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É«ÖÐÉ«ÊÓƵ’s rugby teams faced a challenging weekend against Radley College with some nail-biting matches.

Huge congratulations to the U15A team on their magnificent win in an absolute nailbiter at Radley. This was always going to be the most hotly anticipated game on the block and it didn’t disappoint, with a final score of 12 – 14 reflecting the intensity of the game. Well done to Mr Harrison and the boys for their outstanding performance, with a triumph in such an incredibly closely-contested match demonstrating real composure. Sadly, the U15B could not follow suit but a strong win from the C team and a draw for the D meant that the SPS U15s came out on top overall. Such results, against a storied rugby school – Radley College – represent an excellent effort from the year group.

I would also like to congratulate the 2nd XV on their stunning 17 – 12 win at home, which is no mean feat considering Radley’s strength in depth. Producing such a performance off the back of a heavy defeat away to Tonbridge last weekend is reflective of the team’s resilience and determination.

Unfortunately, the 1st XV, U16As, and U14As all came off second best. The 1st XV went down by 7 – 38 to a very strong Radley 1st XV. We started off very well and, had we taken advantage of the early pressure and converted our opportunities, we could have been 12 points up after the opening five minutes. However, as has been a constant for our 1st XV this season, we gave far too many penalties away and defended poorly in the face of the resulting momentum, ultimately leading to a twenty-minute flurry of tries for Radley in the first half. Whilst this effectively left us with no way back into the game, the players showed character to regroup at half-time and put in a much better second-half performance, scoring a well-worked set piece try and not conceding until the very last play of the game.

The U16A game was always going to be a difficult afternoon’s rugby for the SPS players, travelling away to a very strong Radley College team. Nevertheless, they gave a good account of themselves, and the score line of 60 – 12 certainly didn’t reflect the level of commitment and courage our boys demonstrated throughout the game. Sadly, our U14A and B teams came up against another strong year group, and both teams sustained heavy losses. Much like the U16s, however, their commitment could not be faulted.

Overall, it was a very challenging weekend of rugby against a strong rugby school. Congratulations to all the winning teams, whilst the losing teams must also be applauded for their hard-fought contests.
Next week’s block fixture is against RGS Guildford, so good luck to all SPS players and staff involved.

Saturday 28 September

Results:
SPS v Radley College (Home)
1st XV lost 7- 38
2nd XV won 17 – 12
U14 A lost 7 – 42
U14 B lost 10 – 41
Radley College v SPS  (Away)
U16 A lost 60 – 12
U15 A won 12 – 14
U15 B lost 38 – 0
U15 C won 14 – 28
U15 D drew 17 – 17