Page 113 - Herioter 2020

victorious in their Plate final.
The next outing for the U18 team
was a midweek tournament at The
High School of Glasgow. We arrived as
defending champions so were eager to
repeat our result from 2019. On a wet
day in Glasgow, on heavy pitches, we
knew it would be tough going. In our pool
games we recorded wins over Austin
Friars (Cumbria) and Kelvinside Academy
U13 Plate winners U18 Plate winners to progress to a semi-final against The
Glasgow Academy that we would win
RUGBY: ‘Defend we found ourselves in a pool with comfortably. Facing the host in the final,
High School of Glasgow and Edinburgh we started the game well, scoring a
like you’ve never Academy. We managed to secure two couple of good tries, but High School of
wins and progress to the semi-final to
defended before…’ play Watson’s. In the last play of the Glasgow came back at us with a couple
of their own. Early in the second half it
As night follows day, fifteen-a-side game we scored, earning a place in the became evident that our reserves were
rugby becomes sevens in the latter final against Dollar. Our message to the running low and eventually we ran out of
stages of the season. team was simple: ‘Defend like you’ve gas, and the opponent scored at the end
never defended before, and when we to secure the win.
When Mr Easson and I sat down to select have the ball, keep it.’ It seemed to
the U18 squad for the 2020 season work as we put in our best defensive We headed into our own competition
we felt that we had a group that had a performance of the day, scored some full of confidence, hoping to be the
very good chance of doing something outstanding tries, and beat Dollar to win first U18 Heriot’s team to triumph.
special. The squad possessed the four the U18 Cup. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus the
key S’s needed for sevens – strength, tournament was cancelled. Even though
skill, speed and stamina – and we had At the same tournament, sevens sides it was the right decision, we were all very
Andrew McCall as our captain. Our representing four other age categories disappointed. The U18 boys who played
first tournament of the season was the were also in competition. The U14, U15 in the squad this season should be very
second round of the Schools Sevens and U16 squads were all defeated in proud of their efforts. Well done, lads!
series at The Glasgow Academy, where Plate semi-finals, while the U13s were Mr Ewan Harrison

Goldenacre, but we were defeated, having and unexpected win against Dollar in a
lost focus in the second half. game that saw our teams mixed with
Soon after, we travelled to Edinburgh players from the JB2 squad.
Academy looking for a win, and we The biggest challenge of the season
came agonisingly close to what would came next: a match against Edinburgh
have been a hard-fought draw. Several Academy. We lost 11-6, but came out
weeks later, after lots of cancellations with the benefit of experience that we
due to bad weather, we came to our final brought to the return fixture, narrowly
game of the season: Edinburgh Academy losing 5-4 due to a pick-and-go penalty.
JA1 at Goldenacre. The build-up took an We came back from our losses and beat
Rollercoaster ride unexpected twist as EA asked to play Watson’s 12-9, and also won against
13-a-side – something we had never Hutchesons’ and Glasgow Academy,
for P7 sides done – but our team adapted quickly, and only to succumb to defeat again against
the conclusion of our JA1 journey ended in Edinburgh Academy 12-4, finishing off a
JA1
a 3-3 tie. fantastic season.
The season got off to a promising
start with wins against teams ranging Michael Sherriff (P7) Daniel Reid and Nathaniel Kwon (P7)
from Kelvinside Academy to Glasgow JA2
Academy, as everybody who had been We started off with a bang, recording
in P6 got to know the new players a 13-8 win against The High School of
who joined this year. Our streak sadly Glasgow, and followed this up with a
came to an end against a very strong fantastic win against Merchiston, beating
Stewart’s Melville side who dominated them 9-4. We then went on a losing
the breakdown. After a couple of training streak against George Watson’s, Stewart’s
sessions led by Mr Tyler and Mr Ross, we Melville and finally High School of Dundee,
were raring to go again against Dollar at but we came back with a well-deserved
JB1

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