Chronicle Spring 2022

47 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Rugby By Rob Cottrell, Head of Rugby

Following the fallow seasons due to Covid, the Autumn Term began with a sense of excitement and enthusiasm at the prospect of a full return of rugby at Teddies. Unfortunately, a complete return to a normal season wasn’t to be; many schools, like ours, suffered with Covid cases throughout the term and so several games were cancelled along the way, making the fixture card rather inconsistent in places. Our teams didn’t get the full season of games they had hoped for. Still, in usual Teddies fashion, this did not deter hundreds from enjoying and competing in the game they love. My personal thanks go to all those in the Common Room who make up the backbone of the coaching staff, as well as Sam Stoop and Joe Winpenny who have been excellent additions as external professionals. My thanks also go to the wonderful Nurses in the Health Centre who are tireless in looking after our players, as well as Bob Bowerman and his excellent team of Grounds staff.

1st XV The independent schools’ circuit is a

the grit and determination shown against a strong Malvern side to lose by just a point, or the unbelievable effort expended in the dying minutes of a game against a formidable Cheltenham side, which we nevertheless lost, the lead having changed hands on four occasions. The team’s leadership was shared by Joseph Cairns and Tom Niblett, both players showing a remarkable lack of self- preservation when it came to the physical elements and being true enforcers alongside Archie Crawford who displayed the most tenacious tackling and bravery, constantly putting his body on the line. Lucas Watkins carried the ball from No. 8 exceptionally well, making life very awkward for those looking to take him down. Hakon Nicholas and Jack Johnstone ably supported the forwards when they joined the team towards the end of the season and we were much the better team with them on board. At the start of the season the scrum was anchored by Egor Varivoda and Vladislav Veselov, who made way for Oliver Bilgutay and Simon Parkhouse. We added a more dynamic edge to our front row by adopting a more open style of play

around the pitch at half term. Ben Topping was formidable all season and was the epitome of resilience at hooker, making the line-out a secure option with his laser-like throwing in. In the backs, Andrew Rush at scrum-half had valuable experience, being the only player with previous exposure to 1st team rugby, and added slick distribution to his backs and faster momentum going forward from the break-downs, feeding either Charlie Mason (Fifth Form) or Toby Kershaw at fly-half who looked to constantly open the game up for our centres Bertie Withers Green and Oliver Sedgwick. Both centres are very different in their styles and strengths but they worked symbiotically with Bertie manning the defence and Oliver providing piercing runs in attack. The backline was complemented by Joshua Wilmot, Hamza Ali, Seb Southan and Freddie Walton. Hamza was instrumental in some of the best tries scored on Upper 1, whilst Freddie showcased his footballing skills and pace on several occasions in finding space out wide. Seb was utterly fearless in defence, and responsible for some of the most courageous tackling witnessed in schoolboy rugby.

relentlessly competitive one, and the slightest of margins can mean the difference between a good season and a statistically challenging one. It is fair to say that on paper it was very much a case of the latter, with the 1st XV only winning one of their ten Daily Mail Cup fixtures. However, it is important we keep perspective; sport in school is about so much more than winning. It is about developing a set of life skills to be mastered both on and off the field. We play to develop the understanding of working as a team, to develop grit and perseverance, to learn the joy of practice and execution, to express our talents and to develop them, to enjoy the camaraderie of teammates, to win, but not to win at all costs... and when we lose – life carries on. The 1st XV boys will look back at this season as one in which they have done all of the above, and they will cherish these moments regardless of score lines and that is the most important thing. There is an enormous amount of pride to take from the season, be it the four tries scored against Stowe who finished just outside the top ten schools in the country,