U16s And U15s Win The 2015 Coventry Schools Rugby Finals

Many congratulations to our U16 and U15 XVs who have both lifted the 2015 Coventry Schools trophies after wins at Coventry RFC's Butts Park Arena against KHVIII and Coundon Court respectively.

On Monday night, in blustery and wet conditions, our U15s ran out 27-12 winners, while last night, the U16 XV won a gripping final 24-22. Tries for James Moffitt, Jack Butler, Danny O'Malley and Harry Garforth were matched by a similar try count for KHVIII, however a crucial conversion proved the difference between the sides. A try-saving cover tackle with just minutes left by Joe Haigh also proved a key moment, as when KHVIII's eventual final score came, there was no time for a restart.

Mr Andrew Hall (U16 coach and Head of Biology) said: 'Two particular aspects of the win stood out for me. First of all, it was excellent to see every player in the whole squad contribute and then, it was very satisfying to see the team carry out what we had practised on the training ground. Our pack was a driving force throughout and the tries we scored came from pleasing cohesion in our back line and individual excellence.'

After leading for the majority of the game, Bablake had to show grit and determination to force the win after KHVIII bravely fought back into a 15-14 lead with just a quarter of the game remaining. Certainly with both U16 sides fielding a number of players who have made 1st XV appearances already, the traditional 1st XV derby once again promises to be very keenly contested over the next two years.

Earlier in the evening, our U13s (coached by Miss Kelly Ormsby and Mr Chris Seeley) lost an exciting contest against KHVIII 15-12, suffering the heartache of conceding a successfully taken penalty kick in the final phase of play. However, they will surely take heart from the fact that their defence in the second half was excellent and chances to win the game were definitely created.