SA TOUR MATCH REPORTS 28/07/14

Paarl Boys

Sedbergh Development XV 12 
Paarl Boys 3rd XV 21

The Development XV made a promising start to their touring campaign when they played at a high tempo and with considerable width and pace against a physical and clinical Paarl Boys side. Paarl started strongly and dominated the first half proceedings to lead 21-0 at half time.

A series of driven line outs and back of the line out moves ensured they had a solid platform from which to attack and the powerful running of the South Africans proved to be too much for the Sedbergh defence.

However, whenever Brown (playing in a touring strip of gold) had the ball there were signs that the second half would be more fruitful as several times possession was retained for several phases and the Paarl defence looked threatened.

George Phelan at fullback made an excellent break dancing around three defenders but was unfortunately injured shortly  afterwards and had to be replaced.

Sedbergh turned around at half time confident that scoring opportunities would come. Richard Addison looked lively at scrum half and Oliver Robinson and Fedor Gnatyuk continued to offer themselves as forward runners.

After a flurry of gain-line breaking carries Sedbergh moved the ball wider to put Harry Halsall in space who showed good pace to finish the move. The game continued in a similar fashion and Tom Brown did well to finish another passage of play with a score in the corner to take the score to the final result of 12-21. 


Sedbergh School Football Club 1st XV 10
Paarl Boys 1st XV 19

In their first game of a testing four game tour Sedbergh took on one of the powerhouses of South African Schoolboy Rugby in an intense and physical encounter. Paarl Boys were taken aback by the quality and passion from the boys in Brown and had to score an excellent try at the start of the second half to take themselves away from the Sedbergh side who had perhaps had the better of the first half and were disappointed to turn around 6-3 down.

In the early exchanges Paarl had opted to kick two penalties to touch and try to take on the Sedbergh forwards in the tight but it was significant that after fifteen minutes of excellent Sedbergh defence and probing attacking play when the third kickable penalty was awarded the South Africans chose to take the points on offer.    

Sedbergh quickly responded with a clean strike from Jonny McPhillips but following the kick off were too lateral in their back play and were turned over just outside their own twenty-two. In a bid to quickly amend the error Sedbergh were undisciplined at the next ruck and Paarl kicked a second penalty to finish the half at 6-3. 

Paarl started the second half with renewed intensity and camped on the Sedbergh line for eight phases before an excellent flat pass cut out three Sedbergh defenders for the right winger to score in the corner. 

Sedbergh responded  with aggressive play in the tight with Charlie Greene and Fred Renwick to the fore. Sedbergh were building attacks consistently but were unable to progress into the Paarl half save for an excellent break from Charlie Moorby following slick passing from Roddy Giles and

McPhillips but it was two Sedbergh errors that resulted in a penalty  that was duly kicked and a scrum that Paarl worked a back row move from to score. 

A score line of 19-3 would have been a disappointment to a Sedbergh side that had contributed significantly to this fierce contest and it was testament to the attitude of this XV that in the remaining five minutes they created space for Tom Wootton who finished with finesse. Final score 10-19. 

Kasselsvlei

Sedbergh played two games against Kasselsvlei on a wet and windy Cape Town morning and ran out comfortable winners in both games with the Development XV winning 50-5 and the 1st XV 69-3. Although the conditions made things difficult at times Sedbergh managed to play some exciting rugby with many players carrying and handling the ball at a pace that the home sides could not defend. 

Development XV 50
Kasselsvlei 5

Tries: R. Thomson, A. Moon, T. Brown, A. Corder, L. Wallace, E. Irons, J. Botham, V. Cunha-Vass
Conversions: T. Brown (5)

1st XV 69
Kasselslvei 3
Tries: C.Moorby, J. McPhillips (2), R. Stevenson, H. Halsall, O. Thompson, J. Christie, R. Wellock (3), R. Kent
Conversions: J. McPhillips (7)