Taylorian

Sport

Rugby

Squad: A. Sawant, F. Ahmed, S. Ahmed, E. Arslan, A. Bettridge, O. Browne, T. Cheetham, M. Duggleby, R. Gowribala, J. Hawkes, J. Hazan, L. Hunter, E. Idayefugbara, R. Jones, N. Kakad, S. Kalyan, J. Kay, B. Kleiner, M. Little, A. Mistry, I. Oke, U. Otibo, D. Patel, K. Raghvani, A. Sacranie, R. Sidhu, A. Sodha, S. Tiwari, T. Varsani, K. Wagjiani, T. White, M. Yip. U16A The U16A team had one of their most successful seasons in recent history, winning 9 out of 9 matches and going through the season unbeaten. In fact, the unbeaten run stretches further back than that: they have not lost a game since before the October half term in 2021. The glue that has bound this team together is their unquestionable enthusiasm for the sport and their camaraderie. Two games will stick long in the memory: the tense 15-10 win over Reed’s, and an emotional 7-5 win over local rivals (and the last team to beat us) Mill Hill, with Ivan Nabarro holding his nerve to add the all-important conversion after a late equalising try. The side have developed enormously over my three-year period of coaching them and the level of skill that has been on display this year will undoubtedly excite any 1st XV spectators in the near future. The performance against Skinners under the lights during Rugby Week was perfect, and every single player was on their game that evening. It must have been the pre-match disco warm-up that did the trick! Each player has individually contributed at key moments over the season, and it would be too long a report to go through everyone’s contribution. However, a special mention must go to the leadership team. George Killigrew and Tommy Embleton were the vice captains and had great seasons. James Steven-Jennings led from the front all season, setting a tremendously high standard which the team followed. It has been a real privilege to have coached the group of boys for three years since the Fourth Form, and it is extremely pleasing to see what fine young men they have

become; they are committed, enthusiastic and compassionate boys who have struck the perfect balance between enjoyment, rugby and upholding the values and morals of the school. I can’t wait to see how they progress in the future. Good luck. Mr P. J. B. Davies Squad: C. Omert, G. Killigrew (Vice Captain), A. Kundapur-Pereira, L. Rosenbaum, C. Davies, I. Nabarro, J. Steven-Jennings (Capt.), A. Adenigbagbe, O. Davies, T. Embleton (Vice-Capt), T. Abolade, J. Beeby, A. Poole, O. Southon, J. Groves, K. Somaia, N. T. Patel, Z. Jamal, R. Pankhania, M. Syed, P. Wijesinghe Rajapaksha Arachchige, G. Kyriakou, H. Walker. U16B This term, the U16Bs were drawn from a large squad made up of enthusiastic players. Early on, two things were clear: that the squad was full of talent and that all players were keen to represent the school. This meant that training sessions were fierce as players worked hard to earn their place in the team. As a result, a number of talents emerged, with Kayan Somaia and Niam Patel both earning a move up to the As and making room for some new faces. Oliver Thomas had a fabulous season; having replaced Kayan as the scrum half, Oliver captained the Bs from then on and regularly outperformed his opposition number 9 with quick passes and relentless tackling. The forwards were extremely impressive; strong carriers such as Dhaman Sara, Ryan Luthra and Aarav Rangia were supported by technical ability and powerful rucking from Saavan Patel and Ethan Antony. The backs took a while to settle into their best positions but towards the end of the season they were operating like a well-oiled machine, and we saw impressive runs from Balraj Gola, Abishek Patel, Krish Mangat, Marcello Caronti and Mateo Frankic-Ruppen, which often created try-scoring opportunities. The U16Bs were a formidable opposition throughout the season, and while they met their match when playing away against Mill Hill (10-12) and under the lights against Reading Blue Coat (7 24), the team’s strength and ability was

demonstrated with decisive wins over Magdalen College (54-5) and Reed’s (36 12). The team’s determination was clear, and despite being plagued by injury and illness, they finished the season against a very strong side with an impressive victory against St Albans (20-12). A great season, Squad: A. Dhillon, A. Munro, A. Patel, A. Patel, A. Raniga, B. Singh Gola, D. Sara, E. Antony, E. Ault, I. Palmer, J. Jackson, K. Mangat, M. Caronti, M. Frankic-Ruppen, N. Mohan, N. Smith, O. Thomas (Capt.), R. Ludhra, R. Zanette, S. Chohan, S. Patel, S. Zaveri, Y. Parwez, Z. Mughal. U15A When the U15A team came back from 26-0 down to draw the first match of the season 26-26, it was obvious that they had something special. Work put in last year and over the summer led to self belief and they knew that if they played to their strengths, they were always able to win; so it proved for the rest of the season. A final record of 10 wins, 1 draw and a single agonising loss in the final game of the year is testament to the improvements they have made. Notable successes this year included beating Reed’s School 50-10, having been drawing 10-10 at half-time; holding on to beat Mill Hill for a second time in the season in a close encounter; and making it to the 4th round of the cup, the best run the school has had in several years. You can expect much more from this team when you see them together again as the U16As, and do not be surprised if a few of the names mentioned in their ranks appear in the higher tiers of rugby in the future. Mr B. J. Simpson Squad: R. Suggett, J. Dyer, T. Hawkes, T. Easterbrook, J. Nnatu, J. Radia, G. Gordon, M. Li, J. Bridge, R. Waddington, A. Ellis, O. Isherwood, E. Pryce, T. Alade, A. Rajdev, B. Perahia, Z. Karim, A. Brown, J. Bindra, S. Williams, E. Greenaway, P. Nedeljkovic, K. Huang, D. Ashton, J. Shah, F. Ellis, H. Adebisi. boys, well done. Mr A. L. Murray

70

Taylorian 2023