8 wins 3 losses (one derby) and 1 draw

1st XV won 35-27 vs Nelson College

Player of the Day: George Methven

3rd game into the season and we are now starting to see the potential we know we have in the Squad. Nelson Boys was always going to be the bench mark to see where we are at and boy, the game delivered great rugby by both teams and again kept the crowd on their toes throughout the 70 mins.

The tight 5 laid a great foundation again, muscled up and took it to their forwards, which resulted in our flankers and backs to run/set up some great tries. George Methven led from the front, with a storming attacking display and solid defence, in which the team fed of and some stern words from the VC, Angus Grant paved the way for an outstanding, focused performance from team.

Special mention to 2 players. Isaac Hutchinson who from the back showed some great attacking moves and even at one point looked like he was dancing/playing with their back line with some very slick feet work and to Andre Sula who was having robusting game at lock until he injured his ankle- Unfortunately he will be out for 5 weeks and we wish him a speedy recovery.

This win also created a little history for the team and they won the Trust Bank Cup, which is the Ranfurly Shield of schoolboy rugby in the South Island and the last time St Bede’s held this cup was 2009 – Nice job boys! 

2nd XV won 26-18 vs CBHS 3rd XV

In the first ten minutes of play we dominated possession and territory. Our ability to finish though was not present and we were unable to score.

CBHS were the first to add points with a penalty kick at the 14min mark and then again at 21 min. Trailing 6 nil our first points were added by solid work from the forwards allowing Oliver Lyons to break the defence for the first try, Charlie Stenberg, added 2 with the kick.

Our slim lead was extinguished minutes later following a lucky bounce presenting an opportunity for CBHS to score out wide, the successful conversion gave CBHS a 13-7 lead at halftime.

Dealing with frustration with the referee, lifting our own communications and shutting the opposition down a little quicker were key components of the halftime chat, and it was clear from the resumption of play, that the lads had taken this onboard.

After several minutes on attack Amby Pulega found the gap in the defence to beat three defenders and score, setting up an easy conversion for Charlie Stenberg. The opposition responded minutes later adding 5, after a break away opportunity was presented with another lucky bounce.

An opposition fumble with the ball, playing it into the in goal area, saw Ben Higinbottom claim the next try when he beat two defenders to the ball, just before the ball went dead. Once again Charlie’s accuracy secured the conversion.

A great second half comeback was secured with Lorenzo Lelli next to score after several minutes of attack inside the CBHS 10 mete area. With the conversion, Charlie Stenberg secured his 100% accuracy record for the match, giving us a 28-18 win

Player of the Day went to Amby Pulega for his work rate and determination in the game at No. 13. A big thank you to Brett Cochrane (Pictured below with Amby) ) and Plumbing World Christchurch for the Player of the Day prizes. The Workman’s Outdoor Shirts and Water Bottleswater bottles will certainly motivate the lads to play well.

Tries: Oliver Lyons, Amby Pulega, Ben Higinbottom, Lorenzo Lelli.

Conversions: Charlie Stenberg, 4.

3rd XV won vs 19-10 vs Kaiapoi RFC U18

After a good start the team made critical mistakes across the field and were out played by a bigger and more hungry team. During the 1st half the team showed spirit and defended the line well for a long period of play but penalties against us took their toll. We went into the half down by 6 points. While during passages of the game in the 2nd half we made inroads and had some periods of excellent play, overall it was a pretty disappointing 2nd half for the team. Basic mistakes and some very ordinary decision making in the field of play put ourselves into trouble giving away the ball and field position too often.

Hopefully the team can take this as a learning experience and rebuild quickly for next week.

U16A won 34-9 vs CBHS U16 "A"

After a week of wet weather that limited our training on the grass it was good to return to the field. Our men went through the motions and we didn’t control the ball very well in the contact area and tried to off load too much in the tackle, that led to not many phases being built and the ref blowing the whistle a lot which kept CBHS in the game . After half time we had a good patch for about 15min and ran in 3 good tries but then the game was slowly becoming more and more frustrating due to continual basic errors on both teams behalf . With the first four games down and achieving 4 wins and only one try scored against us , the men will look forward to a break and comeback ready for the next stage of the season . Thank you to the parents for cooking on the barbeque before our game at St Bede’s . Keep safe in the holidays

U16B lost 24-52 vs Merivale Papanui U16

On a windy Saturday afternoon St. Bede's U16 B Team prepared to face off against the Merivale Papanui Cobras. From the start it was a physical game with the Cobras having a bigger-side that forced the ball in for a try early on. St. Bede's responded promptly with a tackle breaking clinic by Kazuki Yoshida. Unfortunately, the Cobras heavy forward game plan produced three straight scores and a battered St. Bedean team. Though we were down weren't defeated and St. Bede's had two beautiful long distance scores by Gus Knutson and Mitch Pile to bring the game within reach. After half-time, a yellow card missed tackles and miscommunication led to a flurry of try's by the opposition making our odds of victory bleak. Three late tries by Joel Pomare-Edwards, Kazuki Yoshida and Todd McDermott were unable to have impact because of our worn out defence which had taken abuse all game from the sheer size of the Cobras who won 52-24 . Although we didn't win this battle there is still victory in defeat as St. Bede's U16 B Rugby Team's gutsy performance exposed a lot things we'll work on to secure our next win.

U15A won 33-12 vs Christ's College U15 "A"

This week we played Christ College. We looked to improve on our defence and tip offs to our teammates. It was a windy and quite chilly morning and we went onto that field prepared about what was going to hit us. We started the game well, and the game plan was to kick and stay in there 22m as we had the wind on our back.

We scored a try right in the corner 10 minutes in and wanted to restart and do it again. Other things had come and they had scored a try in the forwards, the score was 7-10. As time went by more tries were scored from us and we were happy to say we won that first half. With the strong wind against us, we had no other option than to run and run until we passed the line. We started the half 31-7 and didn’t want them to slip in for another try.

With our structure going to plan and our plays running smoothly we scored only one try in the second half. We defended really well as a team and I was very proud of how we finished the game. The score ended up being a solid 37-12 win. Thank you to our supporters for coming out in this cold wintery weather. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Captain-Christian Ioane 

U15B lost 15-31 vs Haeta U15

Bad weather meant a five-minute video on tackling was all the training St Bedes U15 B could muster in the lead-up to their match against Haeata played at St Bedes on Saturday. And it paid off. Their fiery and vigorous play showed a different side to the U15 B team.

Leading the fray, No.8 Gem Inkster stopped Haeata every time they moved with precision tackling. Inkster constantly ran the ball and did a good job tidying and straightening up the play. St Bedes cracked open the scoring after three minutes when Jack Dennehy-Coles made a bustling run to thump down the ball for a try near the posts. St Bedes were in the game.

First five eighth Charles Challies-Gibb scored off an intercept 23 minutes into the first half and set-up St Bedes for a narrow 10-7 lead. Haeata responded by scoring again and held a narrow 12-10 lead at half-time. Dennehy-Coles was to feature again mid-way through the second half pressing the Haeata line supported by Tauvale Thomas Aupa’au and the high jumping line-out work of Sam McAfee.

The second half comprised a series of good attacking plays from St Bedes with Haeata taking advantage of minor errors to develop their winning margin. Blake Scott playing at No.12 relished his newly found position attacking the Haeata line and making good gains before scoring from 15 metres out in the closing stages of the game.

Coach James Burnside was well pleased with the performance of his boys who blocked the open -running Haeata with a well-executed defence and a dangerous attack. “They did everything asked of them and more – the game could well have been ours,” says Burnside. 

U63kgs "Red" lost 15-24 vs SBC U63kgs "Black"

The two Under 63kg sides played each other in a classic arm wrestle of a game. Both teams exhibited hard running and staunch defence, some of the phases of play by both teams were truely sensational.
The final score was 24 to 15, with tries to Finlay Neal and Fraser Brown.
My manager wasn’t able to come, and my scoring wasn’t the best so sorry if I missed someone or got it wrong. Player of the day went to Henry Prior for some strong because he started to believe in himself.

U63kgs "Black" won 24-15 vs SBC U63kgs "Red"

The local derby both under 63kg St Bedes teams have been looking forward to. Mate vs Mate, Coaches vs Coaches. Could be mistaken for a State of Origin match intensity.The new shield was introduced this week, so even more to play for as well as bragging rights at school next term.The game was dictated by an over zealous referee. Both teams showed brilliance in the backs and the forwards with great powerful runs and in defence.Black team had Joey Fitzgerald (missed last week through sickness) who came back with a point to prove with busting runs up the middle. Backs looked strong when they had it, but the game was kept tight due to wet conditions.Black team triumphant in the end 24-15, with Neal showing his characteristic runs and strong defence picked up player of the day.

U14A won 44-19 vs SBHS U14 "A"

A great game today against the Shirley Spartans with the boys winning 44-19 and retaining the Challenge Shield. At half time we were 22-12 up and Shirley looked like they were warming to their work. However the boys coming on came to play and play they did!
Ben Trillo starred on the wing scoring three tries and pulling off a try saving tackle right on the corner flag.
Our front towers worked hard for the entire game getting good ball which the backs used well. Other tries went to George Daly, Noah Barrett, Thomas Woodgate, Max Hammett and Julius Mumuta. Max Hammett and Noah Barrett shared the kicking.

U14B "Stags" no game 

U58kgs "Red" won 58-7 vs CBHS U58kgs "Black"

Top of the table clash for the Reds this week going up against Christchurch Boys High. A battle with the old foe is never easy and the boys were keen to assert some dominance from the start. What resulted was an intense first quarter as you would expect from any CBHS team. However, our lads started to grow into the game and they had a handy lead by half time. Boys High came out after the break with renewed vigour and Bedes were put on the back foot, needing to do some last gasp tackles. The barrage of fire was soon contained and the points started to flow. The final score was the result of some very good finishing and some even better defence. Great games from Alex Robinson and Jack Allnut. Player of the day Conner McKey.

U58kgs "Black" drew 29-29  vs StAC U58kgs 

"Really gutsy effort from the boys in this game. Considering we only had 5 'forwards' able to play due to injury sickness and unavailability. So it was good to see some backs step into roles they're not use to playing. It was a tight game as shown with the score line and the boys just came up short from capturing the elusive challenge shield with a draw which is a bit unfortunate. But considering Ben wasn't able to attend and I (Zephyr) was only able to stay for 15 minutes with our own games to attend the boys showed they can battle through adversity. A big thank you to Richard; one of the parents for stepping into the coaching role with Ben and I unable to be there. All in all it was a great effort from the boys and definitely something we can build off going forward." 

The game started with a fantastic try early by Andrew Burns. Unfortunately this lead could not be held with St Andrew's scoring twice to have us behind on the score sheet for the rest of the game. The boys showed real determination and grit, defending hard on their try line and displaying flair on attack. With both the coaches unable to be there this weekend, a huge thank you goes to Richard Cournane for helping out and all the families for their support on the sideline.Player of the days were Hamish Flanagan for his leadership in the backline, AJ Whitaker for his determination on the wing and at halfback and Flynn Lawton for his strong defensive display.

Venerables

Welcome back to another year with St Bede's Rugby. For those of you that don’t know, or are new to the club, we have an internal Supporters Club called “The Venerables”. The Venerables provide some key attributes to the overall St Bedes Rugby experience. Primarily The Venerables are the conduit for social activities and fund raising. We have an annual Golf Event and provide regular opportunities to meet socially.

This year we will be having Venerables events before and after the following home games:

25/7/20 Vs Christ’s College

8/8/20 Vs Roncalli College

22/8/20 Vs CBHS

This will involve a few beers and food before the game, along with a short visit from one of the coaches for a quick chat.

During the year, all members will receive a message prior to the 1st XV game describing the opposition and all of the info required for attending games. This will be augmented with score updates as the match progresses.

We are also lucky enough to have a substantial liquid sponsorship from the Elmwood Trading Company. We will be meeting at The Elmwood after all Christchurch games from around 4.30pm.

Under normal circumstances we would be seeking a membership fees of $50 but this year we recognise that things are not normal and as such, the payment is voluntary. Should you wish to make a donation to the Venerables, the account is as follows: 03-0855-0333935-002. Please include your name. All paid members will be receiving a monogrammed scarf and the money will be going towards a rugby exercise that will be beneficial for every player in the club. The money from last years membership is going towards specialist instruction from Mike Cron and John Haggart. All teams will be available to access this instruction. Please note that the Venerable Beanies and Scarves are also available to buy at $20.00 apiece.

The key thing is that everyone is welcome and ultimately the boys will benefit from us having a good time.