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were spectacular. With a group as talented as this you can start to push the boundaries in training, and we did just that. The downside is that decision-making mistakes start to happen but when it works, it really works. The performance of the season was away at Magdalen College School, Oxford, a traditionally strong rugby school. On the day, Taylors’ were almost perfect and were untouchable. The team was a pleasure to watch and with skills like this, there is a very good future awaiting this squad. We will keep working on decision-making and once that improves, we will be a force to be reckoned with. Notable mentions for attitude, commitment and development should go to Thomas Baldwin (Captain), Ryan Casey, Anzarshah Khan, Aahil Bhasin and Charlie Pick, although everyone in the squad contributed well. Congratulations to the U14B team on a fantastic season. Mr D. Samuel Squad: T. Baldwin (Capt.), R. Casey, A. Khan, V. Sidhu, R. Heredia, R. Patel, M. Ord, B. Ahmed, C. Pick, C. Railton (Vice Capt.), N. Nistorel, M. Wanniarachchige, D. Patel, T. Souesi, A. Fevzi, P. Sen, J. Sivaganesh. U14C The U14 rugby season started with the annual Taylors’ Tens competition on a sunny early September afternoon. It was a chance for the boys to gently re-introduce themselves to the rigours of competitive sport after a long, hot summer. It was also a chance for the coaches to begin the difficult process of assembling teams for the first fixtures of the term. It was on this first Saturday that it became obvious that there was great depth in the quality of U14 rugby this year. The first game against local rivals Watford Grammar was to set a familiar pattern for the season, as MTS secured a thumping 57-5 victory. Standout performances from Amzashah Khan and Ryan Casey in the forwards, as well as Charlie Railton and Aran Fevzi in the backs, led to their promotion to the B team. More impressive still was the emergence of genuine rugby

talent in the form of James Gent, Aaron Pascoe and Prashil Mehta, all of whom were to become ‘C team stalwarts’ alongside the equally impressive Peter Brown, Ben Cooper, Amay Mohan, Aaron Scott, Aarav Mohan, Agastya Daphale, Tom Harvey and Krish Naik. It was these boys that would form the bulk of the C team each week, and having dispatched Watford, a similar demolition of Shiplake (65-10) in the team’s first away game of the season followed. It was a couple of weeks into the season when a number of other players joined the squad: the uncompromising Nayan Patel (in the second row), the athletic Andrea Galli (in the back row) and the free-running Jeroon Sivaganesh. Mill Hill were the unlucky recipients this time in another one-sided contest: 63-7. Another away victory against Magdalen College School (29-12) was one of the side’s more imperfect performances but this was followed by the highlight of the term – a fixture under lights against Reading Bluecoat. By this time, the squad had been strengthened further by the hard-running Avi Patel; the tough-tackling Milo Shaw and Daro Beck; and the elusive Joseph Hazan. The cast of ‘C Team Galacticos’ was coming together nicely and the performance was as good as any I have seen at this level. The resounding 50-0 winning scoreline does little justice to the genuine strength of the opposition. The adrenaline-fueled experience of playing in front of a big crowd at home under lights was to be replaced with the slightly more earthy experience of an away fixture to a large Richard Hale team at a muddy Hertford Rugby Club the following week. It was therefore to the team’s great credit that they were able to adapt expertly to the conditions and the opposition in registering another big win, this time 45-5. With the squad decimated by illness and injury, we were down to the bare bones against Reed’s and it therefore makes the 35-28 win one of the most remarkable of the season. With the opposition camped on the MTS line with seconds to go (and pushing for victory), a vital turnover

U14A September seems a long time ago, when plenty of fresh faces and eager individuals turned up to U14A rugby practice. With several new boys joining the team, it took a while for them to start gelling as a unit, and it was unfortunate that they came up against the strongest opposition of the season in St George’s Harpenden so early in the season. Despite losing, the potential was there for all to see, and the team went on to beat Watford Grammar and London Oratory as performances became more structured and clinical. A tough game vs Mill Hill followed and it was only the boot of the opposition’s number 10 that took the game away from the boys. Arguably the highlight of the season was the game under lights vs Reading Blue Coat School during Rugby Week. The boys showed fantastic desire and determination in what was a very competitive game, and a last minute intercepted try by Oliver Bradford ensured a 19-12 win. The team once again showed resilience against Reed’s School, and although they did not manage to win the game, it highlighted the determination of this group. The season finished with a convincing performance against St Albans School, meaning the team finished with 6 wins out of 9 and a points difference of +90. The whole squad contributed at various stages of the season, but Amos Goodman won most improved player and Huseyin Ozer was the player of the season. With the U14B and D teams also having great seasons, there are certainly high hopes for this year group in the future. Well done to all that contributed. Mr G. D. Roots Squad: Z. Waterman, O. Wilson, H. Muir, L. Emini, F. Butler, R. Abhayawickrama, A. Bhasin, A. Goodman, H. Meakin, N. Bridge, O. Bradford, S. Spight, B. Blau, L. Godber, E. Elliott, W. Ford, H. Ozer, A. Dhana, Z. Whang, L. De Silva, T. Baldwin. U14B The U14B season has definitely been one to remember. One or two results were not what we wanted, but some of the performances

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