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| 26 Apr 2026 | |
| Written by Malcolm Davies | |
| OE News |
The last game of the 2025/26 season - a lovely hot spring day for a game for open running rugby. The 1st XV’s final league game of the season away to Old Richians RFC where Old Boy Mike Goatman put in an appreciative supporting appearance but sadly forgot his kit! - whilst the OEs Thundercats entertained a Thornbury RFC side at Hallen.
1st XV SQUAD: Greg Foord, James Brooke, Fergus Blyth, Matt Bailey, Archie Walker, Alex Potts, Jakob Harding, Lucas Sadler, Tom Cole, Sam Hygate, Alex CS, Monty Nash, Freddie Williams, Arthur Mills, Archie Joslin, Harry Wiseman, Dan Leach
MATCH REPORT:
With a few regular 1st XV players having gone AWOL it gave the opportunity for a few players to step up, namely Harry Wiseman for his 1st XV debut, Dan Leach, Archie Walker, Lucas Sadler and Archie Joslin. This match also saw Jakob Rawlinson celebrating his 50th Cap!
We hadn’t played Old Richians since the first game of the season and it had proved to be a torrid season for this once high flying Gloucester Club who had not won a match all season and sat firmly at the foot of the table awaiting relegation! So, it prompted me to check on the result of that 1st game of the season where the final score was a good win 37-7 to Es. So, this final match was all set up for a good showcase Es victory, albeit it was probably too hot to be playing rugby! Indeed, after only 3 minutes Es made the perfect start with a cross field kick, to a slightly offside Alex CS, (ref gave him the benefit of the doubt) who caught the ball and ran until tackled but managed to pop the ball up to supporting player Matt Bailey who strolled over the line for Es opening score added to by Sam Hygate conversion (0-7).
Surprisingly only one minute later Old Richians scored with a crash ball try but the conversion was missed (5-7).
Lucas Sadler was playing well from the base of the scrum at 8 picking up and testing the Richians defence. Es should have scored again after a series of lineouts and penalties for collapsing the driving maul but the ball was somehow ripped from his grasp as Sadler bundled over the line. Old Richians then went the length of the pitch for a 5 metre lineout where the catch and drive gave them their second unconverted try (10-7).
Things not going according to plan at this stage and indeed the home team looked as if they might score again as their dapper scrum half broke down the wing but was dispatched into touch by Lucas Sadler. Es were struggling to impose themselves against a side that were certainly up for the game and the Es’ lineout was only functioning at about 50% so Es really had something to think about when the referee blew for half time seemingly 5-10 minutes early!
Half Time score (Old Richians 10 – 7 Old Elizabethans).
Es started the second half brightly with runs from Archie Joslin and Fergus Blyth, but then Es started to be heavily penalised for numerous indiscretions. Richians Forwards were driving Es back and their backs were tackling well as and when Es managed to put an attack together. Es then made two changes with Dan Leach and Harry Wiseman coming on with fresh legs just what Es needed. Out of nowhere Es then put together a really great move and a bursting run from Freddie Williams put Es into the oppositions 22 before releasing the ball to Arthur Mills who rounded the last defender to score a textbook try with Sam Hygate adding the extras (10-14).
Soon after the restart Archie Walker started another exciting Es attack with a kicked ball through the Richians player knocked on but with the Ref playing the advantage a good pick up by Arthur Mills saw him run in for Es third try again converted by Sam Hygate (10-21).
Surely now Es would pull away as Richians heads dropped, but it was exactly the opposite with some poor tackling from Es, Old Richians ran in two converted tries in quick succession taking the score to (24-21).
More than a close game that could now go either way and murmurs could be heard “Would this be Richians one and only victory of the season?", how embarrassing that would be!! However, thankfully Es were the next to score as Tom Cole picked up the ball from a ruck 5 metres out and scampered over for a try and a Sam Hygate conversion (24-28).
Old Richians though, were not going to let that be the end and applied pressure from the restart but then lost their discipline and ES were awarded a penalty with Richians then being marched back 10 metres by the Ref 3 or 4 times before a Richians player was shown a Yellow card. Down to 14 men they still believed they could muster a further score and in the closing few minutes Es defence looked panicked before they were awarded a Penalty and Richians a second Yellow Card and with time up Sam Hygate was able to slot the ball into touch and end the game and save any embarrassment!
Es had not played well but a win is a win and rounds off a very good successful and entertaining season. Former Es skipper Colin Williams was heard to say “Not a Vintage display today!”, - indeed the difference between the teams at the end of the day being the important points kicked by Sam Hygate!
FINAL SCORE: Old Richians 24 – 28 Old Elizabethans
SCORERS:
Tries: Matt Bailey, Arthur Mills (2), Tom Cole,
Conversions: Sam Hygate (4)
Man of the Match: Lucas Sadler who was blowing but promised to get fit for next season!
Es Thundercats - no match report but it was stated that their loss to Thornbury (24-74) was down to the fact that Thornbury had a 2 hour match warm up which might have set them up better than the Thundercats 15 minutes of touch rugby!!
Full League Table below
Very many thanks to Paul “Blakey” Barrington for this report
CLICK for the Old Elizabethans RFC website
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