Just a continuing update on the busy international sports scene currently...
The Red Roses’ record-breaking run of 30 consecutive test matches won was halted in heart-breaking style, losing to the Black Ferns in the World Cup final 34-31, as the women’s Rugby Union World Cup drew to a close in Auckland.
Both the men and women are out of the Rugby League World Cup tournaments, both going out at the semi-final stage. The women, last night, suffering a similar fate to their union counterparts, were beaten by New Zealand. The men were beaten by Samoa by a point. The wheelchair final is due to take place between France and England this Friday evening.
Nevertheless, the nation does have something to celebrate, this time on the cricket front. England have added the T20 world title to their One-Day title, having beaten Pakistan in last Saturday’s final in Melbourne.
Maybe (if I just whisper it) it could be a prelude to success for England’s men as they play opponents in Group B – Iran, USA and Wales – on their way to… no, I can’t finish my sentence. The tournament starts this Friday afternoon with the opening match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador.
Tomorrow, we have all boys in Year 4 and up in Games sessions. As I write, we may lose this afternoon’s session to waterlogged pitches, so it will be good to recoup and continue to get outside to keep our fitness levels up. Collection for all pupils is from 1530.
On Thursday afternoon, Under 8 (Year 3) and Under 9 (Year 4) play their final matches against Farleigh with kick-offs at 1415. The Under 8s are away and the Under 9s are at home. Sign-out is possible at the conclusion of matches from the Yard. Please see SOCS for further details.
The second and final round of the Inter-Set Football (and official end of the Football season) takes place on Saturday 26 November with Under 8s and 9s from 1300-1400 with a 1415 collection from the Yard and Seniors from 1415-1515 with collection from 1530 from the Yard.
In the first week back after half-term, we staged the first round of the Inter-Set Cross Country. Effort across the board was fantastic, buoyed by recent inter-school involvement in local and regional competition. There is a junior and a senior competition, decided by round 2 in the Lent term, but here are the leading Sets and standings so far:
- Year 3 – Romans
- Year 4 – Normans
- Year 5 – Normans
Overall Juniors – Normans
- Year 6 – Monks and Wrens
- Year 7 – Romans
- Year 8 – Saxons
Overall Seniors - Romans
Just a reminder of… personal protection items needed until Easter. Mouthguards, as applicable below, will be needed from Monday 28th November. The full exeat (18-20 November) is a good opportunity for full boarders to acquire these.
- Shin pads for all pupils in Year 3 and up – please keep these in school for the hockey component of Alternative Invasion Games.
- Mouthguards for rugby for all pupils in Year 2 and up. Mouthguards are recommended by the RFU in all formats of the game including TAG rugby and other forms of non-contact rugby in case of accidental collisions. We also insist that boys in Year 4 and above have a mouthguard when playing contact rugby and for Year 3 and up when playing hockey as part of the PE programme.
- OPRO no longer visit the school to fit mouthguards, but information is included with this newsletter about their new instant custom fit mouthguards, should you wish to get one of these. Other mouthguards are widely available from sport shops or online.
Opro Poster here
Opro Information leaflet here.
- Please see my recent SchoolPost letter about rugby/hockey here.
Wednesday 9 November
Rory McDonagh Tournament @ Farleigh
CHAMPIONS!
Won 4-0 v Farleigh 2nds (Toby L, Thomas Ri, Osamede A, Rory K)
Won 5-0 v Sherfield 2nds (Toby L, Osamede A 2, Thomas Ri 2)
Won 1-0 v Twyford 1sts (Dominic K-S)
Won 1-0 v Sherfield 1sts (Thomas Ri)
What a wonderful afternoon. A marvellously organised tournament, on a lovely autumn day, with an inspiring backstory (Rory McDonagh was a boy at Farleigh, who loved his sport, who sadly died in his 20s and this tournament is named in his honour). And we came out as champions!
The boys played with heart and verve. No goals conceded all afternoon, and plenty of brilliant attacking play. We started with a comfortable win against Farleigh 2nds. Feeling pressure to get our goal difference up, we started poorly against Sherfield 2nds, but then managed to sort ourselves out and play some lovely football. And then came Twyford. Having had two relatively close games with them this season, but managing to lose both, the boys were fired up to get the win. The boys played out of their skin, and despite losing Osamede A to injury, we battled hard, dominated the game and deservedly got the winner through Dominic K-S. And so on to the final against Sherfield, a strong team who had also gone through their group unbeaten. And we had to go into the game without Osamede A who was still out injured; the reaction from the boys was outstanding. No feeling sorry for themselves, no thought of taking a backward step. Against a big and powerful side, they simply wanted it more, and were tigerish in their approach. Sherfield had a powerful striker, but he simply never got a kick, as he was hounded by Thomas Ra, William G and Barnaby D. The midfield were brilliant, and up-front Dominic K-S ran and ran, and Thomas Ri provided the silk. And what a goal to win the final. Whether it was a cross or a shot does not matter, to see the ball float into the top corner from distance and a tight angle was amazing (think Van Basten). What a day. What a performance. Superb! ASD
2nd IX Rory McDonagh Tournament
Farleigh 1st IX – Won 1-0 (Kunfayo O)
Sherfield 1st IX – Lost 2-0
Twyford 2nd IX – Lost 1-0
Farleigh 2nd IX – Lost 1-0
As the score lines above suggest, there was actually not a huge gap between the teams, despite 1sts playing 2nds, and this was to the boys’ great credit. Our first match had the potential to be a chastening one, up against the host’s 1sts. However, the boys came out of the blocks with great intensity and passed and pressured impressively, looking to make good use of the no offside rule and playing Kunfayo into space wherever possible. Kunfayo was rewarded with a well taken goal, and we saw the match out with no further ado – what a great start! Sherfield 1sts were a big, strong team and were ultimately a bit too good for us, and our final two games sadly came down to goalkeeping errors, with poor Patrick C having to contend with blinding sun in his eyes for nearly every match we played! However, the boys played the whole tournament with a great attitude and were a credit to themselves with their commitment on an important day for Farleigh with the tournament being held in the memory of ex-pupil Rory McDonagh; a perfect example of sport being a great unifier, celebrating and remembering as a prep school community about things bigger than football. WD
4th XI v Twyford
Won 2-1 (Michael Z, Gabriel D)
The 4ths had the Twyford team pinned back defending for great periods. At times, showing sublime touches, Pilgrims’ eventually manufactured a goal when Orlando S passed to Michael Z who struck the ball way down to the keeper’s right. In the second half, Twyford scored against the run of play, but Pilgrim’s bagged the lead again after Orlando’s cross was latched on to by Gabriel who had the time and space to ensure he shot passed the keeper. AJS
4th XI v Farleigh
Lost 1-0
This was a tougher, more physical match. Chances were less frequent and the Farleigh boys made our defensive line think. Despite plenty of courageous play, we couldn't find a way to level the score. AJS
5th IX v Farleigh
Won 3-1
Pilgrims' 5ths team played a great fixture against Farleigh in a very evenly matched game, more than the end score suggests. Throughout the game, Farleigh had some great shots on goal, however Louis B was an impenetrable wall in goal. Deepak made some excellent play from the middle of the field. At half-time, it was 3-0 to the Pilgrims' School. In the second half Farleigh managed to sneak a goal in, shortly after Pilgrims' conceded a penalty, but this was saved by Louis: Man of the Match.
6th IX v Farleigh
Won 2-1
This match ranged from end to end with fine performances from the midfield players and great positional play by Ayden to score. Ayden's first goal was a cracker, firing in from a very tight angle and against an accomplished goalkeeper too. Farleigh were the stronger side in the second half but Pilgrims' defended well and held out for the win.
7th IX v Farleigh
Lost 2-1
Pilgrims' played positively, communicated well and showed a lot of footballing skill throughout the match. However, the opposition from Farleigh were faster and had a little too much power in front of goal to be denied a win on this occasion.
Colts A VII v Farleigh
Won 4-2 (William S 2, Finn R 2)
This was a tale of two halves. Farleigh started quickly, and we’re on the attack from the get go. The first goal flustered us, but we stuck to the process and kept playing our football. Some clean finishing saw Farleigh take a 2-0 lead at the break. The second half was something else! William S looked unstoppable as he found the net early on in the half. Pilgrims’ rallied at took control of the game. Scoring a couple in quick succession. William found himself slotting a second to confirm an impressive comeback! MTG
Colts A VII v Twyford
Lost 5-1 (Cole H)
Our second game was straight after against Twyford. Twyford looked fresh, and understandably we looked a little leggy. The opposition scored a couple goals unreplied that knocked us back. Still, we pushed on to look for a goal ourselves. Rhian D looked solid at the back, positioning himself well to respond to Twyford attacks. Coleinho H bagged another goal to add to his season’s tally, with a calm finish. A couple late chances from a corner went begging. Ultimately Twyford were the better team on the day, but again, we proved our worth and ability to push them along the way. Well done. MTG
Colts Warriors VII v Twyford
Lost 1-0
A very even affair for the majority of the match. Some characteristically elementary mistakes were taken in the right spirit as both teams battled to break the deadlock. Despite both teams having their fair share of chances, it was Twyford who converted the crucial chance with minutes to play. AA
Colts Warriors VII v Farleigh
Lost 1-7 (Boots P)
Changing the goalkeeper at the interval between the matches gave Pilgrims’ much better shape and opportunities going forward. This proved to be the point with former goalkeeper turned attacking midfielder, Boots, surged forward to score a great goal. Pilgrims’ continued to be formidable in the second half, but four quick goals before half-time saw Farleigh, surprisingly, take the lead. Farleigh dominated the second half as the Pilgrims’ commitment waned and the contest became more like shooting practice for Farleigh. AA
Foals A?VII v Farleigh & Twyford
Farleigh, Lost 2-1 (Edward W)
Twyford, Lost 2-0
Another incredibly positive performance from Pilgrims’ who unfortunately struggled to make the most of their dominance in the first fixture against Farleigh. History repeated itself from earlier in the season. Another game where Pilgrims played the better football, had more possession, and created more chances than Farleigh, but were not clinical enough. Farleigh had their moments and finished well. JB
The game against Twyford was similar. Chances in front of goal were not taken, allowing The opposition to sneak the win. The boys were understandably disappointed; however, they can be pleased at the level of football they are playing! As the old saying goes! ‘You have to stick it in the onion bag’ We will be practicing our finishing in the last few weeks of the season! JB
Foals B VII v Farleigh & Twyford
Farleigh Lost 2-1 (OG). Twyford Lost 4-1 (Theo W)
A cold and rainy Wednesday afternoon was not necessarily the ideal settings to meet again with two strong teams that had both had the better of us earlier on in the season, however the Foals Bs showed great determination through the weather and put in a much-improved performance that showed fight and gusto until the bitter end. Farleigh were strong in defence, as always, but this didn’t stop the boys displaying certain moments of magic, including several bursts down the left and right flanks from Boris, Harry and Theo W up front. Magnificent goal-keeping from Lucus meant that our second meeting with Farleigh was much more evenly matched than the first, demonstrating clearly how much we have grown as a team. After a brief interlude to dry off, the boys had then to regroup against Twyford, who had just put in a strong win against the previous Farleigh victors. Twyford, who have already run rings around the boys twice so far this season, proved no weaker the third time around but the mighty Bs put in a strong defence, particularly from Rufus and Seb W, both who have improved undeniably throughout the course of the season. Chances were made, particularly from Austin who showed great leadership throughout the two matches, including some lovely little one-twos between Austin and Hal. Another two matches where there was so much more to say than just the score line. Well done all. CAL
Saturday 12 November
1stXI v Papplewick
Lost 5-2 (Thomas Ri, Kunfayo O)
The first half of this game was a tale of some of our games this season: there was little to choose between the two sides, but they perhaps had one or two players of higher attacking quality, and they took their chances, and we didn’t. Still, a 4-1 scoreline at half-time was grossly unjust. At half-time we talked about finishing the season on a high and making sure that we won the second half.? The boys reacted brilliantly. We pushed and pushed, creating chance after chance, and when with 10 minutes to go, Kunfayo O scored a marvellous goal (having won the ball back, laid it off, chased the through ball and then producing a super finish), it seemed that we had done both things: finished on a high, and won the second half. That Papplewick scored a scrappy goal in the last minute is a fact that this writer will choose to overlook! Overall, a great game with a superb second half, and a performance the boys should be proud of. A really good way to end a really good season. ASD
2nd IX v Papplewick
Lost 5-1 (Tobi O)
Our last game of the season and the last competitive school match for the Year 8 boys saw us travel to Papplewick. Sadly, the squad had fallen foul of whatever seasonal bug has been going around, and we were shorn of 3 of our strongest players, some through illness and some through promotion to the 1sts. Playing 9 a side, it looked (as it so often has this season), like there wasn’t a huge amount between the two sides. There were some robust, agricultural challenges flying about, and this cowed us slightly. However, Tobi O had two really good chances which were saved by the keeper, and we looked a constant threat on the break. Sadly, a lack of composure on the ball meant we coughed up possession too easily, too often, and we found ourselves one down at the break but still very much in it.
Bizarrely, we played better in the second half, despite shipping 4 goals, but we were let down by a failure to get the basics right – strikers scoring goals, defenders defending properly, and what could have been a much closer score line, wasn’t! Tobi O did score an excellent consolation goal (see picture montage below – thank you, Mrs Croft!), latching on to a through ball and lifting it over the advancing keeper from the edge of the box, but it was too little, too late.
The boys have fought hard and been a lovely bunch to work with. They have played some excellent football along the way, just not always for a whole match! Well done to all for a very enjoyable season. WD
Colts A VII v Papplewick
Lost 5-0
A tough game to finish the season, Papplewick were a strong team in possession and made the most of their time on the ball. The game started evenly and fairly end to end. Both teams being denied by some top class saves. Chenhan Z made some excellent stops from close range throughout the game. Papplewick managed to cut through our midfield with slick passing and quick feet. The first half finished 2-0. At this point we were well in the game and pushed to get on the scoresheet. Unfortunately we conceded a third and our heads dropped. Papplewick kicked on and despite some good chances we couldn't quite get back into the match. Despite this, it has been a positive and enjoyable season. The whole team should be proud of their efforts and the results we have produced. Well done! MTG
Colts B VII v Papplewick
Lost?
This was a tough game for our boys. Papplewick were a very strong team, demonstrating a high level of skill in their passing and dribbling, placing a great deal of pressure on our boys. Papplewick’s strong game resulted in our colts rushing in their decision-making and hesitant to challenge back.
After having a discussion at half-time trying to encourage them to slow down and keep their game simple by focusing on passing, moving and looking for space, better decisions were made which created greater opportunities for shots on goal in the second half.
Teddy E and Elijah A worked well as a team up front – Teddy E had 2 shots on goal which were unfortunately saved by Papplewick’s goalkeeper.
I would also like to commend Gleb’s performance. Gleb H had a fantastic attitude throughout the match and threw himself into every possible play. He made some great challenges and managed to stop 3 shots on goal from Papplewick.
Although the match did not go our way on Saturday, our team continued to push until the final whistle. SF
Colts C VII v Papplewick C
Lost
The Colts Cs were excited about their fixture against Papplewick, and the conditions were perfect for an excellent afternoon of football. Papplewick bolted out of the starting blocks and played most of the football in the first half, with the Pilgrims' Cs conceding four goals. Most of the play happened in the Pilgrims' half, and the boys spent most of their time fending off the Papplewick attack. The boys came back after the break with a bit more energy, and even looked a little dangerous at times. Unfortunately, none of our attempts went into the net, and Papplewick were able to add two more goals to their tally. A tough day out, but a very enjoyable fixture nonetheless. CXC
Foals A VII v Papplewick
Lost 2-3
With 2 players missing and one player leaving at half-time! It would be easy to think that Pilgrims' would roll over. Quite the opposite was the case. The boys battled well and played some good stuff at times! Archie W was immense in midfield and Hugo W came in to help in the second half and did himself proud! 2-1 up at half-time Pilgrims’ looked like they could get a result. Papplewick piled on the pressure in the second half and got an equaliser. The last 10 minutes saw Pilgrims’ defend for their lives to get a draw, and deserved one for their efforts, however with only seconds left on the clock, the opposition clinched the win with a good strike! Such a shame after a monumental effort. Well done lads. JB
Foals B VII v Papplewick
Lost 4-1
A much-depleted Foals B team found themselves in a precarious position against a strong Papplewick side. Captain Harry led from the front, promoted up to centre forward, and the team enjoyed strong returns from Comeback Kings Eddie and Davis. Skill levels and passing have improved tremendously throughout the season and ended with several moments of magic throughout the match. James also looked very handy in defense, leading a solid backline, something that will keep the coaches smiling for next season. This team has improved ten-fold throughout the season, and it's fair to say a good amount of fun has been had throughout. Well done all. CAL
Foals Predator VII mixed v Papplewick
Lost 2-0
Lost 4-0
?A beautiful autumnal afternoon greeted the mixed Pilgrims’ teams as they hosted a strong Papplewick C team. In the first half, Alfie H played excellently in goal amidst lots of attacking pressure, and Nicolas U was to be found everywhere on the pitch, fighting for the ball in attack and defence! The visitors moved the ball around well and deservedly scored two well-worked goals. Pilgrims’ found more and more cohesion and Henry C nearly scored on a couple of occasions. The team came well together over the half.
At the break the second Pilgrims’ team battled it out with the visitors and, for the first seven minutes, put together some excellent passes and defended stoically. Sasha G and Albert T were exceptionally brave in their tackling! The visitors continued to play some excellent attacking football and scored some very good goals. Niran S had some brilliant runs forward to try and claw one back for Pilgrims’, but Papplewick stood firm and came out with a clean sheet.
Although faced against a strong opposition, the Pilgrims’ boys should be proud of their progressive teamwork and tenacious ‘never-say-die’ attitude. Well played, boys. DP
U9 A VII v Papplewick B
Lost 4-1 (Rafe J)
After a good warmup, the under 9s were in good spirits for their fixture against a strong Papplewick side. Pilgrims' started off well, spending a good amount of time in the first half in the opposition half. Finley N, Charlie L and Rafe J leading the charge, each taking a number of shots at goal. Late in the first half, after good back and forth play, Papplewick inched forward, scoring a well fought goal.
In the second half however, Pilgrims' conceded two early goals, and with this, the under 9s lost a little focus. One more goal followed. A change of pace came with Charlie L and Rafe J switching play across the field, ending with Rafe taking a long shot into the top of the net, scoring for pilgrims!
This team didn’t give up, no matter what was thrown at them. It was a pleasure to watch. JU
U9 B/C VII mixed v Papplewick B
Lost
A tough match against tough opposition. It was great that we are this far into the season and the boys still play with a smile on their faces and even when they are under the cosh. There was no doubt this was a challenge, but in typical style, the boys played right through.
I would have liked the lads to apply more of what they have learned – commit to tackling rather than hanging back, look up to make pass, and use the wings more. But these are all lessons to carry forward into next year. At this point in the year, it is best to reflect and ensure there is still enjoyment. One more match to go – enjoy! MDS
Andrew Short
Director of Sport
