Category: Sport
For the first time ever, the National Schools Cross-Country Cup is coming to Suffolk with Woodbridge set to host this highly competitive sporting event next Saturday 24 November. This is a huge honour and we are very excited about such a large and prestigious event being hosted in the school grounds.
Organised by the England Schools Athletic Association (ESAA), the competition final will include pupils from some of the top sporting schools across the country. The national final is an incredibly competitive event and a highlight in the cross-country calendar; any of the 8000 secondary schools in England can enter this competition and after a County and Regional round of elimination it is only the top 27 schools left to battle for team honours. Woodbridge has two teams competing in the event- the inter boys and the inter girls. It is an amazing achievement for them to have got this far and we very much hope the school community will come along to support our teams on the day! The first race starts at 1pm. Parking will be available on the school site until 12.30pm, but St Mary’s school will open their field opposite the Senior School top gate to accommodate late arrivals.
Pictured here are our two competing teams- the inter girls (minus Bea Thomas) and the inter boys. Good luck to all competing!
Even a short journey can dull the senses… and so it proved as our journey to Orwell Park lulled us into a slow start which the opposition exploited. One goal down so early on woke us up, though: we reorganised quickly, Perdi and Alice leading the way with some good runs forward; meanwhile strong defensive work from Millie and Jasmine, and Matilda rock solid in goal whenever she was the only person in the defensive circle, kept the opposition at bay. All seemed set fair for a very close encounter, only for Orwell to steal a second goal on the break just before half time. In the second half we came out with much more assertion and Olivia and Isla played really well, Olivia getting in some great positions up the pitch and Isla clearing the ball from our defence. Havannah played brilliantly in defence as did Kitty who made some fantastic attacking runs up the right hand side of the pitch. Evie and Poppy held the ball well in the centre of the pitch, and Orwell had barely any further chances (those they did were well covered by Faith in goal). We did, though… and many of them… it’s just that on this occasion we couldn’t put any of them away! It was a fantastic second half and one which bodes well for next week against RHS.
Well done girls, and our thanks to all the supporters who came to watch.
The U14A team played a fast competitive game away to Ipswich High School. With several players unavailable for various reasons it again showed the strength in depth of a squad still able to field such a strong team. Helen in goal had a particularly busy time making save upon save; the defence worked hard with Lucy taking quick 16-yard hit outs and Amy working tirelessly in front of her to move the ball up field; and the two Ellas on the right also had fine games.
A decisive first-half break saw all Bea’s hard work rewarded with a goal to put Woodbridge ahead, but the opposition really put the pressure on in the second half, and were a last rewarded in turn with a late equaliser for a final score of 1-1.
This was a fine team effort full of hard work.
Woodbridge 1st XI beat Ipswich 1st XI 4 – 3.
Having played two very exciting games of football last season against Ipswich this was an eagerly anticipated fixture. Some of last year’s players have moved on but the Woodbridge squad looked like a strong line-up; this was their first chance to play together and so inevitably some of the on-field relationships took a little time to flourish. Early on, Seb pounced on a poor clearance to notch from close range and he added to the lead with a well taken header after a sweetly-delivered corner from Joe. Just before half-time the impressive Danny N, on debut, powered home from short range from yet another dangerous set piece. The call at half-term was to keep both nerve and composure and see out the inevitable bombardment that Ipswich would throw at us in an effort to get back into the game. Alas, the Woodbridge character was lacking the necessary steel and Ipswich stole two quick goals which really put us under pressure. As time went on the game was very much in the balance but Joe settled our nerves a little when he burst forward to meet Harry’s cross and headed us into a 4 – 2 lead. But Ipswich came at us again and scored which led to a frenetic and tense last five minutes. The Woodbridge back four, who had been pretty strong all game, held on for a great win. Well played to all the boys, especially Jake, Danny N, Lewis and Charles who all made their debuts in such a combative and competitive game.
I’m delighted to bring news of the first half of the season in a bumper report!
Let’s start at the very beginning (in the words of Maria von Trapp…)
Preseason training was full of focus, with plans laid and stratagems concocted. And it was great to test out its effectiveness with a challenging match against the Woodbridge RFC colts team – playing friends in a friendly: but this is sport! And the opposition did have some mighty big men in the scrum. Undaunted our boys put up sterling resistance and held the line as equal partners for much of the game. With Will and James incisive in attack and George all-encompassing in defence, and with Saxon’s well-taken conversion securing maximum points on the team’s well-taken try out wide, it was all square at half time. And all square for the match it might have stayed, but for an unlucky bounce which fell to the hosts and offered them the one opening of the second half that either side could take. So honour in defeat by 7-12 for our boys against a team a good three inches taller and two stones heavier man for man.
The next game was against Thomas Mills – another journey into enemy territory. Another redoubtable performance! And victory this time, richly deserved thanks to the excellence of attacking pathways built on firm and resilient defence. Gabe’s early try and Saxon’s conversion settled nerves; Toby’s speedy second brought a swagger to the team! 14-0 – a dream start. What could dampen them? Rain of course! It fell, and with it Thomas Mills found opportunity to respond… 14-7; 14-12… Come on men! Up stepped Will to score and restore some order at 21-12. The second half was a mesmerizingly tight affair – all praise to Will and Toby for their orchestration of our defence, and to Saxon for fine tactical kicking to add to his hat trick of conversions. No more points, and a great victory to celebrate.
Returning to school, the firsts next played King’s Ely with a team bravely covering for peers called away to university open days and the beckoning of their futures. Bravery was to the fore as younger and less experienced players stood tall. But it’s difficult to settle quickly into change and King’s had the advantage of a stable team, leading to two well-worked tries early on. But our players were rapidly building match-play understanding: James and Will combined to score off the back of the scrum; and Gabe crashed over soon after to level the try count. And then – oh glory – Harry stole an interception for a brilliant try to take the lead. The second half started in a frenzy and once again it was Harry who saw the opportunity – a fourth try! A good lead but not a decisive one. And heartbreak followed with only minutes to go as King’s took their own opportunity to strike against the run of play and score – fewer tries but more points. Disaster and defeat; but a great game nonetheless, and sport at its most exhilarating… for the neutrals!
Matches against Colchester, and Bishop’s Stortford in the Cup competition, proved difficult for the team. A small squad and key players called away on university visits once again meant that those who lined up did so more in hope than expectation. That said the spirit and commitment shown was fantastic, and against Colchester in particular the game was very even for the first half only for tiredness eventually to take its toll.
The final game of the first half of term was against Culford. The weather was wintry, and fortune put down a chill finger too… and with both sides struggling to make full squads there was plenty of unpredictability in the proceedings. Culford started the faster, pressing the offside line to the limit and keeping Woodbridge penned in. But slowly our boys asserted themselves more effectively and the whistle blew for half time with all things even at 0-0. The stalemate continued to prove resilient to both sides’ best efforts for much of the second half, only for Culford to take advantage of a bobbling ball and a little space for the referee to acknowledge their touchdown. A successful conversion followed… would be decisive? Not if our boys were to have their way… Will led the charge and Saxon finished it off in fine style in the corner! A conversion from the touchline for the tie… but wind and rain against. Cruelly the conditions prevailed and the ball died just short of clearing the bar. So defeat it was, but glorious in its own way.
A close game that was decided by some fantastic second half magic from Woodbridge. The first half was a scrappy affair with East Bergholt getting off to a flyer scoring a couple of early tries. Woodbridge then bounced back when centre pairing of Henry and Edward scored a try each to equal the score. Erwan has been in exceptional form this year in defence and carried that on with some try saving tackles. He also added a try to his tally in the first half with Henry also getting a second of the match. Into the second half and East Bergholt managed to level the scores. In reply Theo pulled the strings in the backs ever more effectively, with George dominating in the forwards. Jonny’s job for the day was to get the ball to the backs quickly from scrum half and he did this fantastically to help Moses score in the corner to put Woodbridge one try up. Tense dying moments were upon us until James bulldozed over the line to secure the victory to end the half term on a high.
Woodbridge may have been the more diminutive of the two sides, but right from the beginning of the game the U14s showed that they were neither daunted nor intimidated. What they may have lacked in size they made up for in heart. Indeed, the boys sprinted into a three try lead, literally in the case of Phillip, who turned on the afterburners and twice ran the whole length of the field when Wisbech were looking for their own try. In defence, the Woodbridge tackling, particularly from the three Archies, was courageous and despite conceding some tries of our own we never looked like we would choke. We soaked up a lot of late pressure but successfully ran the clock down to achieve the boys’ first rugby win of the season. The spirit and resilience shown in this encounter highlights the opportunity tantalisingly close for an incredibly competitive team. Some of the boys are new to rugby and have had to pick up the techniques and tactics this term; others are more seasoned campaigners and this win will have given everyone confidence for the rest of the season. Well done to the entire squad – you deserved your sugar-coated reward!
A glorious sunny day was upon us for the U16s to have their first proper fixture of the year. A slow start allowed St Felix to take an early 12-0 lead. The heads didn’t drop and Woodbridge finally got into the swing of things when Tom managed to smash over the line and just ground the ball. Woodbridge were in the mood for more, exemplified by some strong wing play from Hugo and Tom, gaining ground every time they got the ball, and by Alfie, Robert and Joshua dominating in the pack. Haydn, running tirelessly, deservedly got a try, and Alfie managed to score in the corner after coming off the opposite wing to surprise the opposition. The final try was scored by Sam whose footwork had been a problem to the opposition all days. A great performance to build on.
The U15B team travelled to Framlingham for this tough fixture. The girls were in good spirits and performed amazingly, dominating the first half and ending it 1-0 up with a great short corner goal straight off the training pitch scored by Rebecca. The forwards of Katie B, Pheobe and Rebecca were superb, and were backed up by Katie B-M, Emily and Lottie in midfield who ran all day long. The second half was a tighter affair where the defence of Talia, Olivia, Sophie and Bea were superb and backed up brilliantly by Lakisha in goal. Tired legs showed when unfortunately Woodbridge conceded two late goals to take the victory away from us, but it was nonetheless a performance to be proud of.
The 1st XI Hockey team finished their first half of the hockey season on a high, with a very exciting 0-0 draw against King’s Ely. Who would have thought a scoreless draw can produce such an exciting match! Woodbridge was under pressure in the opening exchanged with King’s Ely getting shots at goal and couple of penalty corners. Woodbridge defended well and managed to ride this initial wave and then got into the match. The team showed maturity and experience and quickly sussed out that their opponents relied heavily on their star England age group player, and came up with plans to reduce her influence. Double teaming and great working back from the likes of Poppy, Sophie G, Flora P and Flora F meant that she could only get so far. Flora P’s speed and ability to intercept and start counter attacks was a highlight of the match. Sophie L made important saves in goal supported brilliantly by Annabel, Maud and Eleanor who were all outstanding in defence – in their deep defending and distribution. Woodbridge midfielders moved the ball with confidence to make the match very entertaining to watch. Mollie and Ianthe in midfield were in a class of their own, in defence and attack, repeatedly winning one on one battles. Kiya, Georgia, Poppy and Victoria all got better and better as the match progressed and the movement of players and the ball upfront became very difficult for King’s Ely to contend with. This resulted in Woodbridge creating more chances and winning corners. Annabel and Harriet came very close to scoring but the side-post and the GK were up to it. Woodbridge was creative in open play and attacking penalty corners: it was an absolute joy to watch from the side. And indeed the growing crowd of spectators spurred the girls on who dominated the last 15 minutes. The match ended 0-0 but it felt like a win in effort, technical and tactical play. A top team performance, one in which every player had a good match and pushed to their limits! Poppy was a leader in the press for Woodbridge; Georgia, Mollie, Annabel all contended for player of the match; but in the end it was for their best performances to date that gave Harriet and Flora P the joint player of the match award.