RUGBY: Team plays on strong despite injury heartbreak

LIAM WOOD, WILLIAM JARVIS and OSCAR GROUNDWATER report on a thrilling Yorkshire Cup final rugby match which saw RGS fight back after key player injuries and some bad luck with an impressively strong performance

Prince Henry’s Grammar School v Ripon Grammar School (29-22). Match photographs, below, by MAGNUS BORDEWICH

RGS 1st XV travelled to West Park RUFC in Leeds to play Prince Henry’s Grammar school in the Yorkshire Cup final.

Preparations started early that week with intense training sessions, leading to a final team run through on Friday lunch. The Boys in Blue were ready!

Upon arrival, we mentally prepared ourselves for the game of the season, knowing that countless hours of both staff and student hard work over the past seven months had built to this moment.

After a strong warm up and nerves settled, the Boys in Blue were ready for kick off.

Ripon started strong after receiving the ball off the kick-off and really took the game to Prince Henry’s. Unfortunately, this run of play stopped as the ball was spilled into touch.

Prince Henry’s returned powerfully which eventually led to a pick and go try. Ripon were 5-0 down.

This didn’t faze the Boys in Blue as a spilled ball shooting out the back of an overturned Prince Henry’s scrum meant flanker Will Curtis secured the first five points on debut for Ripon.The scores were tied at 5-5.

Prince Henry’s retained the ball well, playing out the phases, slowly encroaching on Ripon’s try line leading to a try. Prince Henry’s led by five points. However, due to their relentless counter-attack Ripon managed to close this lead by scoring a penalty, slotted through the posts by Josh Moon. The score was now 10-8 to Henry’s.

A powerful Henry’s carry and offside from Ripon led to a penalty for Henry’s, resulting in a quick tap-and-go and some slight obstruction. Henry’s had their second try of the game and converting this took them nine points clear of the Boys in Blue (17-8 to Henry’s).

To further this pain, James Boucher sustained a dislocated shoulder and that was the end of his Yorkshire Cup final and RGS rugby career, after providing a strong physical performance to the game and creating go forward ball for the Boys in Blue. A quick replacement as James Pilgrim made his appearance to the pitch.

The points came to a halt, due to great defence and discipline from both teams, with some big shots coming in from myself and Archie Bain. This uplift in team spirit put pressure on the Henry’s defence. The Boys in Blue continued to apply more and more pressure with the ever-increasing tackles from the Ripon forwards pinning Prince Henry’s in their own twenty-two.

This long passage of play was eventually broken as skipper Oscar Groundwater charged down a kick and after a short chase dotted the ball down for Ripon’s second try just on the stroke of half-time. The half-time break saw the Boys in Blue down by two points, 17-15.

The second half looked promising until an unfortunate head injury sent skipper Oscar Groundwater stumbling off the field. Vice-captains Harry Veitch and Liam Wood took on the role of joint captaincy and a big reshuffling in the backs occurred. Due to this heartbreak the team spirit dropped and Ripon sadly invited their opposition back into the game resulting in Henry’s third try 22-15.

After another long passage of play and some unlucky missed opportunities we found ourselves still seven points down. Prince Henry’s showed an impenetrable defensive line which was broken by a screaming run from young lower sixth student Archie Bordewich, who finished with a dive under the sticks. Causing an easy conversion for Josh to take Ripon level for the first time in the match 22-22.

The go-forward mentality and boost in moral Ripon had was unbelievable, but that didn’t stop Henry’s from coming back fighting either. After good ball retention and belief Henry’s got their fourth try in the dying minutes of the game due to the unfortunate injuries sustained by Ripon that led to players playing out of position, disrupting the flow of the game. 

The final whistle blew and drew the match to a close with a result: 29-22 to Henry’s.

Prince Henry’s gave their man of the match award to Liam Wood, for stepping up to the role of captaincy and leading the Boys in Blue with a strong performance right to the very end.

All in all, despite the disappointing result, the Boys in Blue have come a long way - and pulled together overcoming obstacles throughout the season.

After representing the school in the final, which brought coach Mr Harding to tears with pride, there was a surreal and overwhelming atmosphere. Having coached since the start of both the players’ and his own school career, Mr Harding has made us the team we are today and forged friendships for life.

Coach Mr Harding added: “I am unbelievably proud of the boys and their performance in the final. They played with determination and pride, but also with control during adversity. We were on the receiving end of some rotten luck through key injuries in key positions and referee decisions that did not go our way.

“A cup final win would have been the cherry on top of seven years of honourable contribution by some of the sixth form leavers, but it does not define their outstanding ability as rugby players or their brilliant character over their time at school.

“Oscar, Liam, Harry, Benedict, Marcus, Josh, Joe and Will C started playing rugby with school in Y7, which was also my first year at RGS. They were joined by Archie and Jonty in Year 9, and then latterly James B, Ben, Will W and James P in sixth form.

“We have some shared memories over that time that certainly I won't forget. Their development from 11 years old to now has been exemplary, and in most part due to their application and devotion in games and at training.

“I am immensely proud of them and hope they continue to play rugby well into the future - I hope this is not it!”