7 wins 6 losses (one derby match)

1st XV vs Rangiora HS won 66-3 

The 1st XV played Rangiora High School at their home ground on Saturday. In one of their more complete performances our team took the game 66 to 3. When the team plays to their shape they are difficult to counter. For the first time this season our 1st XV is now at the top of the points table. The man of the match was Isaac Hutchinson who was devastating on attack. They now have a week off before the much anticipated game against Christchurch Boys’ High School on the last Saturday of the holidays, 24th July.

Tries: Cameron Rawlings 2, Campbell Allison, Mason Allison, Isaac Hutchinson, Andre Sula, Jamayne Feast, Ollie Robb, Jackson Wright and Riley Lucas. Conversions: Mason Allison 8.

2nd XV vs CC 2nd XV Won 8-3

An extremely tight contest ended with us on the right side of the ledger. The game was 3-3 until the final 12 minutes when fullback Charlie Stenberg snuck through to finish a great team try that had been threatening for a while. However, Christ's College capitalized on our inability to get out of our zone and camped in our 22m for the remainder of the game. What occurred during that final 10 minutes was wave after wave of attacks stopped by a fantastic and gutsy defensive effort. This was a Christ's team strengthened by several 1st XV players and out for an upset, they got very close. As a team we take the win, are emboldened by the stalwart defence, but also accept many areas we could have done better. Had we taken a few of the early opportunities we created it could have been a very different game. 

3rd XV vs CBHS "Brumbies" Lost 35-61

Within 4 minutes of kickoff, the 3rds had pushed the Brumbies progressively backwards under their posts struggling to defend the Bede's surge. Like many of this year's encounters, the 3rds are first to score and with power yesterday, Jack Dennehy-Coles drove over for that first score. But we also know that the opposition teams come back after an early wake up call - and the Brumbies certainly did. They brought their game to the St Bede's 3rds. They simply ran at them, from both sides of the park and through the middle. Then they started pinching lineout ball, so possession and territory was all for the Brumbies. There were 97 points, scored in this match, it was a try fest. The Brumbies backs had flair and pace and they created big overlaps to exploit and score. The 3rds scored some crackers too, a barnstorming run down the sideline by Josh MacDonald took him all the way. The ground shook as Elijah Cullen Reid dragged half a dozen forwards with him crashing down over the tryline. Kaede Kurosu sniped an opportunity to take his 2nd of the season. All players know first up tackles need to be made. It was clear yesterday the Brumbies' attacks rallied easily as the ball carrier stepped out of ineffective tackles. Conal Lynch played hard and his tackles stuck when it counted. He stopped several dangerous attacking movements before leaving the field battered late in second half. On the final whistle the mighty 3rds left the intensity of the match on the field. Holidays begin. Coach Kyle who always offers a calm confident belief in their ability had a wry smile at the light hearted atmosphere. Not forgetting either they had just posted a solid 36 points. Tries: Jack Dennehy Coles, Elijah Cullen Reid, Kaede Kurosu Conversions: Flynn Bainbridge x 4 Penalties: Flynn Bainbridge x 1

4th XV vs Merivale Papanui / Belfast won 57-7

The 4ths bounced back from last week with a convincing victory. After withstanding a good start from the opposition, the boys kicked into gear with four converted first half tries. The second half saw more of the same as some strong running saw the tries moumt up. It was pleasing to see the things we had worked on in training improve and the boys maintaining their structure throughout. Ashton Haigh played very well as first receiver and directed play with confidence. The midfield of Will Thwaites and Dylan Butler worked really well together and always looked dangerous with the ball in hand. Flynn Gregg, Blake Scott, Dylan MacDonald and Max Hemmingson-White all enjoyed the opportunity to run hard at the opposition, but perhaps the highlight of the day was the 60 metre try scoring effort from the Waihora Kid. All things considered a much improved effort from the boys which should give them confidence for the weeks ahead.

U75kgs Red vs U75 kgs Black Won 43-32

The two St Bede’s U75kg teams faced off for the second time in a high scoring game in the Top 4 phase of the grade. The Black team started well and worked the ball out wide to score an unconverted try for an early 5-0 lead. The red team then enjoyed a period of possession where they played structured rugby and used their ball carriers in the forwards to good effect. Tries from Todd McDermott and Lucas Matheson took the score to 12-5 and a third try where Byron Geer showed great pace down the wing took the Red team lead to 19-5. As was the story of the whole game the Black team responded well and came back with two tries out wide to bring the game back to 19-15. The Red team then responded and scored two tries of their own from Charlie Challies-Gibb and Byron Geer who won the foot-race to a well weighted grubber kick.

The half-time score of 31-15 suggested a comfortable lead for the Red team and an early second half try by Todd McDermott stretched the lead to 36-15. The Black team, however, staged an excellent fight-back and on numerous occasions found space out wide which they exploited to great effect and scored 3 unanswered tries to bring the score back to 36-32. The Red team had to dig really deep to absorb further periods of possession from the Black team and managed to win a few crucial turnovers to relieve the pressure. The decisive try came when off a scrum Captain Matthew Mun picked a good line to cut though the defence, step the fullback and score under the posts. The final score ended 43-32 and in the end, the game could have gone either way. The Red team will now have a two weekend break before their next game, but will be keen to work on their drift defence in the first week of the new term.

U75kgs Black vs U75kgs Red Lost 32-43

Going into this game the Black team were keen to put in a good performance against their fellow St Bede's team. It was always going to be a tough encounter between two strong teams.

We started out perfectly with a try after two minutes from a quick backline movement that had Connor Stewart bursting down the sideline passing back into Rheubyn Hunter to score.

The Red team then took control for a good period and scored three tries in quick succession after some good team work. We managed to get some possession and control back in the game with our forwards putting in some strong work which allowed Seth Matheson to make a break and managed a great inside pass to Christian Gilbert to go over in the corner.

Possession and good ball control continued and Christian Gilbert went over for his second try to put us back in the game. The Black team then asserted some dominance and had another good period where they were able to score another three tries to put them out to a handy lead.

We then had to dig deep to get back in the game and again the whole team stepped up and with all the forwards putting in some strong defence which enabled crucial turnovers. This allowed our backline to put together some fantastic plays to score three further tries to Cam Howison, Connor Stewart and Rheubyn Hunter to cross for his second try.

With full time closing in we were down by 38 to 32 and had a few chances to get a winning try, though some strong defence by the Red team ensured we could not cross and they were able to get over for one final try to put the game beyond reach.

A fantastic game played in great spirit and with high intensity by both teams and excellent skills shown all round with some outstanding tries scored. With both these teams in the Top 4 this performance shows they are looking to finish the season strongly. 

U65kgs vs Shirley BHS U65kgs Won 34-29 (Feature team)

https://hail.to/st-bedes-college/article/Fr5gtWk

U15 Red vs CBHS U15 "A" Lost 8-24 (Friday)

Friday’s game proved to be a thrilling encounter between two teams who share a strong traditional rivalry. The game started with us conceding a number of penalties, giving CBHS strong field position, which they used to great effect, scoring two early tries and putting us under significant pressure at both set piece and in general phase play. However, after weathering a number of repeated attacks in our 22 we were able exit successfully due to some strong line kicking. 

After some strong set piece and patient forward attack we managed to breech the CBHS back defence out wide and scored, bringing the score back to within 5 points. This shifted momentum our way but we were perhaps a little impatient on attack and kicked away some useful possession in the attempt to put the ball into the corners. 

The second half proved to be a half of two parts. The first part involved us kicking a useful penalty and bringing the score to 10 – 8, then a strong period of sustained attack resulted in several key penalties which we were unable to convert into points due to forced errors. The second part favoured CBHS as we lost several key players due to injury, resulting in a re-shuffled backline. CBHS also brought on two key subs who managed to give them strong go forward through the middle. CBHS then scored two quick converted tries. 

We managed to rally and re-gained possession however, we were forced to chase the game due to score board pressure. The boys finished strongly but the game had perhaps been decided 10 minutes earlier. Although disappointed not to get the result they desired, the boys should be very proud of this effort as they showed considerable grit and determination against a strong CBHS team. What was most pleasing was the composure shown in key facets of this game, and although our execution still let us down at crucial times we showed we could bounce back and were right in the game for its entirety. A thoroughly improved performance.

U15 Black vs CBHS U15 "B" Lost 0-41

Leading up to this fixture Bede’s had won 5 games straight and were on a roll. Some injuries to key players during the week were disruptive and forced positional changes to a previously settled line up. In round 1 Bede’s had played very well to beat CBHS at home, with a strong defensive performance. However playing at home yesterday Boys' High were more focused and had greater intent in their game and had over 70% possession throughout. In the first half they retained possession well and turned field position into points. On the other hand when Bede's got down into the attack zone they made many unforced errors and were unable to sustain pressure on the CBHS line. The second half was a more even affair with strong defence from both sides. Bede's put good pressure on BHS but were unable to cross the line. Two second half tries took the score to 41 to 0. It must be mentioned that Bede’s tackled very well throughout the game having very little possession. Solomon Spanton  and Max Kirk were forward and back of the day - especially for their defensive efforts. The holiday rugby break has come at a good time to have some rest, overcome injuries, some more planning by the coaching team, and reset for the finals push. 

U14 Red vs CBHS U14 "A"  Lost  10-48

U14 Black vs Cashmere U14 Lost 27-36

With a draw and a narrow win in our two previous encounters this clash was always going to be a great contest. We were a little disrupted in the build up with quite a few injuries and boys unavailable but it presented a great opportunity for some of the boys to play in unfamiliar positions. We were also able to welcome back Isaiah Smith after a lay off with injury which helped our numbers. Cashmere started well and when we didn't look after our ruck ball on our line they pounced leading to a soft try. This seemed to fire up the boys as they then played with some real panache with periods of play that saw quick ruck ball then going to the outsides where Max, Noah, Danny and Izzy were all making big inroads. With some great support lines and good offloads we were able to score three tries, one converted in the next twenty minutes. Noah's try in particular showed what the team is capable of when Jamie Warren-Thompson stole another lineout on our 22 and then good passing, strong running and good decisions on when to go to ground saw Noah finishing a 70m move. Towards the end of the half we relaxed a little and started to allow Cashmere to contest at the breakdown. This led to a well taken try and  then a missed penalty right on the break meant a slender 17 -14 lead to Bede's. 

The second half saw us too passive at the ruck again and we ended up turning over ball too often. With more ball in hand Cashmere were able to create pressure leading to three tries and a lead of 31-17. A few injuries to Connor and Noah meant a reshuffle in the backline. Down on the scoreboard seemed to spark the boys again and an exciting period of play saw us with ball again and some barnstorming runs from Max, Joel and Riley. Riley made the most of his shift from prop to centre really getting that go forward we needed. With Gethin directing the show and Max finishing nicely we were back with two more tries closing the gap to 4. To try and get the winning try we gave away the ball again and Cashmere scored meaning we had to score twice more. We came close just missing out on one right on the line before fulltime came around. An exciting game and some good open rugby. Their coach let on that they had been working on their body position and numbers at rucks and it showed with them getting quite a few turnovers from not so much 'jackler' method but by counter rucking and we'll learn from this about our own body position and numbers. The boys are looking forward to getting back into it after the break. Forward of the Day - Jamie for making it a contest for the ball, particularly at lineouts. Back of the Day - Max again for his strong running and constant menace with ball in hand.

U14 White vs STC "Blue" Lost 20-55

Some hard and direct running especially from two of the opposition’s forwards made it a pretty tough first quarter for St Bede's and after conceding a few early tries, they found themselves trailing 36-0 with a big score line in the reckoning. St Bede's then started to lift the tempo of the game and after some good interplay from backs and forwards, they were unlucky on a couple of occasions not to cross the opposition's tryline. A late first half try to St Thomas made the halftime score 43-0 and it was going to take a big turnaround in commitment and attitude in order for St Bede's to get back into the game. 

Right from the start of the 2nd half, St Bede's played the game at speed and this really changed the face of the game. Forwards and backs got stuck in and it was clear to see there had been some pretty stern messages from the coaches at halftime. St Bede's were rewarded with their first try not long after the kickoff and the boys took a lot of confidence out of this. Again they were unlucky to concede the next try however they were quickly back on to attack and scored the next try bringing the score to 50-15. After a fortuitous St Thomas try, St Bede's were held-up over the line but they kept hammering away at the line and were rewarded with what was undoubtedly the try of the match. After some strong and straight running from the hard working St Bede's forwards, the ball was spun wide and a determined run from winger Lachie de Leijer saw him beat a number of defenders and score in the corner. Final score 55-20. 

Not the result the boys were after, but the 2nd half was a terrific effort from the boys. The forwards really paved the way in the 2nd half with some aggressive carries and competing strongly at the ruck eventuated in a number of turnovers. The backs cut down the amount of space they were giving the opposition and the fact they won the 2nd half shows just how good this team can be. Well done on the effort boys! Player of the day: Jack Allnutt, Tackler of the day: Lachie de Leijer

U55kgs vs CC U55kgs Won 31-22

As we were coming off a loss last week it was important we started this game well in order for the boys to get their confidence back. We were also low on numbers and only had one reserve as a lot of players in the team were unavailable due to the school holidays. From the kick off it was obvious our boys were switched on and were playing a lot better than the previous week. An early try to Jimmy Ferguson saw Bede's take a 5 nil lead. Christ’s came back and scored not long after. Then a good forward try to Preston, saw Bede's take the lead again. Unfortunately we again let Christ’s through for a second try and the score was all locked up at 10-10 at the half time break.

The second half produced some really good footy from both sides and after another Bede's try to Jack Sparrow the game remained in the balance. Again we let Christ’s through for a couple more tries and they took a 22-17 lead with only 5 minutes to play. Bede's never gave up and Mac Templeton managed to score an outstanding try in the corner in the dying moments of the game, this tied the scores at 22-22.This try was converted by Joseph and Bede's again took the lead. The ref allowed the kick off to take place and Mac Templeton again broke through the defence and almost ran 50 metres to score but just lost his footing, metres short of the line. This break led to Nicholas Robins crossing the chalk and after this try was also converted, the final score was Bede's 31- Christ’s 22.Tackler of the day went to Zanda Nutbrown for his nuggety display at half back, making some game saving tackles and delivering great ball to his back line. Player of the day went to Josh Harnett. Josh had an outstanding day in the tight, getting to the breakdown quickly and shifting bodies all over the park, his performance lead to his backline receiving plenty of quality ball. Well done team, enjoy your holidays!!!