News
Will Wilson writing for www.UR7s.com the online home for Everything 7's
The first tournament for the participating teams of what promises to be a gripping schools sevens season kicked off at Shiplake in freezing conditions. Among the schools represented were last year’s Rosslyn Park Festival champions, Bedford, who were joined in group C by the hosts and a weakened Abingdon side, who, despite no shortage of effort and commitment, lacked the seven-a-side nouse to compete against their opponents. Bedford, however, looked in scintillating form, with big, powerful runners all over the park puncturing holes in defences across the field. They looked ominous in topping Group C, with Shiplake moving into the bowl competition.
Group A featured many people’s tip as early favourites for the Open title at Rosslyn Park, Wellington College. Wellington did little to change the minds of their backers, executing clinical rugby in putting away Radley and Caterham with ease. Caterham pulled off a sublime performance themselves against Radley to claim second spot, leaving the latter with much to work on ahead of their next tournament.
Group B contained 15-a-side heavyweight Oakham; however, their squad at the start of the day only contained eight players, hindering their undoubted talent as tired legs set in at the end of the matches. This tournament proved to be just as much about conditioning and learning the basics as winning, yet this did not stop Denstone College producing the shock of the group stage round. Their pace and grit proved too much for both Bryanston and the aforementioned Oakham, who finished bottom after two losses.
Group D suffered a setback as Hurstpierpoint failed to register at the beginning of the day, ensuring a straight shoot out between Cheltenham College and St Edward’s Oxford for the final cup semi-final berth. Cheltenham, playing some incredibly advanced sevens rugby, eased to victory, stretching the Teddies’ defence continually and exploiting the holes well.
The first of the semi finals saw Wellington take on Cheltenham, two seemingly similar teams intent on playing expansive sevens. Cheltenham scored early to take the lead; however, 47 unanswered points, including a hat trick for player of the tournament Matt Williams saw Wellington send a real statement of intent not just to those at Shiplake, but across the fixture board as well. Bedford were also looking ominous, although Denstone would not go down without a fight. The 28-14 scoreline was perhaps flattered by two late tries from Bedford, setting up a true clash of the titans with Wellington in the final. Cheltenham would go on to win the plate, comfortably easing to victory over a tired Denstone side.
The final began as a cagey affair, with Bedford’s physicality causing the smaller, faster Wellington side problems. A 12-5 lead at the break for the Midland school was thoroughly deserved: powerful, hard lines found gaps and arm tackles, and their well-organised defence ensured Wellington struggled to move the ball into the wider channels. The second half, however, was a different story. Wellington got the ball rolling with a 110 metre score, clinically moving the ball inside their own in goal area to wide spaces and running the length. Two more scores put the contest out of reach, and despite a spirited Bedford fightback with a try in the last play, it was all too little too late.
Wellington coach Kevin Brennan was delighted with the result: “We came here looking for some sevens experience at the beginning of the season, and although it’s obviously nice to get the win, we’ve learned an awful lot from playing against some very different and challenging opposition.”
