Match 4 - Yarm

By request, a photo of a super coach



Captain courageous



Man of the match, Big Joe G


The bitter taste of defeat makes the sweet taste of success that much better. The taste today - pure nectar. A win and a good win against Yarm, who have prevailed in both previous encounters saw a relieved and smiling touring party heading back to the school at Yarm for dinner. With wingers Ben Caleo and James Snell both out with shoulder injuries, and a cloud over pivot Joe G and captain Clayton the focus of the team at the morning practice was clearly evident, they knew they needed to win. That focus was taken into the game and for the first time on tour we started well, really ell. Maintaining possession and dominating territory we should have put points on the board well before the break. The first try on the half time whistle by one of the outstanding backs, big Joe, saw us turn with a 7 - 0 advantage. Torrid tight exchanges with players flying in with little regard for their bodies and bone tingling tackling were the order of the second half. A great 2nd 5 pointer by our Man of the Match, Joe G, saw the lead increased before it was pegged back by Yarm to 14 - 7, a tense final quarter was on the cards. The match was fittingly sealed on the final whistle by Richard Askern. A great end to the rugby on tour.
Our relationship with Yarm is really developing into something special, something to maintain and cherish. Now that the tally is at 1 - 2 (in their favour), in the last three years we think they owe it to us to tour next year.

On the bus

Entering Uppingham School



A group in the grounds of this special school


A long day after a painful defeat!
We fare-welled our KES host, good hosts just not so charitable on the pitch.
After playing Uppingham in Townsville just prior to our departure for Europe, we had organised to visit them for lunch today. A good decision. Uppingham is ranked amongst the very best of British schools and it is not difficult to see why. Jaw dropping facilities and amazing decentralized campus and some of the nicest and most hospitable people imaginable, this is a school to foster relationships with.
Onward and upward to our friends at Yarm and the last game of the tour lies ahead, the word is that they have a very good side, no slow starts this time if we hope to prevail.

Match 3 - KES

Our Man of the Match, Lucas kicking for territory.



Sam BT on the charge, hurdling Chris P



Dinner in the classroom of the bard.


Ouch, that hurt. A loss that we did not need. Deja vu, 2 years ago on the very same field we played a very poor first half, came back in the second, but lost. Down 14-0 after two silly costly errors in the first ten minutes it was going to be difficult to come back, and we didn't. The half time score of 26 - 5, although not a true reflection of our play ensured that if we were to turn thing around we would have to have a cracker of a second half. With both coaches pulling their hair out and one about to do a 'hat dance' the second half saw a very different and more focused team take to the field. Winning the second half 19 - 6 allayed some of the angst but it was not enough to redress the poor play early on. The final minutes were tense with TGS clawing back into the game, unfortunately too little to late and the game was lost 33 - 24. A game we could have won, should have won but did not. A number of players played excellent games with all the tries being scored by our backs. Josh claimed our first try and Callum, Chris and Man of the Match, Lucas Brown scoring the others. Sat converted 2 of the 4 tries.
Dinner afterwards in the room purported to be the one Shakespeare studied was a certain tour highlight.

R 'n R

A few of the boys at Warwick castle.



Edan & Netani with Netani Talei the 8th man for the Worcester Warriors after the game

A great day in Warwickshire and Worcestershire. A enjoyable visit to the castle where the touring party had the opportunity of seeing exhibits from the life of the royalty of from around Shakespeare's time and later in a castle which was built in the 9th and tenth centuries. A short bus ride to the next county to watch a Guinness Premiership match between the Worcester Warriors and the Sale Sharks was made a little more interesting due to Netani knowing one of the Warriors. Tomorrow is our third match, a 'must win' against KES. The task that bit harder with a reduced squad. Ben Caleo is still out with his shoulder injury, Joe's knee has not recovered enough as yet and young Crispy has a dose of the flu. The boys will be pumped and Sat has earned our support as the stand in pivot.

Off to Stratford, via Oxford.

Don Markwell chatting to our boys at Rhodes House.



We said goodbye to our fine hosts at Queens and headed to Oxford. A slightly delayed departure and traffic meant that our time in Oxford was unfortunately a little curtailed. Notheless a walk to Rhodes House to see an exhibition featuring George Hall was not in vein despite the exhibition not being on. The current Rhodes House warder Don Markwell (from Quilpie) chatted to the boys briefly before we headed back to town and our bus via the obligitory food court. The boys were taken aback when they saw the memorial to Chester Parker, the schools other Rhodes Scholar who lost his life in WW1.

Bath, a trip back in time.

The Grammar Dragons point to their hero.



The Rec - home to the Bath Rugby Club



The beautiful city of Bath.




Outside the stunning Queens College prior to our departure for Bath.


A rest day. A day for tired and sore bodies to heal and a visit to the ancient Roman city of Bath. Bath has been a favourite stop off on a number of recent Grammar tours, and although we did not spend enough time in Bath on this trip it will always be remembered as a highlight by both boys and staff.

Match 2 - Queens College Taunton

Lucas on the charge, those red boots at their dancing best.



Sat had a good game and a great second half.



Lineout time, we are ready, are you?



Tight stuff, with all reserves ready and willing in the background.


A copybook ruck, clean, fast possession.


The most hospitable of hosts. Could not do enough for us, except that they kept sending us up and down the hill (a ploy methinks). The attitude at preparation was not all it should have been, the focus shown prior to the Kings game seemed to have gone AWOL. Unfortunately Ben Caleo had to withdraw prior to kick off with a re-occurrence of his shoulder injury, but with 25 fit players it was time to play.
A first half that saw preparation attitude continue. Turning at 10 - 10, with Netani scoring a peach of a try off a set move. The 'rev that had to happen, happened', Coach Gilmore laid down his law and a different attitude prevailed in the second half. The well drilled Queens College side maintained and recycled possession at will and at one stage managed 17 phases on the trot. With minimal possession we had to use what we had well and we did. A couple of flashes of magic from Edan saw us score two exciting tries, one by Edan himself and the other by stand in fly half Sat Winston. Joe G and eventual Man of the Match, Mark Crisp, had left the field with injuries but their replacements stepped up and the squad was really happy to keep a clean sheet in the second half to run out deserved 22- 10 winners.