8 Boys Rugby Tournament

St Katherine’s arrived at Winscombe Rugby for the annual county tournament on the back of some impressive displays throughout the season.  The boys were drawn in a pool with a strong Backwell team and Hans Price. Two other pools made up the draw with 10 teams from North Somerset entered in the competition.

St Kath’s first game was against Hans Price School and in a typically robust and physical encounter the boys started the game very well with the impressive captain Max Andrews breaking the game line on a number of occasions. This resulted in some excellent tries from Charlton Milligan, Cailan Howett and Max Andrews (2). The highlight of the game was a lung busting try from flying winger Jazper Peacey who ran half the length of the pitch to score under the posts. St Kath’s coming out eventual winners by 31-12.

The second game of the pool was against an experienced Backwell team who had looked very impressive in the first game against Hans Price. Despite this the boys were in good spirits after their physical and fluent game previous.

The Backwell team started well and their dangerous backline caused major problems for St Katherine’s who failed to cope with the speed and strength of some of their players. Four quick tries followed in succession.

The second half saw a much more resilient and physical St Katherine’s team who worked hard to defend and match their opponents. This resulted in some outstanding performances from Ethan Emery, Cailan Howett and Max Andrews who put their bodies on the line. This dogged approach resulted in St Katherine’s scoring a try of their own when Josh Reeve powered over from the base of the ruck to score a deserved try. Backwell also scored a try of their own to win the game convincingly 31-7. What was important was the approach of the boys in the second half and this resilient team effort would stand them in good stead for the rest of the competition.

The second half of the tournament pitted St Katherine’s against Priory and Churchill in the second pool and a chance to play for 5th, 6th and 7th.

The first game against Churchill was a real close affair with two teams desperate to throw the ball about and play some running rugby. Milligan and Howett continued to impress and tries from these two plus one from Max Andrews countered the three tries from Churchill meaning they went down to the last minute with scores tied. Unfortunately St Kath’s conceded a late try which resulted in a win for Churchill.

The last game saw St Katherine’s play against a Priory team that was keen to revenge a big loss to St Katherine’s early in the year. Both teams played at a high tempo and tries from Milligan and Howett gave the boys an opportunity to win the game. Unfortunately it was a game to far for St Katherine’s as Priory ran in four tries in the second half.

The Year 8 boys who represented St Katherine’s this year can all be really proud of their achievements this year. The progress and resilience they have shown is a real credit to their approach to the game.

Squad

Finley King – versatile player who showed some lovely running angles all seasons

Beau Gilbert – powerful and speedy

Tom Evans – much improved player who has added so much more to his game

Charlie Medder – excellent backline player who unselfishly brings others into the game

Cailan Howett – natural leader who made serious yards with the ball in hand

Max Andrews – captain and inspiration to his team mates. He has come on so much this year

Josh Reeve – strong runner and tackler

Brandon Geater – fearless in defence

Charlton Milligan – everywhere on the pitch- excellent defensively and good with ball in the hand a role model

Ethan Emery – the engine room of the team- quick to the breakdowns and tackles

Finlay Belcher – energetic and talented

Louis Hawker – improving each year and developing into a good player

Connor Whiting – first season playing rugby and impressive attitude to learn the game

Louie Dun – talented all round sportsman who kicked well

Christian Boylan – physical and likes to put the tackles in

Tony Tanner – the speedster was unlucky to get injured early in the season

Max Dixey – quietly went about his business of making tackles and getting to the breakdown

Jazper Peacey – speedy player who despite his size made a real physical presence in the team

Mr Thomas