Bloxham School’s 1st XV rugby squad put on a powerful performance to win yesterday’s match against The Leys, Cambridge, earning their place in the quarter finals of the NatWest Vase
Bloxham advanced into the quarter finals of the NatWest Vase with a hard-fought 22-18 win over The Leys School in Cambridge yesterday despite difficult, blustery conditions.
Bloxham, playing their third consecutive away game in this tournament, adjusted well to the demands of a first half playing with the wind. They reached half time 12-0 ahead thanks to tries from George and Jack, as well as Jack’s masterly kicking game, which kept them on top thanks to a deft combination of chips, up and unders and diagonal kicks. After half time, however, things looked very different when The Leys came back to bring the score line to 12-8, thanks to a try and a penalty. At this point it looked like the home side would dominate and come from behind to win but, in retrospect, the crucial moment in the game was a well-taken try from Ollie Kilgallon, who burst from a ruck and celebrated in fine fashion. Bloxham were now able to exert control through a series of forwards picking and driving, and George, who proved a handful for The Leys defenders all afternoon, scored a second try to stretch the lead to 22-8. Once again, The Leys refused to buckle, scoring two tries of their own. The first try was a textbook forward drive from the lineout and the second was a beautifully taken winger’s try. This left the teams within four points of each other with just five minutes to go, but Bloxham were able to survive a nerve-wracking final few minutes to go through to the final eight in the competition as Regional Winners. This was a great performance by the Bloxham team, who tackled ferociously against a good attacking side and demonstrated that they can change their playing style when the conditions demand it.
The team are now looking forward to hosting Altrincham Grammar School in the next round of the competition.