K-Day: All the action

WRAP: A large, vocal crowd greeted the St Andrew’s College 1st XV as they ran out onto City Lords on Saturday for the annual K-Day fixture.

With Kingswood celebrating their 125th year in style, the fixture was perhaps even better supported than normal and the pressure was intense.

Kingswood got off to the perfect start, and were soon in front, after a clearance kick by Guy Rushmere was charged down. The try was converted and Kingswood were 7-0 in front. Ill discipline then cost St Andrew’s College a further three points and after 15 minutes St Andrew’s found themselves 10-0 down.

St Andrew’s could not got going as they missed a number of lineouts and it took a moment of brilliance from Matthew Hillary to get St Andrew’s on the board, putting Ben Aliker over in the left corner. Rushmere could not convert but the gap was narrowed to 10-5. Two converted penalties to Rushmere saw St Andrew’s College taking a narrow 11-10 lead into half-time, despite the physical pressure and pace that Kingswood was bringing to the game.

A well taken try soon after half-time, after a good passage of play from St Andrew’s, saw Guy Rushmere score under the poles after spotting a gap. He converted and St Andrew’s were 18-10 in front and looking far better than in the first half.

A yellow card, and the resulting penalty which was converted by Kingswood narrowed the gap to five points once again, with twenty minutes to play. A very well worked converted try to Kingswood, after a kick through on the blind side, saw Kingswood take a two point lead going into the final quarter of the game.

The St Andrew’s College side soaked up the pressure of the moment and forced another penalty, which was converted by Rushmere, and St Andrew’s were once again in front, albeit by just the single point. This is how the game ended, even though St Andrew’s College were dominant for the final ten minutes of the game.

Kingswood are to be commended for their performance on the day; they were physical, dominant in the collisions and defended manfully against a side that wanted to run at them.

It was a wonderful day all round and Kingswood can be proud of their efforts as they celebrated their 125th anniversary in style.

Report by Scott Jackson, St Andrew’s College 1st XV manager