Kevin Smith, Head of Boys' Sport, rounds up the second half of Christmas term:
Rugby
"How we win the game shows something about our character; how we lose it shows all of it"
We have had a very exciting first half of the rugby season. The wet weather has failed to dampen the spirit shown by our boys and there have been a number of outstanding matches.
The U13A team have had a tough start to the season with a number of very tight games both for and against us. It was fantastic to finish this part of the season with a truly impressive second half display against Highfield. Every single member of the squad gave their all and showed what we are capable of when all the facets come together. If the team continue the season in the style of the second half of that game then there is plenty to look forward to. Simon Pietersen, Seb McNamara and Fergus Kenyon have all been hugely influential but the entire U13 squad should be commended on their efforts both in training and on match days.
The under 13B team had a positive start to the season with some early wins against Hurst and Great Walsted. They had a tough last few fixtures but the boys applied themselves well. They have really improved their skills in all areas with Charlie Allday, Henry Williams and Roberto Vazquez being the most impressive.
The U12A are an improving side, who have performed well. They are working very hard in training and they have shown excellent team spirit. The team played very well against an excellent Cranleigh side. However the highlight was against Highfield where we drew 15 -15, with the opposition securing a draw in the last second. Sport can be cruel.
It has been a difficult start to the season for the U12B team. We have encountered some strong opposition at this level, in particular Cranleigh and Hurstpierpoint. The main positive is the significant improvement that the team has made in the course of the last five weeks. This was highlighted in two encouraging displays in the most recent fixtures away at Aldro and at home against Highfield. Although the team has not recorded a victory so far, the importance of always maintaining the right attitude has been stressed to the team members and they have really begun to adhere to this principle. Star players: Rocco Knight, Arthur Southall, Javier Sanchez and Jack McIntyre.
A very good start to the season sees the U11As go into the Christmas break unbeaten with seven wins and a points difference of over +200. The boys have established a very impressive team culture based around hard work and doing the basics well. It has been pleasing to see real cohesion in a team that contains a number of outstanding individual players; this had made them a pleasure to coach. There have been a string of superb performances from Captain Fergus O’Connell, Lachlan Franks and Louie Lawrence in the backs, while Oliver Norman has been a powerful presence in the forwards. There have been big wins against traditional rivals Aldro and Seaford, and the boys are looking forward to the second half of the season.
The U11Bs best performance was the recent 50-15 win against Highfield school, in which they demonstrated greater awareness, teamwork, and individual improvement.
Stand out players have been speedy Jiayou Li and Ollie Williams for their try scoring ability, Nicholas Anderson for his intelligence, hardworking, tackling and offloading, and in terms of improvement Tobias Fisher and Otis Heyburn. However, all the team should be congratulated for overall passion and commitment.
The U10A have made great progress. One of the key players has been Freddie Simons, who won’t be available in January, so opportunities are there for some of the current B team to step up and take his place. The B team have been equally impressive with big wins against Highfield and Windlesham. Charlie Keville has impressed with his hard work both offensively and defensively while Ludo Kameen has shown great pace on the wing. Laterly both Joshy Pollock and Henry Forsyth have been valuable additions to the team.
The U9As have made a strong start to their rugby campaign with strong wins against Hurst and Highfield. In addition, they picked up a single try win in a 29 try thriller with Cranleigh. Oliver Anderson has managed a bucketful of tries and his dancing feet have been a feature of the matches. The stand out moment however goes to James Williams for his five try haul in our home match against Highfield.
Squash
This has been another successful term for squash. The boys and girls have enjoyed further advancing their skills in PE lessons and had the opportunity to represent the school in competitive games. The pinnacle was retaining the Lancing Prep Schools tournament which includes teams from Surrey, Kent and Sussex. Elliott Hill, William Womersley and Charlie Stewart were unbeaten as a team throughout the event.
Next term we introduce the individual tournaments and patrol competitions.
South Africa Cricket Tour 2019
Well what an excellent trip! From our excursions to cricket, from the hosting families to the township school, everyday offered some truly amazing experiences for the lucky boys that were able to go on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. We played 12 games of cricket in all against some fantastic schools, winning six, drawing one and losing five. A very healthy balance of results showing that we played matches at the right level for our touring party. Every child without exception made really pleasing progress in the 12 days, it’s just unfortunate that we play our best cricket as the tour is ending! The behaviour of the boys was exemplary throughout. We received plenty of nice comments from both hosting parents, school teachers and people at the excursions. The boys were a fine advert for the school. Many thanks to Brandon Hanley for leading the tour and his dream team of support: Matt Geffen, Dan Brown and Vicky Eismark.
