What’s on...
Welcome back to the second half of the Lent term. This week we have fixtures with Farleigh on Wednesday and Twyford on Saturday – both from Under 9 and up.
On Friday, a small selection of swimmers from Year 5 and up will travel to Bryanston for the regional round of the IAPS swimming competition.
On Monday 7 March it is the turn of the U12s (Year 7) to have a water polo session at Twyford.
Inter-Set X-Country
This was run in PE the week before the half-term break – until Friday of course, when we were interrupted by Storm Eunice. There was some spectacular damage caused by a falling tree. Fortunately, it fell on to the field and not the Bishop’s Palace! Years 7 and 8 will conclude the competition in PE this Friday.
Year 6 tennis in PE this week is in the Warden’s Garden, Winchester College.
Ukraine
In theory, sport should remain blissfully separate from the seriousness of world events. After all, involvement in sport is meant to be a release and provide a purposeful means of expending energy and pursuing personal goals. However, such is its significance in the world around us that sport and politics has often overlapped through history.
The Berlin Olympics of 1936 saw Jesse Owens, an American black man, win four gold medals and upset Hitler’s ideas of Aryan supremacy. South African sport was ostracised during the time of apartheid – a government policy in which black people were actively discriminated against between 1948 through to when they first gained the right to vote in the early 90s, and Nelson Mandela’s rise to presidency following his release from jail. Table tennis was the first sport to impose a ban during this time in 1956. They were banned from the 1964 Olympic Games. In 1965, the South African cricket team toured England in front of the backdrop of protests in many city centres. The Queen did not attend the test at Lords that year as she could not be seen, as Head of the Commonwealth, to be supporting apartheid. The 1970 tour was subsequently cancelled. Zola Budd, the superb long-distance runner, famous for running bare-footed, gained British citizenship to circumnavigate the sporting boycott to compete in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The European Community finally ended the ban in June 1991 and South Africa went on to famously win the rugby world cup in 1995.
We watch the situation in Ukraine with great trepidation and extreme concern as war unfolds in the region. For their part, various sporting bodies have added their weight to the exclusion of Putin’s Russia including the Sochi Grand Prix and the Champions League final which has been moved to Paris. The nation has been disallowed from hosting or participating in many events and competitions and Russian and Belarusian athletes have been excluded. In some sports, they have been allowed to compete under a neutral flag. We can only hope that any resolution come swiftly.
Ukraine tribute at Winchester Cathedral
Match reports from Saturday 12 February to half-term
Rugby
Colts A IX Twyford
This was a day when we were forced to play rugby on the back foot. We were pressed and harried, coming under sustained pressure whether in possession or without. By half-time the teams were mixed up which created a much more competitive, and enjoyable second twenty minutes. Our boys should learn from this experience, especially how to generate intensity and speed of play. AW
Colts B IX v Twyford
The Colts Bs had a rough start to their fixture against a very big and physical Twyford team. Although valiant in their efforts to contain the mountainous Twyford boys, the Bs struggled to stem the steady stream of tries scored against them in the first half. They did learn to work to their strengths though, and created space for our nippy backs with some clever kicking, and passing the ball out wide. When the Bs were able to keep possession, they looked dangerous, and played some exciting rugby. The teams were mixed a little at half-time, and three Twyford boys donned bibs and joined the Pilgrims’ boys. This steadied the ship, and our boys were able to score a lovely try, courtesy of ‘Bear’ from Twyford. I was impressed with our boys’ never-say-die attitude, and their nuggety grit in making some truly memorable tackles. They may be small, but they are fierce! CXC
Foals A VIII v Twyford
A tough trip out for the Foals A. We came against a strong and confident Twyford team, who took control for long periods of the game. Twyford ran well with the ball and created their own chances, however, they turned over the ball on a number of occasions, adding to their possession. Our handling errors aided Twyford’s hold on the game, but to the boy’s credit, they dug in and kept battling throughout. We were competitive at the breakdown, Alfie L used good technique to clear opposition members off the ball. Unfortunately, our visits to the opposition final third could not be capitalised on. The match did end in defeat, but the boys showed determination and grit, the final 10 minutes we showed glimpses and will look to build upon this for our remaining fixtures. MTG
Foals B VIII v Twyford
Lost 60-25 (Zachary S 2, Bertie B 2, Boots P)
One of the school coaches recently told the boys: 'In every match, look for the times when you are the better team. Sometimes that will be a lot, sometimes much less so, but always look to be better than the opposition.' This team certainly did that on more than one occasion.
With ball in hand, we often looked sharp, passing and running freely, often offloading in the tackle. This resulted in some very good individual and team tries. Great stuff.
Where we were not the equal of the opposition was sometimes in the tackle, where we remain reluctant at times and not always as strong as we need to be. Get that right and we will enjoy greater success. MDS
Foals Barbarians VIII v Twyford
Lost 35 – 25 (Timothy C, Elijah A, Tommy Q)
On a deceptively chilly Saturday afternoon Pilgrims’ travelled to Twyford for what turned out to be a well-matched encounter. Despite a nervous start, the boys grew into the game as the first half progressed. There was an increased physicality from our boys, and whilst the opposition did find gaps in our defence to exploit, each boy put in some impressive tackles during the match. Jago C and Johnnie B showed that size certainly does not matter, both tackling boys much bigger than themselves. In possession the speed of Tommy Q and Timothy C proved to be difficult for Twyford to handle. I would encourage both to continue to run in straight lines whilst also looking to exploit any space they see. Elijah A, Seth T and Cole H all demonstrated a degree of physicality that we had not seen yet this season, with all three making powerful progress by bursting through opposition tackles. Edward G and Zain C were always first on the scene at any break down and did their best to keep possession of the ball in the ruck. I would like to congratulate Timothy, Elijah, and Tommy on their tries today, but it was the success of the team as a collective which was the most pleasing aspect of today’s display. The match may have ended in defeat, but the boys should be proud of the improvements that they have made and physicality they demonstrated as a team. Well done boys. TMH
U9A VII v Twyford
Draw
This was an exciting encounter that boiled down to who was going to make the fewest mistakes. Both teams were capable of scoring in possession but applying pressure in defence became important in trying to force the errors. Pilgrims’ were excellent in many aspects, in particular counter-attack and looking after possession in the tackle. It was a real pleasure for me to see them in action and if we can just work on coming up in defence as a team, rather than ones and twos, we will be even more effective. I scored the match as a win to Pilgrims’, the opposition had it as a win for them – a draw was the agreed result. AJS
U9B VII v Twyford
Lost 15-10
U9 Bs first real test against a strong opposition initially caused a bit of panic in the opening minutes, with the phrase ‘deer in headlights’ not too far from minds. However, the team showed real resolve to keep the match competitive and make some devastating tackles and breaks. James Y once again showed how devastating he can be with the ball in hand, and there was real leadership shown by Boris, managing to, at times, managing to power through the opposition defence. The team’s new faces of Austin joining from the As, and Hugo, Sasha and Alexander all putting in strong performances as the match progressed. It will be a bitter pill for the team to swallow, but they should be proud of how they managed to put up such a strong defence. Come back hard next week boys, and I’m sure we will find ourselves back on track! CAL
U9 Wallabies & All Blacks combined VII v Twyford
A cold but dry afternoon saw Pilgrims’ renew their rivalry with Twyford. On the back of 3 wins and a loss in recent weeks, we were confident of a good showing. The game started very evenly and was closely matched for the first 10 minutes with the score at 4-4. Roared on by a vociferous and ever-growing crowd, the match was to be highly entertaining and keenly contested. As the game went on Twyford got ahead and despite a fabulous effort form Pilgrims’, Twyford were to push further ahead running out 16-10 winners. The boys continued to show considerable improvement, as they have all term. Some of the running was excellent, and it was good to see two pupils get their first tries for the team. Certainly, there will be areas to focus on during the next few sessions as we look to reverse the score after half-term when we meet again. Thanks to our opposition, parents and most importantly, the boys, for giving us an excellent afternoon. TWR
Hockey
1st VII v Westbourne House
Lost 4-2 (Silas K 2)
Pilgrims’ went 2-0 down in the early stages of the match. Nevertheless, we gained momentum and managed some chances. In the second half was much brighter and Pilgrims’ tied the game by using the width and taking their chances. Battle ensued and Westbourne managed to convert two further opportunities. Well-played boys. AA
2nd VII v Westbourne House
Lost 5-2 (Felix M, Ollie R)
The second half was a much more even affair having shipped some early goals in the first half. Pilgrims’ had chances but the Westbourne keeper was very strong. Felix scored from a free pass from Alex. He scored from out wide. Alex was again the provider for the second goal with a pass to Ollie who got the shot off in the D. JB
TAG Rugby
A cracking, sunny Thursday afternoon – in between storms Dudley and Eunice – saw Pilgrims’ Under 8s host Twyford for some TAG rugby on the Wolvesey pitches. There was some fantastic evasive running, effective catching and passing, tricky Tags to try to get hold of and some fantastic tries scored. Mr Buck, Mr Greenwood and I would love to see our defensive lines come up flat and together and steal the space before the attacking team can exploit it, but that is something we’ll continue to work on – both schools were guilty of it. Passion, determination and fun were all in evidence – well done, Year 3! AJS
Andrew Short
Director of Sport
