Shiplake 1st XV 14-46 Cokethorpe School
A poor first half proved costly as the 1st XV fell to their second defeat of the season. The 90 minute bus journey certainly did not help, but Shiplake must learn to switch on straight away if they want to compete effectively away to strong sides such as Cokethorpe.
Dominant defences kept the match scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, with Cokethorpe struggling to break Shiplake’s line. However, a breakaway try following an interception broke the deadlock and Shiplake were slow to recover from this knock in confidence. Cokethorpe capitalised on their advantage and hammered home another four tries.
After regrouping at half time, Shiplake were determined to fight back and restore their pride. Will Janes and vice captain Tom Harman managed to score twice. Unfortunately by this point the game was beyond them, but several line breaks from Janes and Charlie Proctor along with solid tackling from Markland Tidswell give Shiplake plenty to build upon next week.
Shiplake 2nd XV 10-15 Cokethorpe School
Shiplake were denied a famous draw in a close-fought encounter at Cokethorpe. After a long journey to rural Witney, Shiplake struggled to cope early on against an excellent Cokethorpe side. The opposition back line caused a number of early problems, but after an early try found the maroon defence far harder to unpick.
Shiplake hung on until halftime and were well in the game at 0-5. However, two tries in the opening 10 minutes of the second half appeared to put the result beyond doubt. Lesser sides may have crumbled, but Shiplake refused to give in and launched an unlikely comeback. In fact, the last half an hour saw the best 2nd XV rugby of the season so far. The backs threw the ball around with confidence and incisiveness which had been lacking in the first half. Sensible kicking gained important territory, and suddenly Shiplake had a foothold in the game.
Tries from Tommy Moore and Tom McCooke made the score 10-15 and set up a tense finale. Unfortunately time ran out before Shiplake could find the all important equaliser, but they will take huge heart from the second half display. Coaches Mr Sharkey and Mr Mallins commented: “We are impressed with the resolve shown by the boys. In the end, we were very unlucky not to nick a win. This bodes well for the upcoming matches.”
Shiplake 3rd XV 30-7 LVS Ascot
Thanks to George Atkinson for providing the following match report:
“On Wednesday 24 September, Shiplake’s 3rd team faced a varied sized side from LVS Ascot. Shiplake won the toss and decided to kick off. For the first 20 minutes, both packs were counter-rucking effectively, which made it difficult for either side to gain ground. It took a fantastic run by Harry Ibbitson on the blind side to earn the first try of the match. LVS came back strongly after a deep kick pinned Shiplake back. A quick break by the LVS fly half levelled the scores and the conversion put LVS into a 7-5 half time lead.
Shiplake received the ball in the second half and instantly demonstrated a stronger mentality. Shiplake were now rucking harder than LVS which earned a try for the forwards. Some sharp back line moves sent Ben Arnold crashing over to extend the lead. LVS then enjoyed a prolonged period in Shiplake’s 22 but a costly penalty taken quickly by Matt Morthy earned Shiplake’s fourth try. Matt ran the length of the pitch only to be tackled 5 metres short, but a supporting run earned Toby Orchard his first try of the season. Late tries from an increasingly dominant Shiplake completed the scoring. Coaches Mr Howorth and Mr Brownley gave special mentions to James Baker and Johnny Meadows.”
Shiplake U16A 40-12 Forest School
Sam Wisely inspired Shiplake U16A to a resounding victory over Forest School. The boys had gone 11 days without a fixture, and were keen to put the defeat against Reading Blue Coat behind them.
This was obvious from very early on as Shiplake raced into an unassailable lead. The maroons were four tries to the good at half time, with forwards working hard to lay the foundations for inventive backline moves.
A magical offload from Freddie Davis led to the first of Wisely’s two tries, and Davis was able to add a try of his own. Ross Johnstone also grabbed a brace and Hassan grabbed Shiplake’s sixth try. Miles Bridgman added 10 points with five out of six conversions.
Forest responded well in the second half and managed two well-constructed tries of their own. Substitutions slightly disrupted Shiplake’s flow but they remained in control and will hope to carry this form into a tough looking next game away to Bloxham School on Saturday 4 October.
Shiplake U15A 24-10 Cokethorpe School
Thanks to Hugo Oglina for providing the following match report:
“After a quiet opening 15 minutes, Shiplake put together a few neat phases of play, including a sharp pick up by Number 8 Joachim Ridley-Barker. The ball was swiftly passed to the backs and Ryan Jones scored the first try of the game. Later in the half Shiplake appeared to tire after heavy scrimmaging and tackling, and Cokethorpe took advantage to score in the corner.
With the scores level, Shiplake still appeared lethargic after the break and Cokethorpe scored another try. This was a wake-up call and together our aim was to score under the posts. After another run from Joachim who offloaded to Will Parton, Freddie Bowcock cut back inside to score. When Cokethorpe kicked the ball away, Shiplake passed down the line and an amazing run down the wing by Ryan Jones led to a try under the posts, which he then converted.
After that, Cokethorpe’s heads were down which helped Shiplake to score their final try through fine play from Sam Neil, Hugo Oglina and again scorer Ryan Jones.”
After much deliberation, coach Mr Curtis awarded joint man of the match to Hugo Oglina and Ryan Jones. Ryan showed great commitment and scored 19 points for his side, but he would not have received the opportunities without excellent work off the ball by Hugo.
Shiplake U14A 31-7 Cokethorpe School
What an excellent feeling it was to bounce back from the disappointment of our defeat to Reading Bluecoat with a resounding win over a previously unbeaten Cokethorpe side. The focus in training leading up to this game was our body position in contact. This proved vital and it was reassuring to see that the physicality and technique demonstrated at the breakdown was much improved from the previous week. Despite again conceding an early try, the side boys rallied to a 12-7 half time lead with tries from Josh Shortland and Finn Wallace. Our superiority began to show in the second half with captain Josh Howard making some superb tackles and ball carries. This allowed our dangerous runners like Matty Fitzgerald, Matt Davies and Tomas Gorringe to prosper. Further tries followed from Matty Fitzgerald, and Josh Shortland who completed his hatrick. A particular mention must go to Marcus Brown, Matt Davies and Morgan Taylor who all enjoyed successful debuts for the U14A XV.
Mr Gaunt
