Grosvenor Grammar School Rugby Tour to South Africa Game 1
The Grosvenor Grammar School Senior Rugby teams, sponsored by AmPm Property Management, Desk Warehouse, Makula 5 and Miniprint, played the first games of their South African odyssey when they were hosted by Kempton Park School in Johannesburg. The Grosvenor GS 2nd xv was the first team to play when they drew 15-15 against a much vaunted Kempston Park 2ndxv. The game started in a typical South African manner with some massive tackles and a lot of hard direct running from the hosts. Grosvenor met this challenge head on with Thomas Quinn meeting contact with contact and turning the ball over on Grosvenor’s line. Grosvenor started to get into the game by avoiding the big collisions, running into space and moving the ball effectively. With Jack Kennedy and Mark Courtney pulling the strings at half back space started to open up. Eventually, after good hard carries from the pack, with Matthew Logan leading the way, Henry Ferris crashed over under the Kempston posts to touch down for the first try of the game. Thomas Quinn added the conversion to give the Grosvenor GS team a 7-0 lead. With their tails up Grosvenor kept the pressure on and quickly added more points after Chris Allen danced through several tackles to score an unconverted try in the corner to increase the GGS lead to 12-0. Just before half time a lapse in concentration allowed Kempton in for an unconverted try the corner to leave the Grosvenor Grammar School team with a 12-5 lead at the break..
Grosvenor started second half well and increased their lead to 15-5 through a Thomas Quinn penalty. However, with a number of replacement players on the pitch the visitors began to lose their shape. Kempton Park School came back to score two unconverted scores to drawthe scoreboard level at 15-15. With minutes left Thomas Quinn, who had put in a “Man of the Match” performance, was unfortunate to miss a long range penalty. As the ref blew his final whistle and a lot of sore bodies left the pitch with the draw looked upon as a fair result by everyone concerned.
The 1stxv game followed and with a storm brewing overhead conditions became like a typical Belfast winter!! Despite this the Grosvenor Grammar School 1stxv won the game by 48-0. In driving rain and hail it became very difficult to get any sort of continuity within the game. With the forwards having to do a lot of hard carrying space was created for Taylor Pollock to touch down under the posts to get the first points on the board. Daniel Martin added the conversion to put his team into a 7-0 lead. This became 10-0 when Daniel added a penalty a short time later. Grosvenor were adapting to the weather conditions much better than their hosts who had barely seen rain all year. James Cartilage was next to score points with two tries after good work from Mark Johnston and Jos McConkey. Again, Daniel Martin added the conversions to see the visitors into a 24-0 lead at the break.
Grosvenor kept up the pressure in the send half and, with overhead conditions improving, they were able to start moving the ball to good effect. Jos McConkey was creating holes in the centre and, with Ben Davies in support, allowed Ben Davidson to crash over for a try under the Kempston Park posts. Daniel Martin added the conversion, as well as a penalty to see the Grosvenor GS team into a 34-0 lead. As Kempton heads went down Grosvenor took advantage with big carrying from Jack Kennedy and Jos McConkey touching down for two further tries. Daniel Martin completed a fine game by converting both tries to see the Grosvenor Grammar School team finish the game as 48-0 winners.
Accompanying the Grosvenor Grammar School rugby teams is the Grosvenor Grammar School Girls’ Hockey team, sponsored by Denman. They were hosted in a game, played in very wet conditions on grass, by the Kempston Park School team. The hosts won the game by 3-0.
The Grosvenor Grammar School players have visited Voortrekker, the Apartheid Museum and Loftus Versfield where they meet a number of the current Blue Bulls players. They also took time for a game drive in a Safari Park and now fly to Port Elizabeth for the next leg of the tour.
After the two good results against Kempton Park the Grosvenor party travelled to Port Elizabeth to play Cape Recife School.
The 2nd xv started the proceedings off with a 17-0 victory against Cape Recife 1st xv. Comparisons between the Afrikaners of Kempton Park were apparent in the style of play with Cape Recife wanting to avoid contact and run the ball at every opportunity. However, the Grosvenor team quickly settled into the game and controlled a lot of possession in the early stages of the game. Once again, Thomas Quinn was to the forefront with his display of hard running in the centre of the park causing problems for the opposition. These strong runs were rewarded when Thomas scored an unconverted try out wide to give his team a 5-0 lead. With the Grosvenor forwards using their size advantage and good work from Henry Ferris, James McMaster crashed over for another try just before half time. Timmy McMullan added the conversion to give his team a 12-0 lead at the interval.
Just after halftime Ryan Ashfield added another five points following a good individual run from Thomas Quinn. The game started to become more ragged with the Grosvenor team having to defend valiantly for the final stages of the game. They kept the opposition at bay and were delighted to finish the game as 17-0 winners.
The Grosvenor Grammar School 1stxv then took to the field against a Bergsig team which boasted eleven provincial players in their side. It was evident from the start that Bergsig were there to disrupt the Grosvenor players in all aspects of the game. Grosvenor struggled to get into any sort of pattern in the opening exchanges with opposition players continually offside at ruck time. Eventually, after some surging runs from the Grosvenor GS back row, prop, Andrew Boyd, crashed over the opposition whitewash to touch down for a try. Daniel Martin added the conversion to give the Grosvenor GS team a 7-0 lead. Daniel then took advantage of some good forward play which allowed Mark Courtney to set his backs free and space was created for Daniel to touch down for a try in the corner. A second successful conversion put the visitors into a 12-0 lead.
Grosvenor Grammar School started the second half off with an early penalty from Daniel Martin to increase their lead to 17-0. With the scent of victory in their nostrils the Grosvenor team was spurred on run harder and tackle with more aggression. After a good break from Mark Johnston, No 8, Ben Davies found himself on Mark’s shoulder to hold on to a clever pass and touch down for an unconverted try. This ensured there was no comeback from the Bergsig team and it was a delighted Grosvenor Grammar School team that celebrated their 22-0 victory when the final whistle sounded.
The party then travelled onto Knynsa for a morning of whale watching before the 2nd xv played their next game against Oakhill School. The game started very evenly with both sides attacking from all areas of the pitch. Grosvenor eventually settled into the game with Thomas Quinn setting the standard and controlling the game from his centre position. With a number of young players such as James McMaster, Robbie Logue and Josh Malcolm making their senior debuts, scrum half Dan Whitcroft was getting quick ball at ruck time allowing the Grosvenor backs to move the ball quickly. After some good structured play with the forwards carrying strongly the ball was spun wide for Chris Allen to score an unconverted try in the corner and put his team into a 5-0 lead. In an exact copy of the build up to the first try Chris Allen once again found himself in space out wide. This time, after beating several defenders, he was able to score under posts. Thomas Quinn added conversion to give his team a 12-0 lead at the interval.
With the game being played in 28 degrees the heat was starting to impact on the Grosvenor GS players. With a lot of mistakes creeping into the game there were no more scoring opportunities until the last minutes of the game when Rory Elder went over in the corner and touched down for an unconverted try to secure a 17-0 win for the Grosvenor GS team.
The 1stxv then took to the field against Knynsa High School. From the kick off it was evident that any loose ball kicked to the Knynsa side would be punished with some elusive running from their backs. The Grosvenor team quickly got into their patterns moving the ball from touch line to touchline. With Ben Davies and Ben Davidson running hard in the midfield, and some delicate hands from props, James Cartlidge and David Boyd, the Grosvenor forced their way into the opposition 22m area. As a result of the Grosvenor forwards carrying the ball effectively Ben Davidson scored under posts. Daniel Martin added conversion to give the visitors a 7-0 lead. Once again, the Grosvenor team went into attack mode and, after securing good line out ball and setting up a maul, Taylor Pollock broke and had a free run to the posts. Daniel Martin added the extras to increase the Grosvenor GS lead to 14-0. Then, just prior to the break, from a line out the Grosvenor pack set up another well-organised driven maul. Matthew Logan took advantage and crashed over for a try. Daniel Martin added the conversion to put his team into a 21-0 lead at the interval.
With the confidence well and truly knocked out of the opposition Grosvenor then turned the screw in the second half. Ben Davies opened the scoring in the second half by taking advantage of a good line break from Mark Courtney. Daniel Martin added the conversion to put the Grosvenor GS team into a 28-0 lead. Jos McConkey then broke through and off loaded for Thomas Quinn to touch down under the posts. Daniel Martin added the conversion to increase the Grosvenor lead to 35-0. Cameron Knell then took advantage of good work from Ben Davies and Ethan Fitzsimmons to touch down for the “Try of the Tour” The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Grosvenor lead was now 40-0.
In the dying minutes of the game Andrew Skelton added the seventh try of the game, which was converted by Daniel Martin, to secure the well-deserved 47-0 victory for the Grosvenor Grammar School team.
The Grosvenor Grammar School tour party then moved onto George to take part in sports sessions with the pupils from the George Sports Academy before taking a game drive and the long road to Cape Town
On arrival in Cape Town the 2ndxv took the field under lights against Bergvliet. They started strongly with a lot of very slick handling but the final pass just wouldn’t go to hand. However, with good service from Dan Whitcroft and Conor Kernohan marshalling the backs, Chris Allen picked up his fifth try of tour when the ball was put wide and Chris outpaced his opposite number to run in for a try. Conor Kernohan added the conversion to give his team a 7-0 lead. Then Ross Nelson quickly added another after Cameron Knell beat his opposite number before setting Ross free for his run in. Conor Kernohan added the conversion to increase the Grosvenor lead to 14-0. Bergvliet then got on to the score board just before half time with a converted try to reduce the deficit to 14-7.
Grosvenor controlled the second half scoring tries through Chris Allen, Josh Malcolm and Medani Elshibly. Timmy McMullan converted two of the tries to leave the Grosvenor GS team as 33-7 winners which ensured the Grosvenor Grammar School 2ndxv finished their tour unbeaten with three wins and a draw.
The Grosvenor GS 1stxv took to the field straight after the 2ndxv game and didn’t take long to get into the swing of things. Dominating possession and territory only different interpretations of ruck and maul laws prevented early points. Eventually, points came mid- way through the first half when Jos McConkey, who had been leaving a trail of damage through the centre of the pitch, broke away for an unconverted try in the corner to give his team a 5-0 lead. Pressure was now on the Bergvliet players, who were struggling to cope with the hard working Grosvenor team. A beautiful back line move started by Mark Courtney put Ethan Fitzsimmons in for a try. Daniel Martin added the conversion to give his team a 12-0 lead. That became 17-0 when Taylor Pollock touched down for an unconverted try just before the interval.
Bergvliet came out a changed side at the start of the second half by showing a lot more aggression and spoiling a lot of the Grosvenor play. Eventually, they force a try under posts which was converted to reduce the arrears to 17-7. With the game becoming very loose and a lot of needle creeping in Bergvliet got another try, which was not converted, with just five minutes of the game remaining left. The Grosvenor Grammar School team held on to record a hard-earned 17-12 win at the no-side whistle. This victory ensured the Grosvenor Grammar School 1stxv finished their tour with four wins out of four
The touring party then set off to visit the Langa Township and Robben Island before heading to the Paarl Interschool Championships- a competition which will see 25000 spectators take in the final game. A tour to Cape Point and a trip up Table Mountain will finish off what has been the “trip of a lifetime” for the pupils from Grosvenor Grammar School.
