The Salopian no. 166 - Winter 2020-21

SCHOOL NEWS 49
to crawl out of the woodwork and
support him, with Nathan Mielczarek,
Henry Davies, Harry Sutherland and
Jamie Catto setting examples for the
squad.
The next four games were excellent
victories, most importantly in the return
fixture with Wrekin College (22-17).
Through the rest of the season there
may have been losses, but the boys
always played with their hearts on
their sleeves, showing the grit and
determination that one would expect
from a Salopian rugby player. The
highlight was probably the superb
game against local rivals Adams’
Grammar School (19-10), but the final
game away on the 3G pitch against
Warwick 2nd XV will live long in the
memory. The superb surface offered
us the speed of game that suited our
game style, and it was an incredibly
fast-paced match. Both sides enjoyed
throwing the ball wide, and with endto-end
action, Shrewsbury ran away the
winners at 28-22.
It was a pity that at the end of the
15-a-side season, the onset of COVID
cut short the sevens programme. The
boys had worked incredibly hard, and
it was ‘gutting’ that we did not have the
chance to take them down to Rosslyn
Park. Hopefully the boys will be able
to get together with the Old Salopian
Rugby Club in the future and make up
for lost opportunities.
At the end of a season like this, it is
always difficult to offer everyone the
credit in print that they deserve. This
is especially difficult nowadays, when
all the squad players routinely give so
much. Indeed, over 30 players have
represented the Shrewsbury 1st XV
this season, which shows not only the
strength of depth in the School, but
also the development strides that have
been made.
It is fitting that at the end of five years
at the School, I do say a few words
about the leavers.
• Jack Goodall has been a tremendous
asset to Shrewsbury rugby, and through
the year his leadership developed
impressively. With a strong pass from
breakdown he offered the fly-halves
time with the ball, and he will be sorely
missed next season.
• Frank Mansell was a joy to watch
at first receiver, for he took the ball to
the game-line, and passed the ball late;
a brave option, but one that opened
holes for his teammates.
• Jamie Catto certainly made up for
a missed season at Lower Sixth, using
his bulk to smash chunks out of the
opposition. Never one to step forwards,
his aggressive defence consistently won
us ball, and his ability to put us on the
front foot dragged us back into many
games.
• Harry Sutherland is one of those
players you always want – capable of
playing anywhere on the park, and
happy to do anything asked of him.
A second row playing in the centres,
Harry quickly learned about backline
positioning, and his centre defence and
ability to pass out of the tackle was
superb to watch.
• Henry Davies was a player who
played well above his weight division.
Perhaps the slightest hooker in U18
history, Henry’s grit and support
play were second to none. Probably
the team’s highest try-scorer across
the season as he was always on the
shoulders of any line break. A superb
season.
• The sight of Bilal Khan charging
down his wing was enough to scare
the daylights out of most of the wingers
that he came up against. The school
shirts appeared to be spray-painted
on to Bilal, such was the time that
he spent in the gym, but that did not
curtail his speed, and he scored many a
devastating try over the season.
• George Daly had such an engine
that he just kept on running throughout
games. Happy to get stuck into the
dirty work, George developed his game
to such an extent that he became one
of the first names on the team sheet.
• Nathan Mielczarek was a hardened
back row, who never backed down,
and put his heart and soul into his
rugby.
• On his day Oli Shutts was a hugely
destructive player, capable of blowing
holes through the opposition pack. It
was a pity that injury issues curtailed
his season.
• Will Madden moved up from the
river in the first term, and was quick
to pick up his rugby skills. By the end
of the season he had built a place in
the first team, with his hard graft and
excellent fitness a great asset to the
team.
• Harvey Rowlinson worked hard to
win a place in the team, and put in a
number of strong performances across
the season, providing power in the
engine room of the second row.
• Frankie McLaughlin returned from
a broken collar bone to show his skills
once again, and at would have no
doubt thrived during the sevens season
if he had been given the opportunity.
Throughout the season the boys
have benefitted from the work of
the Shrewsbury staff and several
external coaches who have given huge
amounts of their time to aid the boys’
development. My thanks go to Peter
Cook, Norman Stalker, Chris Wain,
Rhodri Evans and Steve Rintoul.
Chris Cook