Sports round-up
·20 September 2024
Another busy week for Claremont sport, with notable victories for the rugby 1st XV, U15 Lacrosse and Under 13A Netball squads. After a week of fine weather, the sun shone on the majority of fixtures, as the respective seasons gather pace.
Last Saturday saw some of the best Lacrosse the first team have played, in an end-to-end game going into the second half with scores tied. The only thing that let us down was our shot placement in the second half. Even with a fantastic last 5 minutes, we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. A solid performance which resulted in team of the week.
The 2nd Lacrosse team faced a tough opposition in GHS last weekend. The game featured some excellent transitions from Genna L as well as 2 goals scored by Tillie S, ending the game 11-3.
A brilliant first half saw Claremont lead by 3 goals. We worked hard to keep possession but we now need to focus on maintaining possession in these tight situations. We lacked fitness, and didn’t have as many subs as usual which didn’t help, but can be pleased with the 6-4 result. POM Olivia M and Chloe A.
A tough day in the office for the 14A’s. We were low on the ground in numbers and even so, a few players being hit with illnesses. This team has a lot of potential and credit must go to all defence and Rose A for a strong performance. We are looking forward to this team only getting better and better each week as there is some fantastic potential.
The U13A lacrosse team struggled against a tough opposition int Guildford High School losing 10-0 at half time. The team gathered momentum in the second half to score 3 goals finishing 15-3.
The U13A netball team have gone through to the second round of the Sisters in Sport Netball tournament beating North London Collegiate School 21-12 in round 1. Well done to Alice, Abi and Zoey for some excellent movement and shooting in the circle.
Won 29-0. The senior boys bounced back with a dominant performance against Tiffin at home on Saturday 21st September. The pack worked hard to build on patterns of play and dominate the break down and open play. Harry S-W and Adam K carried the ball hard, which allowed vice-captain Sean H to crash over. The backs are flying at the moment and Ethan G danced in on the wing to take the game away from Tiffin who had no answers for the Claremont attack. Kai W was the standout with numerous carries into the Tiffin half.
Lost 7-41. A tough first outing for the 2nd XV, but nonetheless a game full of commitment. Sam Nichols and Oscar firth battled hard for possession, Claremont need to be more accurate with their passing and decision making. The team has potential and as a predominantly U16 squad will be perfectly capable of matching other school squads.
Lost 14-26. A frustrating defeat for the U15A squad, as Grey Court stayed in a game they initially struggled in, pulling clear with two late tries. Josh H was the home standout, relentless in defence and the opening try scorer with a simply brilliant long-range finish. Alex T scored the other Claremont try from closer in, but as the game developed the team got more frustrated by their errors, and lost focus. Quicker ball transfer, better game management, a willingness to support team mates….work to do gentlemen.
Claremont 40 – Greys Court 24. This week saw another quick start from Claremont, the school up by 14 points within 5 minutes – a well worked backs move finished by Rowell and a powerful charge from Hoogewerf, both converted by Marlow, with another score by Scobie soon after. However, a collective malaise, some strong running, and some flaying tackling, saw the Greys Court back 3 instrumental in their lead 24-21 half time lead. Now playing uphill, and against a head wind, the Claremont had their collective back against the wall.
Strong counter rucking, something the school had been good at all game, saw Marlow sell a clever dummy and nip in for a classy score beneath the uprights. After adding the conversation Claremont has retaken the lead. Although Greys Court fought back hard, they lost a key player to injury, added to this a great show of character and skill form Claremont the XV were soon out of sight, adding another brace of tries to their tally. In the last few minutes Greys Court suffered another injury. With Claremont in the ascendancy another score was inevitable, however the game was brought to a premature close and Claremont were rightful victors. A true team effort will have prepared the XV for what will be a further test of character as they step-up to face Isleworth and Sion next week.
Won 62-5. The U14Bs continued their strong start to the new season with a comfortable 62-5 vs Tiffin School. Try machine Oliver W scored his 5th, 6th and 7th tries of the young season, with Charlie M grabbing a double and many other contributions all over the park. Blake A passed and kicked well to lead the backline while Samuel P was a strong presence in the forwards. Well done lads!
Won 15-10. A very tight match, both teams showing different strengths, Grey Court were dominant in the scrum and ruck, their handling was excellent. Claremont defended solidly and despite going a try down fought back to equalise. Harry B opened the scoring from close range. The second half was an even tighter contest, some intelligent kicking from Claremont resulted in Jack D scoring the only try of the half in the closing stages of the match. An excellent match both teams playing confrontational rugby in a positive manner, well done. Scorers: Harry B, Rupert W, Jack D – MoTM: Jakob S
Won 60-10 (12-2). Against a side that featured several players new to rugby, Claremont were, as expected, dominant. There were many notable moments of team and individual brilliance. Roshi scored an incredible five tries, Oliver B was seemingly unstoppable with ball in hand and Freddie H orchestrated the attack well at flyhalf. Not all matches will be this one-sided, but the team can take a huge amount of confidence into next week’s match.
Lost 4-8. A tough match but one from which we will take much more satisfaction. Our rucking was noticeably improved and, in the second half in particular, we moved the ball well in the backs, often freeing it up in the tackle and providing space to run. This put us on the front foot and we thoroughly deserved our second half tries. The challenge next time is to ensure we are much more competitive on the scoresheet in the first half.
Lost 4-5. The U12Bs lined up against Grey Court. Claremont were the better team passing the ball well and making good progress through the phases. Unfortunately, a couple of missed tackles in the dying minutes cost us a 5-4 loss. Another week where the boys have made great progress. Well done all.