Brentwoodian 2019

36 Rugby When I was introduced to Rugby I was not completely sure what to expect. I had never played the game before and did not realize what fun it is, a fantastic sport which I would encourage many to play. These are some of the many reasons why: Rugby does not entail much waiting and motionless activity but constant running and movement. I thought I would be the worst at the sport and would not enjoy it but I practised and eventually was put in a team and was playing in a competitive environment. Being in a team of people of similar standard meant that I could play to my best and not struggle in a higher team. This also meant I had lots of fun playing an enjoyable sport and all the running was good activity-wise. When I heard that Rugby was contact I was not so keen as I was not a very fierce or strong person but to my delight, if taught how to tackle and ruck properly, you can bring anyone to the ground in seconds. This helped as I was already quite fast and nimble, making me enjoy Rugby even more and helping me get even better at the sport. Being in the lower teams does not mean that you are bad at the game but that you are in the right team for your level and the team in which you will get the most enjoyment from the sport. Overall, Rugby at Brentwood School is fun, incredibly enjoyable and, arguably, the best sport that the School offers. It is not only good for health and fitness but the sensation of scoring tries and competing is exhilarating. Learning its scoring system, too, is quick and easy. It is a fantastic sport! By Torin Da Silva My experience U14 A The U14As made considerable progress despite coming up against some highly impressive opposition. The highlight of the season was undoubtedly a 26-19 away win at Norwich School where star player, Ovie Jeyibo, scorched clear to score the winning try on the last play of the game. Further success came in the Essex cup where a narrow 12-10 victory over Saffron Walden and a 12-12 draw with Woodlands in a floodlit match in the final week of term meant that Brentwood progressed to the quarter-finals where Campion lay in wait. Many players made considerable progress this year; Oliver Sparks was totally committed to training and consistently carried with heart and completed all his tackles. Similarly, Seun Fashesin-Souza’s defensive work and attitude were exemplary. The team has plenty of potential and, with increased work ethic, and considerable conditioning work over the summer, the boys can look forward to competing against the toughest teams on our circuit next season. By Mr Letts We are a strong passionate team of rugby players working our way through the school years. I’d like to start my report by mentioning Ollie Sparks; he is a great rugby player and plays for both school and club; he started off in the E team and finished in the As; he is a strong and powerful player, who runs through people, like a machine. The tackles: three incredible tacklers our team values highly are Max Barton, Seun Fashesin- Souza and Noah Miller, each contributing highly to the team with some cracking tackles. No one gets past these incredible players. Max’s tackle of the season was when we played saffron Walden and he tackled the massive number 12. Noah also tackled the same guy and sent him right on his backside. Seun is known for consistently saving the try line as his immense speed allows him to catch up with anyone breaking the line. There was a cross-field kick which Benjy Mills perfected over the course of the season. He is an incredible player, scoring many conversions and penalties, with his commitment to the team. Benjy plays in and out of school and is one of the best fly halves I know. Scrummaging: Chino Orator and Tom Brown are new to the game, starting the season, not knowing what to do in the scrum; after a few tweaks from the coaches they are now great contributors to the forward pack in the scrum. Score sheet: although our score sheet shows the team in a bad light the boys have tried their best and despite the loss of Ovie Jeyibo, one of the team’s star players, who’s suffering from injury, the players have held their composure and we are approaching the second round of the Cup, against Woodlands School, where we will hopefully progress to the knockouts. By Max Kingaby