Old Boys festive frolic

Despite the snow, the ground was deemed to be ‘playable’ with the pitch soft under the blanket and the popular annual friendly fixture between the highly successful current Academy and the ‘Old Boys’ team was a spectacle of entertaining rugby.

The purpose of the fixture is to maintain contact with former Academy players encouraging them to return to the Club after University but there is more to it than that with pride at stake ! With the Barbarian philosophy in mind, the Old Boys were determined to play with a flamboyant spirit in their University socks and shorts. They eschewed penalty opportunities preferring to run the ball and keep the game flowing. Their dominance in the first 15 minutes threatened to overwhelm the younger Academy side but they defended tenaciously and it is to their credit that they did not concede a score during this torrid onslaught.

As the Young Academy side began to find their rhythm, it became clear that the result was not a foregone conclusion and a tight game was becoming likely. The first score came as a breakaway for the current Academy with Josh Lane scoring under the posts and Ben Blosse converting for a 7 – 0 lead against the run of play. Soon after this score, the referee, Craig Wingfield, ruled that the Old Boys had strayed offside and the Academy had no compunction in kicking the penalty, 10 nil to the youngsters ! Just before the half time whistle the Old Boys struck back through Mike Morris after some slick back play in the difficult conditions. With the conversion missed, the Current Academy held a slender 10 – 5 lead at the break.

Half time signalled team changes with both squads using their bench to give everyone a game. The balance of the game was tipping towards the current Academy with their superior organisation showing why they are undefeated in the top Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire league this season. With Conor Sawdon touching down next, the Current Academy were beginning to stretch ahead. The momentum was now decisively with the current Academy and the Old boys had no answer to their superior teamwork. With Mike Clarke breaking through the middle to score under the post the game looked all over but the Old Boys had one final hurrah with Matt Elt scoring to finish the match at 22 – 10 to the Current Academy.

After much deliberation, the Man of the Match for the Old Boys was awarded to Ashley MacNaughton who was a lion at openside flanker, a performance reminiscent of former Bracknell player and World Cup winner, Lewis Moody. Mention should be made of full back Liam Fahy who had a faultless game, repeatedly making scything runs from deep, somehow evading tackle after tackle.

The current Academy players could all have laid a claim on the Man of the Match award but Martin Radford, the Academy Coach, was pressed into a decision and he was fulsome in his praise of Stephan Rees who was pleased to be singled out for the award.

At the presentation, which followed the game, Matt Surman, first team hooker, presented the ‘Karen Surman’ shield to Dan Gyles, captain of the DHL Academy. Karen, who died this year worked tirelessly for Bracknell Rugby Club and had a special attachment for the Colts which she had previously managed.

Once again, this well supported Christmas fixture was a resounding success and a tribute to the successful first 4 years of the DHL Academy at Bracknell Rugby Club.