Match day v St. Augustine

So, we arrived at game day for what many perceived to be the hardest game of the tour.  The reactions of the Cranbrook boys when we said we were playing St Augustines did not fill us with confidence.  However we knew that we had not done ourselves justice in the Cranbrook games and the scores did not reflect the ability within the squad.  Steve, Chevs and myself discussed the possibility of going down to one fixture due to some injury concerns.  However we all felt that we wanted every boy to play and to give them the opportunity to wipe away the memories of the Cranbrook game - particularly the 1st XV.

From the outset of the 2nd XV game, it was obvious that the boys had taken the field with the proper attitude.  Tackles were made with real force and conviction, forcing the St Augustines players into mistakes.  A very strong drive in the first ten minutes saw the boys score a well deserved try.  Unfortunately there were mistakes and the boys were again shown how costly it can be to miss first-time tackles, particularly in the back line.  St Augustine's were extremely clinical in finishing their opportunities and produced some wonderful running rugby, particularly from their back 3 to end up as 44-7 winners.  Despite conceding several scores, the Felsted boys did not waver and their commitment continued throughout the game.

In the 1st XV fixture we were up against a very strong, motivated St Augustine 2nd XV as their 1st team were being rested in preparation for next week's New South Wales state final.  The boys produced their best performance of the tour so far both in terms of the quality of rugby played and the mental approach to the game.  The squad's biggest failing throughout the tour to date had been the number of 1st time tackles missed which consistently gave our opposition the advantage.  However in this game the boys turned it around and although Chevs was still not happy with the 11 missed tackles (5 of which lead directly to tries) the fact that the boys made 55 successful 1-on-1 tackles suggests they are moving in the right direction.  St Augustine's two late tries put a gloss on the final result (12-31) that did not reflect the game at all.  In fact after Taylor's try made the score 12-19, the momentum was on Felsted's side and many on the sideline believed that our boys would finish as the stronger team.

The reaction of the parents on tour as well as the opposition coaches also indicated an overall improvement in the play, as should be shown in the following clips from the games

Strong defence from 2nd XV


Attacking scrum
English weather
Browny's hand off
Taylor's try
Line out

This was definitely a performance that has given the boys a renewed belief in the style of rugby that Chevs is trying to get the school to play.  All tour the boys have been talking about the pace of the opposition and their ability to run the ball from all parts of the pitch.  In these games both squads showed that they understand what is required and are able to carry out their roles.  The task facing them for the remainder of this tour in Hong Kong and into next season is to show they can replicate the intensity and quality of the performances on ourn return to England.