RUGBY FOOTBALL, 1942

Amos. The success in the last test is largely due to the efficient instruction received from Cadet Terry, of the A.T.C. The standard of aircraft recognition for this badge is identical with that required for the 3rd Grade Test in the Royal Observer Corps.

Finally, the Troop owes a debt of gratitude to parents of ex-Scouts for the return of uniforms. Not only are these still more difficult to obtain, but the increase in the size of the Troop has put further demands on our slender resources. Any further help in this direction will be gratefully received and willingly paid for.

RUGBY FOOTBALL, 1942.

RETROSPECT.

This season cannot be called a successful one as far as results are concerned, only one School game being won. Yet the side had by the end of the term learnt the lesson which they had struggled with, that no satisfactory performance can be given without a solid backing of hard training and vigorous effort. There seemed to 'be in the team a complacent feeling that wins would 'be obtained as a matter of course, and an easy win over a supine scratch side in the first game was perhaps the worst thing that could have happened in the circumstances. Disillusion followed pretty rapidly, and no real attempt was made by the team as a whole until the game with Durham, when the School side, with three reserves, showed that they were capable of backing each other up to fight right through the game.

The pack, after a creditable game at Worksop as regards set scrums, was, in general, weak afterwards, and failed to give their backs enough of the ball in loose scrums. Amos, the hooker, who left early in the term, was badly missed, and the pack became a too static unit, leaving overmuch defence to a back division very weak in three places in this respect. Had the heeling from the loose serums been satisfactory, the side would have done a great deal better, but with a poor supply from these key positions, a vacillating back division never knew whether to adopt defensive or offensive positioning. A great handicap to the side was the difficulty in finding a sound fly-half. Cookson played 35

well there, although the position was quite new to him, but the resulting weakening of the forwards proved to be to the detriment of the side. Right at the end of the season a really good junior fly-half was discovered, and there is no doubt that he could have filled the position in the 1st XV very well. We hope for good things from this dark horse next season.

There is clearly a great need for more coaching and for the display of more toughness and vigour in the games lower down in the School. We are now feeling the draught as a result of a neglect of these games over the last four years. Unless more spirit and attention is given by all concerned (and the 1st XV can do a lot by way of interest and example), we shall again be in the position in which we found ourselves this season.

CHARACTERS OF THE 1st XV. DENISON, J. (full back). He did not altogether fulfil the promise shown last year. Generally, however, quite reliable and cool-headed. Sometimes gave one the impression of carrying this latter feature to tantalising lengths. Slow on occasion, perhaps due to lack of training owing to ankle injuries. GODSMARK, F. (wing). A fearless player whom we lost halfway through the season with a broken ankle. A good tackle, and plenty of dash. PENNISTON (centre). A very strong runner, heavily built and difficult to stop when under weigh. Did fine defensive work for the team, and in no way responsible for its lack of success. Fine left-foot kick. HART (centre). A good individualistic player with a quick turn of speed and change of direction. Very weak at the direct tackle, apt to hang back in defence, giving the threes some anxious moments. Will be good with experience. DAVISON (wing). Has had rather a disappointing season, revealing a decided weakness in defence and an occasional lack of judgment in attack. Very good leftfoot kick, although not always too accurate. DENHOLM (fly-half). Has very good hands and is quick at sending his threes away with clever passes. Unable to sustain an opening himself, shows a lack of vigour at close quarters with the enemy. Defence poor. 36

LEIGH (scrum-half). A vigorous player with many of the qualities that go to make a really good scrum-half.

Fearless in defence, a good tackle in open play, and a service which has improved considerably. He should try to lengthen the service from the scrum and give a little more attention to the activities of his opposite number. COOKSON, C. A. F. An energetic, roving forward, with an eye for an opening. He never spared himself and his tackling should have been an inspiration to the team. Equally useful with the ball at his feet or in his hands. WYMAN, A. L. A solid scrummager who packed well as " prop." He had plenty of dash, but was rather inclined to kick the ball through the scrum. He never appeared quite at home with the ball in his hands. MILLER, R. L. Settled down very well into the position of second row forward. A real hard worker in the scrum and in the line-out; he helped to give solidity to the pack. STEELE, P. M. Has the makings of a really good loose forward, as he has a good " football sense " and sense of position, and was ready to learn. His kicking was most useful, and when really fit he was invaluable. DUFFIELD, F. L. He developed into a sound forward and was beginning to make use of his speed and weight.

He needs to finish off his tackling more fiercely, but with a little more experience should be a good forward. AMOS, W. A very useful hooker and a hard-working forward. The team was unlucky to lose his services. DENCH, P. G. R. A useful " prop " who packed well and fitted into the scrum. At the end of the season, through outside reasons, he fell a victim to " staleness." Something of a plodder, he needs to make more use of his speed. TEE, P. F. He fitted well into the second row with Miller, and helped to give cohesion to the scrum. Needed to show more dash in the loose. McDERMID, N. G. L. R. He came into the team to hook, on the departure of Amos, and in spite of his lightness and youth, proved a success. Apart from a tendency to get offside, he also played well in the loose.

THE 2nd XV.

Last year saw a welcome change in .the fortunes of the 2nd XV, and it is gratifying to record an even• better season during the term that has just passed. The team is no longer a hodge-podge of individualists, but a compact and clever body of players whose methods, although occasionally unorthodox, brought the desired results. Comfortable and well-deserved wins were achieved against Leeds G.S., St. John's College, Newburgh Priory and Worksop. A hard and close game against Drax G.S. ended in defeat by 16 points to 9, and Ampleforth won a good game 15-6.

Although the entire team deserves every credit for the successes gained, special mention must be made of the excellent play of Hanson, Corry, Ormiston and Sheriff.

COLTS.

We cannot claim that the Colts have had a successful season, yet a measure of satisfaction can be gained from the gradual improvement made by the team, culminating in a creditable win against Worksop in the final match of the term.

The important positions at half-back were a source of trouble in the early stages of the season; the final choice of Hodgson and Smith (A. J.) was undoubtedly the right one.

The two main weaknesses of the team were (1) a reluctance to tackle hard, and (2) lack of co-operation among the backs. Forwards on the whole were good, and we were fortunate in having an excellent " hooker " in Stratton. Smith (A. J.) was the best of the backs, though Gillgrass played brilliantly at times.

In the Worksop game, quickness in heeling from loose scrums gave the backs great mobility, which Smith and Gillgrass fully exploited. Knowlson, Morris, Shardlow and Stratton were the best of a good pack. In the lost matches, the first half of the game at Ampleforth proved what the side could do against a stiff opposition, but unfortunately the standard of play was not maintained in the second half.

HOUSE MATCHES.

War-time restrictions, unhappily, forbid any detailed accounts of the inter-House Rugby matches which were played at the beginning of the term. The establishment of a new House brought the number of houses up to four, and consequently no House could get a bye into the final.

In the Senior matches, the Rise and Temple proved superior to the Manor and School House, and in the semifinals the Rise beat the Manor by 38 to 0, and in a closelycontested match Temple scored two tries to one by School House. In the final„ the superior speed of the Rise backs proved the decisive factor, and Temple were beaten by 14 points to 0. This was a good game, exciting to watch, and in the first half play was especially even.

The semi-finals of the Junior matches were, unfortunately, very one-sided affairs. The Rise defeated School House by 49 points to 0, while Temple beat the Manor by 39 points to 0. The final between the Rise and Temple aroused considerable interest and produced some play of a remarkably high standard. The first match ended in a pointless draw, while in the replay the Rise were victorious by 6 points to 0.

TABLE OF RESULTS. 1st XV. F. A.

Saturday, Oct. 3rd—Leeds G.S. ... Lost 3 11 Wednesday, Oct. 7th—St. John's College ... Lost 3 5 Saturday, Oct. 17th—York ... Won 44 6 Saturday, Oct. 24th—Worksop College ... Lost 3 33 Saturday, Nov. 7th—Giggleswick School ... Won 17 6 Saturday, Nov. 14th—Catterick Garrison ... Lost 6 49 Saturday, Nov. 21st—Bradford G.S.... ... Lost 0 22 Saturday, Nov. 28th—Ampleforth College ... Lost 6 43 Saturday, Dec. 5th—Durham School ... ... Lost 3 11

2nd XV. F. A.

Saturday, Oct. 3rd—Drax G.S. ... Lost 9 16 Saturday, Oct. 17th—Leeds G.S. ... Won 18 16 Wednesday, Oct. 21st—St. John's College ... Won 15 3 Saturday, Oct. 24th—Worksop College ... Won 9 0 Saturday, Nov. 21st—Newburgh Priory ... Won 53 0 Saturday, Nov. 28th—Ampleforth College ... Lost 3 '15

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Colts XV. F. A. Saturday, Oct. 10th—Giggleswick School ... Lost 3 13 Wednesday, Nov. 4th—Ampleforth College Lost 0 21 Saturday, Nov. 7th—Ampleforth College Lost 0 37 Saturday, Nov. 21st—Worksop College ... Won 19 11

House Matches. Senior.

Semi-final: Temple 6 points, School House 3 points. Rise 38 points, Manor Nil.

Final: Rise 14 points, Temple Nil.

Junior.

Semi-final: Temple 39 points, Manor Nil. Rise 49 points, School House Nil.

Final: Rise, Nil, Temple Nil.

Replay: Rise 6 points, Temple Nil.

ST. PETER'S SCHOOL v. LEEDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL. Played away, October 3rd. Result: Leeds 11, St. Peter's 3.

In their first match of the season, the School were defeated in a hard and fast game by an older and more experienced team.

Leeds had a heavier pack, and by sheer weight were able to gain a monopoly of the ball. This might have led to a larger score by the home side, but consistently faulty handling by the off-half and centres nullified many a threatening three-quarter movement. The Leeds wingers were fast, and on the few occasions when they got the ball, they either scored or only just failed to do so. All the scoring took place in the first half, Leeds scoring all their points by means of successful three-quarter movements, while the School's sole try was scored by Cookson at the conclusion of a bustling forward movement.

The School played much better after half-time, and were a match for their opponents. Play was confined for a long time to the Leeds half of the field, but the home defence held firm. The School forwards were definitely superior in the loose, where Wyman and Cookson were particularly conspicuous.

ST. PETER'S SCHOOL v. WORKSOP COLLEGE. Played away, October 24th. Result: Worksop 33, St. Peter's 3.

The School suffered a heavy defeat when they went to Worksop, and there is no doubt that our opponents deserved their victory.

Worksop won because they had a monopoly of the ball, because their forwards worked well in the loose and never flagged, and finally because their backs, by means of clever passing and positioning, backed each other up after they had passed the ball on along the line.

The School forwards worked hard, but had not the dash and vigour of their opponents. The School backs defended well during the first half, but deteriorated badly later on in the game. In the first half play was quite even, and Cookson and Steele were prominent forwards in the loose, while Denison, at full back, brought off some excellent tackles and, although hard pressed, played well throughout the entire game.

The substantial increase in the Worksop score during the second half can be attributed to the soul-destroying effect among the School 'backs of continually tackling and never attacking, and to the fact that Holliday, the Worksop centre, was never brought down by his opposite number.

ST. PETER'S SCHOOL v. GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL. Played at Home, November 7th. Result : St. Peter's 17, Giggleswick 8.

This was a poor game; both sides showed little constructive ability, and the few movements that were originated were executed in a very ragged fashion. Although Giggleswick had the heavier pack, the School had more of the ball than their opponents. Both packs showed little policy in the loose, and the fact that the School team had more of the ball was due solely to the fact that in the loose scrums Giggleswick kicked the ball under their opponents' feet a little more than the School did.

It was a welcome change to see the School backs attacking instead of defending. Hart ran well, but often held the ball far too long. Penniston, for the first time, 41

used his weight in the centre, and apart from scoring himself, he was in this way able to make two comparatively -easy tries for Davison.

On the whole, the game was a dull one ; it was lightened, however, by occasional flashes of brilliance, which only went to prove how much better the School could have played.

ST. PETER'S SCHOOL v. BRADFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL. Played away, November 21st. Result: Bradford 22, St. Peter's 0.

Bradford scored within the first few minutes, before the York team had really settled down. Shortly afterwards St. Peter's suffered a serious setback ; Godsmark, the left wing three-quarter, was seriously injured and took no further part in the game. This caused a reduction in the numbers of the School pack which, even with a full complement, was much lighter than the Bradford pack.

The game was not so one-sided as the score would suggest. Bradford had a complete monopoly of the ball from the line-out and from the scrums, and their three. Quarters thus had ample opportunity to test the School defence, which was found Wanting on several occasions by a Bradford winger. The School backs ran well when they got the ball, but continual tackling, wore down and stunted their aggressive instincts.

The School team played better in the second half, and confined their opponents to their own half for a long time, but they never succeeded in crossing the Bradford line.

Steele and Miller among the forwards, and Leigh and Penniston in the backs, played well for the School.

ST. PETER'S SCHOOL v. AMPLEFORTH COLLEGE. Played away, November 28th. Result : Ampleforth 43, St. Peter's 6.

This was a heavy defeat which the School sustained at Ampleforth, and it would be a monotonous recitation of facts to attempt a chronological account of how every try

was scored. It is more to the point to attempt to discover the reasons underlying the defeat in the fervent hope that they will be heeded and put to a useful purpose.

The School forwards did not pack low enough, did not bind tight enough, nor did they push hard enough ; in the loose only half the forwards were up with the ball ; in the line-outs the forwards got their fair share of the ball, but then allowed it to be taken from them in the ensuing loose scrum; the School heeling was sluggish, and the wing forwards were unable to spoil successfully on the two opposing halves.

Leigh, at scrum-half, could do little against a pack which was carrying all before it.

The chief fault with the School backs was their slowness in going up in defence. This gave the Ampleforth backs those few priceless seconds in which to get up speed, to manoeuvre, and thus to engineer openings in the School defence. Also, when they did get the 'ball, the York backs seldom ran straight, and their passing was very haphazard.

Briefly, those are the main reasons why the School lost this match. Ampleforth were no better than they were last year, they merely did what St. Peter's did last year, while the School team appeared to have forgotten the example of play set by their immediate predecessors.

ST. PETER'S SCHOOL v. DURHAM SCHOOL. Played away, December 5th. Result: Durham 11, St. Peter's 3.

As usual, it took the School about a quarter of an hour before they settled down, during which time Durham succeeded in gaining a lead of eight points. The School rallied strongly, and the Durham side was soon placed on the defensive. The York team adapted its tactics much better to the muddy condition of the field, and much ground was gained by consistent kicking ahead along the ground on the part of the backs. This policy eventually bore fruit when Penniston, kicking ahead, followed up hard and touched down for a try.

Brilliant hooking by Stratton gave the School a monopoly of the ball in the second half. The Durham defence, how-