Simon Langley 2.0

Rugger retrospect - taken from the Worksopian December 1936

This has been a most successful season, one of the best for many years, in spite of several unfortunate injuries, which necessitated continual changes in the side and scarcely allowed the XV to settle down at all. Actually, we have only had our full team out in one match during the whole season, but in spite of that we have up to date won nine out of twelve games against strong opposition, two of our really outstanding victories being to defeat Waterloo A at home and Wrekin away, with only 14 men on each occasion; while in our recent match with Denstone, when we lost a man again in the first ten minutes and with 14 were extremely unlucky to lose by a margin of two tries to a goal and a penalty goal, is still in everybody’s mind as a fine display by the team, which unfortunately did not get its reward, moral victory though it may have been.

Our success has been based on a fine pack of forwards, intelligent and hard working, admirably led by P.A. Kingston; outstanding amongst them have been H.F. Barker, J.C.B. Teale, R.D. Maddock and D. Collinge, but is is really unfair to make comparisons in such a fine eight. An unfortunate accident deprived us of D. Coleman for nine matches altogether, and his thrust and leadership in the backs has been difficult to replace, but P.E.F. Rhodes and J.S. Pinkney have always been dangerous in attack and R.I. Knox has been consistently good at scrum-half. Our other casualty, L.A. Stredwick, on the right wing, has also been off for nine matches and without him we lacked a little essential pace on the wings.

With a full side out, the backs have played excellent football and some of their tries obtained by fast passing and quick backing have been really good. The defence too has been good throughout, R.F. Davies being very sound at back, and tackling and the covering very satisfactory. At Epson, we were unfortunate to lose H.F. Barker early in the game and this, combined with the cleverness of the Epson stand-off, made our defence look worse than it really was. With most of our three-quarters returning and a number of promising forwards coming on, the prospects for next season are more than bright.

Results

F.N. Baird, D.N. Youens
R.F. Davies, R. Grain, R.D. Mattock, C.S. Harden Esq, D Collinge, D.J. Hunting, P.J. Hill.
J.B.C. Teale, D.E.C. Coleman, P.A. Kingston (Capt), H.F. Barker, P.E.F. Rhodes.
J.S. Pinkney, R.I. Knox.