News & Events
Under 16 Cup
Victory
Hereford Cathedral School -
North Midlands Champions 2004
On a fine still day at Ledbury Rugby Club, the U16 XV from Hereford
Cathedral School took on King Edward's School Aston, a huge school in
Birmingham with twice as many boys to choose from as HCS.
Playing with the slope in the first half it was KES that began to assert themselves first, primarily through their strong forward pack. They struck first, landing a penalty from in front of the posts, shortly after which Cathedral's James Lewis was sin binned for looking too much like his twin brother. KES however were unable to make the extra man count as they were too committed to a forward game and missed the acres of space out wide.
HCS always threatened. With a quick back line, they looked like scoring at any time and from anywhere on the field. They created a number of chances that were not taken, the final pass always letting them down. As Lewis rejoined the fray, KES popped over another short range penalty, but their 6 point lead would not last for long.
Just before half time, HCS backs and forwards combined to create the space for Will Croke to score unopposed out wide. Pudge failing with the conversion meant the half-time score read KES 6 HCS 5. With Meredith fielding the wayward Aston kicking, and skipper James Lindsay leading by example, it was clear that this game would go all the way to the wire.
The second half turned into a war of the two packs. Aston kept the ball well and had obviously been watching 1980s Leicester tapes, as their rolling maul made them great yardage. It seemed as though they would maul the game to death and with it take the trophy back to Birmingham. However, the HCS pack stuck doggedly to the task. They tackled well and put up stiff resistance to the KES tactics who despite 90% possession could not cross the line.
Then a scrum with HCS feed, 75 metres out. Rob Lewis broke from the base and outpacing the covering defence was able to link with his brother James who scored under the posts. Pudge knocked over the conversion, 12 - 6 to HCS.
Aston were not done and hit straight back. They took the ball within inches of the Hereford line, but they could not cross. Then, the definitive moment in the game. A penalty to KES in front of the posts. With their pack rampant, they decided to kick the points. We will never know if the pack would have scored, but all the evidence suggest they would have. Nevertheless the gap was now just three points and the clock was running low.
A final flourish from KES however failed to take them even in to the
22 and so the game ended, fittingly in a collapsed maul. HCS the victors
12-9.
