HOME

WELBECK NEWS

HOW TO APPLY

OPEN DAYS

PROSPECTUS

COLLEGE INFORMATION

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

ACADEMIC INFORMATION

COLLEGE FACILITIES

CAREER PATH

MILITARY AND CCF

SPORTS

SOCIAL LIFE

TRIPS AND EXPEDITIONS

SUPPORTING CHARITIES

MEDIA LIBRARY

OLD WELBEXIAN ASSOCIATION

STAFF VACANCIES (0)

WELBECK PRIVATE SCHEME (WPS)

  Welbeck RSS Feed

Daily Mail Vase (February 2010)

Quarter Final

Welbeck’s 1st XV Rugby squad are making major strides in this Season’s Daily Mail Vase. On Saturday 16 January they progressed to the last 16 of the National competition with a tense 10-8 victory over plucky Princethorpe College. The team are now only three games away from a dream ticket to RFU HQ at Twickenham - a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Following a comprehensive, if somewhat fractious, victory over the same opponents before the festive season, the squad were quietly confident entering Saturday’s fixture.

Princethorpe had other ideas, making their intentions clear by arriving at Welbeck a full 90 minutes before the 2.30 kickoff. The visitors had clearly done their homework from the previous encounter, and from the first whistle took the initiative. They successfully disrupted, at source, Welbeck’s hitherto regal driving lineout, and through a combination of greater aggression at the breakdown, and the blustery elements being very much in their favour, effectively pinned the hosts in their own half for most of the opening quarter. As the half wore on, realisation that this would be no repeat of the pre-Xmas 26-0 mauling gradually dawned on the Welbeck lads, and their application and intensity increased significantly. One flowing break out from deep in their own 22 in the latter stages of the half, involving backs and forwards, with Reeve, Sturman and Creedy prominent, saw Klappholz hauled down when making significant progress down the right flank. Given the windy conditions it was always going to be a clichéd “game of two halves”, and the home side were more than content turning round with a mere 3-0 deficit, courtesy of a sole 16th minute penalty from the boot of the young Princethorpe fly-half.

The second half saw this same consistent pressure from the forwards and strong tackling in the back line, which led to the opposition conceding a sloppy penalty. The crowd, gripped, wandered up and down the touchline with their eyes fixed on the pitch. The penalty was drilled to touch only 10 metres from their line. This was their chance, the lineout was taken cleanly and after a number of drives by the forwards Chris Harvey was over the line. The momentum had shifted and the game was back in Welbeck’s hands. The conversion was successfully taken by the cool head of William Reeve and the team were now 4 points up. The team gained a better rhythm and sustained pressure upon their opponents gaining another three points, the score now 10-3. It seemed as though Welbeck would run away with the game but again Princethorpe fought back, and after a penalty being given away in the dying moments (85th minute), Princethorpe kicked for touch and gained a lot of territory.

Despite Welbeck’s best efforts more drama was yet to unfold, as a well placed chip kick resulted in Princethorpe scoring near the corner flag in the last play of the game. This was it, after such an impressive fight for the game the result was down to the final kick. A 10 all draw would result in victory for the Away team. Welbeck could do nothing but stand and watch. The crowd stood gripped - the only movement was their scrum half on his run up to take the kick and those few players sprinting to try and put him off. The ball was struck well but not well enough. The ball drifted right and missed the posts. The final whistle blew and there was a great sense of relief as the celebrations began. The final score 10-8 to Welbeck College and the next round here they come!

Declan Johnson, Trenchard 09E

Semi Final

There was to be no fairytale conclusion to Welbeck 1st XV’s tremendous run in this season’s Daily Mail Vase Competition. Despite a typically brave performance last Sunday 28 February at Coventry’s Broadstreet RFC, they lost their Semi-Final encounter with Sandbach School 23-5.

Bloodied, beaten but unbowed the Welbeck lads have given the College much to cheer about in recent weeks, but on this occasion found their combative Cheshire opponents just one bridge too far.

Playing into a gusty wind in the first period, Welbeck’s well organised defence was soon put to the most exacting of tests with Sandbach’s fluid offloading game proving difficult to contain. A simple early penalty converted by the Sandbach full back and captain was swiftly followed by two well worked tries by the impressive three-quarters. Indeed the contest could have been as good as over by half time but for Sandbach’s profligacy in front of goal as both conversions and another simple penalty effort all went wide of the uprights.

Having weathered this initial storm, the Welbeck pack eventually began to gain some momentum with flanker Michael Hedgecock prominent in some excellent rampaging into opposition territory. The driving lineout, with ‘Captain Marvel’, Josh Creedy at the tiller, such a pivotal strength of this Welbeck side all season, began to find its rhythm and it was no surprise when the Sandbach eight conceded a series of penalties close to their goal line in vain attempts to repel the now infamous ‘pain train’! With the last play of the first half, mercurial fly half Will Reeve squirmed his way over to register his side’s first points. Half time 5-13. Game on!

The score before the break gave the Welbeck lads renewed belief and they began the second period on the front foot. Successive lineouts close to the Sandbach line, however, failed to reap tangible reward despite the influential Sandbach prop being sin-binned for repeated infringement at the breakdown. The Cheshire outfit successfully repelled all Welbeck attempts to breach their line again and secured their place at Twickenham with two further unconverted tries towards the end of the game. Final score 5-23.

Despite coming up just short at the final hurdle of this premier National Schools Competition, this Welbeck squad have enjoyed a first class season and as I write have secured their place in the Semi-Finals of the County Cup where they will meet old adversaries John Cleveland College. Silverware is still, therefore, very much on the agenda for this talented squad!

Back to the top

Privacy and Cookies | Contact Us | © 2007-2011 Welbeck DSFC