Notts not so hot

Match Report

Nottingham High School from England, founded in1513, are touring South Africa and in the third game of their tour they faced the South African College High School (SACS), the oldest school in South Africa. Founded in 1829 SACS may give away more than 300 years in history to Nottingham but the hosts were more than a match for their visitors on the rugby field. SACS running out comprehensive winners by 48 points to five.

As one would expect from an English team, Nottingham were more than a match for their hosts in the forwards and in many ways were technically superior. This ensured Nottingham had their fair share of ball with which to play. They kept the ball fairly close to their forwards as their backs lacked the speed and skill of their South African counterparts. Nottingham dominated territory and possession for most of the game but when SACS did get the ball their backs broke down the Nottingham defence with relative ease.

SACS score twenty-four points in each half and ran in eight tries in total. With Nottingham camping in the SACS half for most of the game, the majority of SACS’s tries were long-range efforts scored by their backs. The SACS wings, Dean Holland and Stuart Black, in particular cashing in on some fairly ordinary defence by the visitors.

Nottingham would have been disappointed with the result but they came to South Africa to learn and the experienced gained by their backs especially would have been invaluable.

Nottingham are touring with two teams and in the curtain-raiser the SACS 2nd XV defeated the tourists second stringers 54-3. After the game the tourists were hosted for a dinner at a very pleasant function. From Cape Town, Nottingham travel to Durban where they face Durban High School (DHS) in their final fixture.