St Michaels University School - Black Red and Blue Yearbook (Victoria, British Columbia Canada)

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RUGBY FOOTBALL FIRST FIFTEEN It was clear from the start that this was going to be a building year, even though there was little enough on which to start building. No one was left from the previous season's lst. XV, and most of the players had to come from the 3rd. XV and even humbler origins. A disastrous defeat at the hands of an Old Boys' side largely composed of last year's lst. XY was a sad reminder of this. There was, however, one compen- sation for the team-no one expected anything of them and any defeats would be excusable, while any victories would be pleasant surprises. As the season advanced, so did the team. In the Christmas term they lost narrowly away to Brentwood and Shawnigan, 3-6 and 5-9 respectively, both scores being fair representations of the run of the play. and the score in the Shawnigan match being at least an improve- ment on the 6-29 defeat handed out to last yearis side. The team's fortunes were dramatically raised when they beat St. Georgeis fairly comfortably at home, in a game spent mostly on the visitors, line. Hopes were high for the Easter term, but they were rudely shaken by a heavy and quite inexplicable defeat at the hands of Brentwood. Things did, however, pick up with a resounding victory at St. George's, where the team put up the best performance of the season. Character- istically they were 3-8 down at half time, but they smelled blood and scored two quick tries in as many minutes. The season was rounded off with a comfortable win over Shawnigan. Cur visitors were, ad- mittedly, jaded by c'flu, but the team outplayed them in every depart- ment of the game. The side had come a long way since their hesitant and apologetic play at the season's start. It was the policy this year to play more lst. XV games. Victoria High School and Claremont, from the local schools, provided us with several very useful practice games, while we entertained Prince of Wales School from Vancouver. Even more valuable were three tough games with Royal Roads, Cak Bay R.F.C. and Victoria University, which encouraged the side to play above themselves. There were no star players this year, no virtuoso performers to steal the limelight, and this laid much more emphasis on team effort. By the end of the season the forwards, the suspected weakness, were working well together. VVilke guaranteed the ball in the line-out, Seeger virtu- ally ensured it in the set scrums and the back row combination of Brooke, Willis and MacLeod started to give the opposing backs a bad time. Large gaps were still being left in the line-outs and the ball was still slow to emerge from the loose, but at least the forwards were all going hard together. It was their energy that reversed the loss against Shawnigan to a respectable win. liomvards can compensate for any lack of skill by brute force and enthusiasm. This does not, unfortunately, hold true for the backs. They had little speed as it was, but, when Garrigues was forced to retire at 24

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Christmas with an old knee injury and was replaced by Barker, they had even less. By the end of the season, however, they were learning to overcome this handicap by short kicks ahead. They also began to look tidier. Dykes, with his fearless tackling and readiness to fall on the ball, and Graham. with his quiet determination, led the way. The ball was being passed out more smartly and the wings were being brought into the game more frequently. Yet the hard fact still re- mained that they had no more penetration at the end of the season than at the beginning. This can only come from experience. Prospects look excellent for next year, with nine of this year's side in Grade Xl. The 1966-67 season should see the completion of the good work begun in this one. 1, The team was composed of Dykes K Captainl , Seeger fVice-Captainl , YVilke, Graham, Brooke, Wenman, Hardy I, Nutting I, Leppmann, Filtness, MacLeod, Willis, Bapty, Gallelli and Barker. Additional players were Wlatkins Il, Rosenberry, Harris and Garrigues. Colours were awarded to Dykes, Seeger, Graham and Wilke. RESULTS oCToBER 16 School Oak Bay Wanderers, lost 8-17 27 School Royal Roads, lost 3-6 NOVEMBER 2 School Victoria High School, won 21-3 6 School Brentwood College, lost 3-6 13 School the Old Boys, lost 0-32 20 School St. Ceorge's School, won 10-8 27 School Shawnigan Lake School, lost 5-9 30 School Victoria High School, drawn 6-6 DECEMBER 4 School Prince of XV ales School, won 9-3 FEBRUARY 16 School University of Victoria. lost 8-14 23 School Victoria High School, won 22-0 26 School Brentwood College, lost 0-19 MARCH 2 School Claremont High School, won 3-0 5 School St. Georges School, won 16-8 12 School Shawnigan Lake School, won 9-3 A. H. A. O 25