SHENSTON IAN 88 - Old Silhillians Association

The Under 13 XV were a small but enthusiastic team. Their forwards were
well drilled and were often inspired by the skills of James Thorp and Peter Averill.
They worked hard against much larger packs and managed to win their fair share of
possession. James Kilby and Douglas Culverwell made a speedy pairing in the back
row, ably supported by John Carrington, while Stuart Mills and James Mayer were
a solid and determined pair of backs. The half-back pairing of Lee MacDonaugh
and William Laidlaw used the ball well enabling Michael Johnson to give good
service to his wings, where Barnably Sheridan was outstanding in scoring some
thrilling tries. There were some particularly pleasing victories in the games against
King Edward's, Birmingham, Bablake, Queen Elizabeth H.S., Bristol and King's
School, Macclesfield, but the real determination of the team was shown in the
narrow defeat at the hands of King Edward VI Lytham and in the thrilling victory
over a much larger Lode Heath team in the final of the borough cup.
The Under 12 XV appeared to lack a number of boys who could compete hard
enough in the forwards to gain sufficient possession for the skilful backs of Stuart
Legg, Edward Dawes, James Padmore and Matthew Pryke. James Knight proved
to be an effective scrum half and Robert Wilson showed some elusive running on
the wing. The mainstay of the team, however, was Guy Atkinson who played and
carried out his duties as captain with great commitment. If Guy Cuthbertson and
Mark Spendlove can continue to develop next season, the future should look
bright.
The seven-a-side season proved to be an interesting one. The 1st VII reached
the final at Wrekin, losing narrowly to Bromsgrove. They never really fulfilled their
potential although, both at the North of England Sevens and Rosslyn Park, they
were knocked out by the eventual winners, King's Macclesfild (10-14) and Millfield
(6-12) respectively.
The junior teams won a number of competitions against strong opposition, the
most notable being the U14 VII's victories at Solihull and Warwick. The most
nailbiting victory, however, went to the U15 VII in the Solihull School tournament
when Matthew Gallagher dropped a goal in extra time, at his second attempt. The
Under 13 VII reached the semi-finals at Bedford Modern, lost in the final at
Warwick and narrowly lost to the eventual winners at Rosslyn Park, having
outplayed them for much of the game.
None of these achievements would have been possible without the dedication
and commitment shown by numerous members of staff and the support of the
parents. Many staff gave freely of their time and expertise and ensured that Solihull
School remains in the forefront of school rugby in the Midlands. In particular, I
would like to express thanks to Messrs. Garret, Cluley, Griffiths, Benge, Swain,
Sheffrin and Dunn for their commitment to the teams and to Messrs. Williams and
Lloyd for their willingness to referee on many occasions.
Numerous members of staff accompanied teams during the season and to them
we are most grateful. Most notable among them was Mr. Denis Tomlin who is
retiring this year, having run the 1st XV and junior teams over three decades. I am
sure that all those who have been involved with Denis over the years would like to
express their thanks to him for his help and encouragement. We will miss his stories
and his selfless involvement and only beg him to remember that shopping trips and
gardening must not take place on Saturday afternoons.
G.A.G.
The Under 14 Rugby Tour of the Netherlands, March 1988
It seems rather rash for this report to be written by someone with no
qualification as a rugby referee nor any skill as a rugby coach, but there is no doubt
that all of the party thoroughly enjoyed a most successful tour of the Netherlands.
Tourist visits were made to the most impressive flower market at Aalsmeer, to a
cheese farm, to a clog maker who demonstrated his skills; then we went to the
quaint old village of Volendam on the Ijsselmeer. A canal excursion in Amsterdam
was more interesting than some realised, but the swimming pools at Scheveningen
and Duinrell were much appreciated. The main purpose of the tour was to play
rugby. The 'B' group players seemed always to have giants as opposition, but they
responded well to the challenge, playing especially well at Haarlem. The 'A' group
players were impressive too, producing excellent open rugby with skilful moves
splendidly performed at speed. Matches were played at Leiden, Den Haag,
Haarlem and Utrecht, and four of the matches were recorded on video. Our expert
cameraman was Mr. H.J. Thomas who also claimed to be doing all the real work on
the tour; certainly he demonstrated strength at all times, almost immediately
breaking a sail off his presentation windmill. The best tour speech was delivered by