Just before Christmas around thirty to forty Old Pinewoodians travelled to St Hugh’s to play in the annual rugby match and the first ever girls’ hockey match. It was a lovely afternoon and there were a huge number of supporters for both matches. St Hugh’s were excellent hosts and provided top class facilities and an excellent tea for players and supporters. Supporters included: Grace Walker, Lucy Acheson-Gray, Flossy Freeman-Inglis, Georgie Bethwaite and George Dyke.
I hope that the matches will take place at Pinewood in 2012. It is never too early to sign up to play or support. If for some reason you did not receive details I would be grateful if you could make contact with me so that I can make sure you are contacted before the next event. Full details will be put on the website.
If anybody has any good photographs of the afternoon I would love to have copies.
Rugby
St Hugh’s 34 – Pinewood 21
It was the first time for a couple of years that we had managed to stage this match and both teams were really up for it. The Old Pinewoodian team warmed up well and as this was a combined U16 and U15 team many of the players had to learn support play for the line-outs. The match started badly for Pinewood when the St Hugh’s kick, which went deep into our 22m, was gathered by Pinewood who tried to run it from defence and a sloppy pass went straight into the hands of the St Hugh’s captain who went over for an easy try, within the next passage of play he snatched up a loose ball and ran in for his second try. Five minutes down and St Hugh’s were leading by 14-0; the outcome could have been disastrous but Jamie Cresswell rose to the challenge and led the forwards in a savage assault on the St Hugh’s pack. They were unable to withstand the pressure and by late in the second half we had scored two tries and we were trailing by only 2 points. Once again we pressurized the St Hugh’s line and the resulting penalty allowed us to turn it round with a 15-14 lead. There had been some superb play from Lee Cowan and Harry Fox Edwards, while Freddie Martin displayed a pleasing skill level.
With a few changes at half-time we continued to attack the St Hugh’s forwards and there were a number of tremendous driving mauls which put pressure on the St Hugh’s line. Their defensive line held, and every attack was repelled. Both teams suffered in the hands of the referee who had one or two very unusual interpretations of the laws regarding the tackle area and line-outs. Play went from end to end but suddenly the St Hugh’s backs took command; they kept the ball away from Seb Cecil, Jamie Cresswell, George Murrin and the other power players in the Old Pinewoodian pack. The open play found gaps in our defence and suddenly St Hugh’s had notched up a further 20 points, injury struck Pinewood and we lost a number of key players and scrums had to become uncontested. I have to mention that Pinewood had really struggled for a front row and Aman Patel had been ‘persuaded’ to play prop, he coped remarkably well against players who regularly played in the ‘dark area’ of the scrum. In the dying moments of the match we snatched a final try, but the earlier four tries in less than five minutes by the St Hugh’s backs meant that the Old Pinewoodians lost the cup for the first time ever.
The following were available to represent the Old Pinewoodians: Freddie Martin (Captain), Lee Cowan, Harry F-E, Jamie Cresswell, George Murrin, Christian Hollingworth, Seb Cecil, Kyle Beckett, Iain Haslam, Thomas Padfield, Howard Auster, Sam Baker, Jacob Brandi, Fraser Hand, Aman Patel, Harry Pratt, Felix O’Keeffe, William Rupp, Tom von Simson, Howard Auster and Henry Alexander.
St Hugh’s: Saul Garrett, Toby Baring, Nick James, Rufus Kinsey, Charlie Rolls, Henry Nott, Dan Hamill, Sam Adamson, Thomas Simmons, Emile Rowe, Harry Keen, Patrick Main, Harry Farrant, Michael Smith, George Lewis (Captain), Edward Sayer, Felix De Vere Hunt
Hockey
This is a report written on what got fed back to me, I would be delighted if a player could contact me and write a more accurate and detailed report!
For some reason neither squad of girls seemed to take this match as seriously as the boys. There was an enormous amount of screeching and hugging as friends from the past were spotted and the hockey seemed to be immaterial. The first match was arranged at the last minute and the B team match was a fun event with a lot of chatter and laughter. Pinewood never seemed to really take it seriously and St Hugh’s ended up victorious by three goals to one. The ‘A’ team match was a rather more serious affair as the Teams were playing for the Elias Cup which had been presented by The Elias family for this annual event. It was a nail biting affair and both teams scored some good goals, but in the dying moments the Old Pinewoodians snatched victory to win by two goals to one.
The following offered to play for the Old Pinewoodians: Philly Hall, Lauren Elias, Amy Cooper, Poppy Webster, Rebecca Hussey, Anna Horton, Ella Upton, Lucy Shackell, Chessie Peake, Lottie Hodson, Emma James, Issy Hills, Hatty Hipwell and Olympia Olympitis.
St Hugh’s: Chloe Edwards, Freya Granger, Kate Simmons, Holly Harvey, Cicely Thomasson, Charley French, Jessica Henderson, Alice Ward, Lucy Leigh, Katy Law, Meg Johnson, Jemima Johnson.
Jim Bischoff