On the 5th of December, the Oundle 1st XI hockey team had their final match of the season against Uppingham, greatest of rivals. Uppingham had first push back and unfortunately, Oundle started the game having to attack into the strong winds. They had an aggressive start and put Uppingham under a lot of pressure. However after the first five minutes, they fell apart for the rest of the half, allowing Uppingham to score a goal at the beginning. Hebe Hughes (K) skilfully pushed the ball into a defender’s foot, giving them a short corner. Frannie Aldridge (K) flicked the ball beautifully at goal, and Dora Nicolle (W) just managed to deflect the ball in, which evened the scores for us.
After half time, they went straight back, ready to fight properly for the win. The match was thrilling for end-to-end hockey with buckets of goals. With not much time to go, Oundle pushed the ball into attack and with Flo Garnett (D) and Polly Baker (L) both on the defence wings, they had many attacking drives as they consistently drag flicked the ball over Uppingham sticks. With Oundle in possession for most of the second half, the team were devastated when in the final five minutes, Uppingham scored just before the final whistle, winning 4-3.
In the last badminton match of the Christmas Quarter, the boys badminton team gained victory (3-6) in the away match against Bromsgrove, but unfortunately, the girls experienced a significant defeat (7-2), primarily due to the well-planned strategies of the opposing team.
The 1st XV had a busy week. The U6th played what could be their last fixture on Two Acre, with a 24-3 win against Rugby. With dire conditions and a strong wind in the 1st half, Oundle kept it tight and resorted to their renowned rolling maul. The scoreline does not do any justice to Rugby, who were within a score at half-time and tested our midfield with a stand-off who took the ball to the line exceptionally well. In typical Oundle fashion, once they wore down their opponents, they were able to release their high-flying runners and play a strong brand of off-landing rugby. Joe Green (B) and Freddie Johnsrud (Ldr) were at the heart of this, and proved very difficult players to defend against. The victory confirmed an unbeaten record on Two Acre this season. Their last loss at home was k in September 2014.
On Tuesday the XV took part in the last 32 fixtures of the Natwest Cup, playing against Langley School. The team didn't allow Langley to have any influence on the match. The Oundle maul was imperious, with Isaac Uwins (G) scoring a hatrick from the back. Zac Berrill (StA) pestered their defence all day, and also scored his first try for Oundle. The 50-0 result puts them into the last 16. They now face Warwick, who beat King’s Worcester 36-3 during the week.
Doug Russell (Ldr)