2005/06 End of season review
2005/2006
saw the OC's second attempt at climbing out of the Surrey
Combination Division One into the promised land of the Surrey
Conference Division Three, the holy grail of South-West
London rugby.
Having meekly failed to raise a team for various fixtures
last season and therefore forfeiting any chance of promotion,
the player pool was enhanced after a large recruitment drive
bringing in OCs and friends of OCs alike. As a result, only
one fixture(unfortunately, a cup semi-final) was forfeited.
The increased number of players, along with better skiing
holiday management, allowed the team to be competitive in
every fixture in the face of a mounting injury list.
A number of important changes were made at the end of the
previous season. Most notably, the OCs had a new captain,
Euan Kenworthy, which was officially announced, complete
with a star-studded press launch at the Sports Bar, Piccadilly.
OC Rugby's very own Roman Abramovich, Charlie Colquhoun,
very kindly provided some very sartorially elegant blue
and pink shirts as the new kit for 2005/2006. We have also
introduced caps for players who have played 25 games or
more for the OCs. However, due to modern times and a lack
of formal functions at which one has the opportunity to
wear a velvet cap, management decided to award the capped
party a pair of salmon pink socks (romanticised as the "Chausettes
Rosé") to mark the occasion. For the avoidance of doubt,
management did run this past the fashion police before we
made the orders. Management also introduced the (very lucrative)
One-Jug Penalty for tardiness which was imposed in a most
rigid and draconian way by Josh Galaun (although the one
and only rule the OC Rugby team has (in its 5 years of existence)
stunned Ian Jones into a long winded speech about what a
complex maze of bureaucracy the OCs were becoming…..). However,
having instigated the "rule", the OCs have consistently
turned up to games with intention and commitment to perform
on the pitch, and off the pitch when it comes to free beer.
The
team moved from Richmond Park to Wandsworth Common, and
the team found its own 'clubhouse', the Freemansons. Free
match teas were promised further to hard negotiations by
James Thompson with the pub's management; but as this goes
to press, none have materialised.
So,
to the rugby itself. Maybe not champagne all of the time,
but certainly a cheeky Cava, and certainly without any hint
of Asti Spumanti. Highlights included the game against Effingham
and Leatherhead 2nd XV where we were in a very commanding
lead up to half time but then a long lapse in concentration
precipitated the Rourke's Drift type rearguard action, all
in temperatures that would have left Omar Sharif with a
sweat on. Then there was the massive cup win against the
Old Pelhamians (3 leagues above us) achieved in the face
of gratuitous foul play that left Ben Pusey with a broken
arm, Euan with a horribly gashed leg that ruled him out
of the season, and Tom Drummond-Wilson with horribly deformed
ribs. The Pelhamians game was also notable for the amazing
run from Matt Mann who sold more dummies than Mannequins'R'Us
leaving several head-hunting South African opponents frustrated,
as well as some of his own dizzy, with a heady mixture of,
excitement and confusion. This run together with Paul Chappell's
try was narrowly edged out by Steve Hartland's try (following
another great team effort) to win try of the season. Other
amusing highlights included:
- playing London Cornish on an Under-11 pitch that frustrated
the backs with its narrow width but left Ali Turner
beaming from ear to ear;
- playing Bec Old Boys on a pitch with a slope more
akin to a homemade BMX ramp;
- playing Old Paulines just to see Oli and Chester
with another set of marauding female fans (which Owen
and Josh dismally failed to convert later on…..)
The forwards had a faithful and loyal core which ensured
continuity and also showed up the infirm and injury-prone
in the backs. Ali Turner, Henry Brace, Steve Hartland, Greg
Kris and Anthony Vasey formed the front row, giving away
serious weight but never taking step back. Player's Player
of the Year Josh Galaun, James Thompson and Rich Mann formed
the engine room, whilst the posh boys in the back row consisted
of George Thornhill (now retired having left London to seek
his fortune in the tin mines in Cornwall), Tom Drummond-Wilson,
Si Pakenham-Walsh and Gabriel Knowles-Barron. Ian Jones
started the season as number one scrum-half, but having
injured himself after tangling with Ed Pearce at the OC
grudge match, he found himself fourth choice at the end
of the season. First choice Tom Humphries was in turn injured,
rising star of breakfast television and second choice Ben
Shepherd took over and dramatically increased the number
of female spectators attending the games. Third choice Ian
Valentine filled the shirt on a number of occasions when
he wasn't valiantly playing on the wing, flanker or other
necessary position. Like Matt Mann, Tino regularly makes
the trip down from Cheltenham to grace the OCs with his
silky skills.
Matt Mann (making his weekly pilgrimage down from Bristol
and then going back to drink with his real friends), Euan,
Chris Simmons, Rod Martin (with his 2 tries/game ratio),
Owen Verrier-Jones, Paul Kellett, Chris Parkinson, Simon
Barnes and Kev Ho were the main speed merchants. However,
along with Euan, Kev, Owen, Chris S and Rod all suffered
season-ending injuries which seriously undermined our try-scoring
prowess. Mention should also be given to Henry Acreman who
suffered a fractured eye-socket on his debut; another one
to add to the list of the walking wounded.
The decimation of the backline left the OCs seriously under-powered
for the play-off semi-final against the Old Paulines, and
despite a heroic effort, missed tackles and a dynamic opposition,
together with a fan club holding an assortment of home made
placards, meant that our dreams of promotion were dashed
for yet another year. All things considered, despite the
20 point deficit going into the first half, another brave
performance by the forwards and a few missed opportunities
to clinch the game (the ref denied a clear try and an over
ambitious pass to Vasey with a 3 man overlap failed to go
to hand) provided a very flattering end score for Old Paulines.
Despite the increase in player numbers (mainly non-OCs),
the club still needs a new influx of players. With a large
proportion of the team in their late twenties/early thirties,
younger players are needed to bring energy and renewed enthusiasm
to the club. With the added incentive of claiming a classy
pair of Chausettes Rose, as well as being awarded the Chausettes
d'Or for a Man of the Match performance, you will certainly
look the part. And despite failure to obtain promotion this
season, we will now be playing in an RFU league next season,
an added incentive to join and play in order to throw your
name into the ballot for England tickets e.g. we received
ten a piece for the New Zealand and Australian games. Only
17 more seasons of continuous promotion until we reach the
Zurich Premiership then ………..
Finally,
many thanks must go out to all those who turned up to play
for the OCs and put their body on the line week in week
out. To now enter our 6th season is an achievement in itself
and we could not have achieved this without each and every
one of the players and supporters (Gor, OVJ, Rich Butler,
Gareth to mention a few). We trust that the OC Society will
continue to give us their continued support and hope for
new OCs to join the club when they come to London.
Tom
Drummond-Wilson