On Saturday the Rugby Club played a full fixture away at Harrow, and returned with six wins and eight losses. At the top end, nerves were on edge from the onset and ill-disciplined and scrappy rugby was played by both 1st XV sides at the start of the first half. Oundle found their rhythm and began to apply pressure at the end of the first half, but efforts were thwarted by a strong Harrow defence. During the second half, Harrow’s attack proved its worth, and a few well-constructed tries saw a lead in Harrow’s favour. A tough final loss at 15-7, but the team was said to have learned a lot from it.
On Saturday the girls 1st XI hockey played Trent. Expecting a strong turnout from Trent, the Oundle girls took the initiative and opened with aggressive style. Trent soon fought back, relentlessly attacking the Oundle defence. Minna Coke (D) had to make some vital saves and Esme Wishart (W) sent some crucial outlets to our midfield where Grace Easterbrook (Sn) and Lily Craven (Sn) tried to send the ball in our attacking direction towards Hebe Hughes (K) on the right wing. Unfortunately three minutes before half time, Trent scored in a short corner. A deflated Oundle leaked another goal after half time. Oundle showed some determination when Frannie Aldridge (K) scored Oundle’s first goal. Unfortunately it was too little, too late. Oundle’s attack was no match for the Trent defence in the last ten minutes; the final score was 2-1 to Trent.
The U15s had better luck with only one loss out of five games in fixtures against Kimbolton and Trent. The U15A team enjoyed a decisive win, 7-1, while the U16s won two games and drew one.
The boys 1st V squash team played against Rugby School at home. Oundle’s first encounter of the new season was a very convincing win, 5-0 to Oundle. The squash team sent the message out that they mean business this season, and they are confident they will only get stronger with tougher matches to come.
The boys U16 squash team were thrown in at the deep end against Rugby School. Despite the team’s inexperience, they showed immense potential with a 3-1 win. Hugh Stanton's (F) match was the most captivating victory, after he battled it out for five games.
Dylan Martens (L)