course. This should spur us on and focus our minds for the Oratory match the next day, especially if the team can also learn from today's performance. Final score : Eagle House 3 Moulsford 51
Wednesday 18th October v Caldicott Caldicott were quick, well drilled and powerful and we struggled to stop their runners breaking the gain line on almost every occasion in the first half. The second half saw a better defence by The Eagles, but Caldicott simply ran the ball around us as we pushed tight and narrow to stop them coming through. A few times we got through their line only to drop the ball on the killer pass or lose the ball after a last ditch tackle. Caldicott were simply too strong for us despite excellent tackling again from Sam Peters and Zac Bigley with James Sharples and Oskar Winkler von Stiernhielm also tackling very well. Final score: Eagle House 0 Caldicott 43
Saturday 14th October v Papplewick The Eagles played well in this game and it took quick, decisive and powerful wing play to break us down. Papplewick played very well indeed and threw some very strong forwards at us. Once again, tackling the big forwards was an issue, especially in the first half, when Luke Boobbyer was left with the impossible task of stopping a number of them at once. Luke threw himself heroically at them and in some instances with success, but the ball was very quickly recycled by Papplewick and they scored easily. The Eagles battled to the end and scored twice, once through an interception by Jake Aungier and the second on the stroke of full-time from a penalty try. Dougie Moffat had broken their line and then chipped the ball over the full back. Just before he was able to grab the ball to score was brought down in front of the line. In the process Dougie fractured and dislocted his thumb and we all wish him a speedy recovery. Final score : Eagle House 10 Papplewick 41
Wednesday 11 October v The Beacon School A well contested game saw Eagle House without points when they deserved something for their efforts. The Beacon were strong and were quick to punch holes in our defence as it took two and sometimes three Eagles to bring one attacker down. Our inability to tackle proved our downfall. The Beacon got behind us on a number of occasions through missed tackles and punished us for it. Having said that, Dougie Moffat, Sam Peters and Zac Bigley should be praised for their tackling and Jake Aungier for the effort he puts in at inside centre, making tackles and covering all over the pitch. A game I am sure the boys will learn from! Final score : Eagle House 0 The Beacon 27
Saturday 7th October v Reading School Centenary Match Eagle House 0 Reading School 7 Eagle House & Reading School Stuart Mackie (Ex EH pupil and London Irish player) meets the teams Battle commences Stuart Mackie presents the trophy to the winning captain of Reading School
Wednesday 20 September v Cranleigh The 1st XV Eagles battled very bravely and with great heart against Cranleigh on Wednesday. A tentative start saw Cranleigh take the initiative and they put ‘The Eagles’ under great pressure. The forwards worked brilliantly to stop Cranleigh and the whole team had learnt their lesson from their previous match against The Dragon by getting up to Cranleigh very fast. Cranleigh were unable to break through for most of the 1st half until panic in the backs and two charged down kicks led to a Cranleigh try very close to half time. The second half saw the forwards in tremendous mood. Excellent tackles from Sam Dovey, Sam Peters, Charlie Jobson and Zac Bigley kept Cranleigh at bay while Dominic Auger, Alex Manton Jones and Jamie Allum spoilt Cranleigh possession in both the scrums and lineouts where The Eagles became very dominant. Some good kicking from Jack Cowmeadow and great running by Jake Aungier, Douglas Moffat, Tom Fowlie and Emanuel Vila nearly brought tries on a number of occasions, especially when Jake Aungier kicked behind and he and Emanuel Vila raced away to tackle the receiver 5 meters from his own line. But it was not to be this time - Cranleigh cleared their lines and the whistle blew. A fantastic effort all round. Now The Eagles are rising – watch out! Final score: The Eagles 0 Cranleigh 7
Saturday 16th September v Dragon We had a great game against the Dragon School. The first half saw Dragon take the initiative thanks to their one big forward who scored 3 tries with ease in the first half, after some bad tackling by The Eagles. The second half was a different story with The Eagles competing well at lineout and in the scrum and bringing the try of the game which went to The Eagles. A great throw by Jamie Allum to the lineout allowed a quick flick to get the backs moving at pace. The ball sailed through the backs' hands and Dougie Moffat joined the back line at great pace from Full back to evade a few tackles and dive over in the corner. Jake Aungier converted well, but the half was ended and the game won by Dragon. Final score : The Eagles 7 The Dragon 38
Wednesday 13th September We were really disappointed that the tournament at Papplewick was cancelled. Hopefully it will take place later in the term.
Saturday 9th September This was a practice game and a chance for both teams to look at all the players in the mix. The Eagles took a little time to get into gear but were keen and gave a good account of themselves. This was an invaluable exercise for both players and Coach, giving the boys a chance to show what they can do in their preferred positions and the Coach a good idea of what is required to build a winning team this year!
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