The rugby 1st XV faced Bromsgrove in a thrilling encounter. James Keane (L) got the team off to a great start by running a try into the corner. The lead didn’t last long though, with the opposition executing a rolling maul to take the lead at 7-5. A successful penalty by Joe Green (B) put Oundle back in front, until a pair of Bromsgrove tries put them in pole position at 17-8. However this did not faze Oundle, and a penalty and another James Keane try left the game finely poised at halftime with a score of 17-16 to Bromsgrove. The second half was much less open and full of attrition, with Oundle lacking the handling skills to convert pressure into tries, but a fine break from John Phillips (StA) in the final minute gave Green the opportunity to score a penalty and give Oundle a last gasp victory; he made no mistake, and a pitch invasion ensued.
The U16A team also faced Bromsgrove, but in difficult circumstances as they were missing several key players. After an early Bromsgrove score Henry Potter (L) was quick to make amends with a try straight from kick off. Unfortunately after that the team failed to retain possession, and some weak tackling allowed the opposition to score a series of successive tries. The final result was 41-7 to Bromsgrove.
On Thursday the Squash Club played a series of matches against Uppingham. The 1st boys squash team faced a close-fought contest against their counterparts. Sam Boscawen (B) and Alex Swanston played (G) superbly, but Uppingham were able to pip Oundle to the post in the other ties, winning by a score of 3-2. Uppingham’s strength in depth was clear to see as their 2nd team won 5-0, despite valiant efforts from the Oundlelians. The U16 Boys were more successful, winning 3-2 thanks to fantastic performances from Tim Judge (StA) and James Simpson-Dent (Sc). Meanwhile the girls 1st team won by the same narrow score line, with Catherine Swanston (Sn) and Sarah Connell (W) winning all of their games. This is even more impressive considering the team were missing two of their key players.
On Saturday a match against The Perse School awaited the girls hockey 1st XI. After relentless pressure Lily Craven (Sn) converted Oundle’s advantage with an elegant flick into the bottom right corner. Oundle continued to dominate, keeping their opponents pegged back in their own half, and a superb solo run and finish from Emily Middleton (D) doubled the lead. Soon after that Ella Johnsrud (Sn) clinically fired in a rebound just before halftime to make it 3-0. A slight drop in intensity from Oundle allowed the opposition to nick a goal back, but an excellent strike from Frannie Aldridge (K) meant the game finished 4-1 in Oundle’s favour. Man of the match went to Mia Derrick (K) who made some crucial interceptions and caused havoc with deft runs down the line.
Sam Herring (L)