Taylorian

RUGBY 47

2nd XV P: 9 / W: 6 / D: 1 / L: 2 / F-A: 238-119 / PD: 119

The Upper Sixth were again the backbone of the side. The skipper Kay, Sacranie, Sodha, and Kalyan worked like trojans to provide excellent quality ball for the backs and Arslan, Paunovic, Onamusi, White, and Idayefugbara were outstanding behind the scrum. They were ably assisted by the young guns in the Lower Sixth: Rosenbaum, Syed, Kundapur-Pereira, Killigrew, Patel, and Zaveri brought the muscle whilst Groves, Ault, and Somaia were all class. The season was exquisite, brief, and crammed with fleeting memories that like marvellous overtures will outlive the forgotten operas they belong to. A great many things kept happening, some of them good and some of them bad, but within it the team acquitted themselves magnificently and we are all the better for that. Mr M. W. S. Hale Squad: S. Ahmed, E. Arslan, E. Ault, M. Ault, J. Beeby, C. Davies, O. Davies, M. Duggleby, M. Frankic-Ruppen, J. Groves, L. Hunter, E. Idayefugbara, S. Kalyan, J. Kay, G. Killigrew, A. Kundapur-Pereira, A. Leitch, I. Nabarro, F. Onamusi, U. Otibo, V. Paunovic, N. T. Patel, S. Patel, J. Radia, L. Rosenbaum, A. Sacranie, B. Singh Gola, A. Sodha, K. Somaia, M. Syed, K. Wagjiani, T. White, S. Zaveri.

The sixth-century cleric Gregory, Bishop of Tours, opened his History of the Franks with the immortal phrase ‘a great many things keep happening, some of them good and some of them bad.’ So it proved for the 2nd XV this season. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, the 2nds opened their account at home to St George’s. In mind-melting heat, the visitors schooled their hosts at the ruck and deservedly took the spoils. Nevertheless, our gallant heroes regrouped undaunted and blew WGS and BSGS away in their next two matches before duking out an epic draw against a doughty Mill Hill side to close the first half of the term. The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness saw MCS defeated after the world’s longest scrummaging session. Then on Friday Night Lights, the 2nds played St Clement Danes’ 1st XV. After an epic seesaw contest, the hosts fell victim to a last second scrum penalty. The visitors slotted it just shy of the halfway line and Taylors’ were left deflated. Three more matches defined the season, however. Richard Hale and Reed’s were put away after stodgy performances before the 2nds produced a simply stunning victory at St Albans. Brutal and bruising in defence, brave and brilliant in attack, Taylors’ won in spectacular fashion and joy mounted up throughout the earth.

3rd XV

represent the school’s 1st or 2nd XV. By the end of the season, the squad’s appetite for rugby remained undiminished, and those who will still be at the school next year are determined to go again and perpetuate the legend of the ‘Golden Army’. We wish those who are set to depart all the very best and hope that they continue their rugby journeys beyond Sandy Lodge. The Merchant Taylors’ 3rd XV is more than a team; it is the moulding of fine young gentlemen Squad: E. Arslan, S. Ahmed, E. Antony, E. Ault, M. Caronti, S. Chohan, M. Duggleby, M. Frankic-Ruppen, B. Singh Gola, L. Hunter, E. Idayefugbara, J. Jackson, Z. Jamal, R. Jones, S. Kalyan, R. Ludhra, K. Mangat, Z. Mughal, A. Munro, I. Palmer, Y. Parwez, S. Patel, A. Patel, N. Patel, A. Sacranie, D. Sara, H. Shah, A. Sodha, K. Somaia, A. Soni, C. Stevens, O. Thomas, K. Wagjiani, H. Walker, L. Weir, T. White, S. Zaveri. through rugby. Mr A. C. Bruce

P: 4 / W: 3 / D: 0 / L: 1 / F-A: 139-58 / PD: 81 The Merchant Taylors’ 3rd XV finished the season’s short fixture card with three wins from four matches. No fewer than fourteen separate players in the ‘Golden Army’ squad of thirty-seven contributed to 20 glorious tries. Albert Einstein is attributed with the saying that ‘Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted’, which sums up perfectly what playing for the MTS 3rd XV is all about. Even though the above statistics are impressive, our recollection of these details will fade; it will be the memories made this season which shall live on. We will remember Iago Palmer’s try to cap off the team’s champagne moment against UCS, Emre Arslan’s metronomic kicking to get us over the line against Mill Hill, and Balraj Singh Gola’s remarkable ability to simultaneously play in every position on the pitch. As with previous campaigns, players have received recognition for their fine work in the 3rd XV, and several players went on to