Entries from Manager Rhodri Samuel’s Tour Diary
March 12 Our first stop of the tour was Bangor Grammar School (near Belfast). On the pitch, it was a well-earned 36-5 win for the 1st XV. We were more of a physical presence and scored three tries out wide. The 2nd XV lost 10-29, but it was a much closer game than the score showed.
March 15 Time for some sightseeing with a guided tour of Belfast and a trip up to the Giant’s Causeway on the north coast.
March 17 St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin! GREEN EVERYWHERE! The 1st XV lost 7-17 to a strong Newpark School side. We made some critical errors, and did not take advantage of the windy conditions when they were in our favour. The 2nd XV came away with a 24-10 win. In the afternoon the team took in the Leinster Schools Cup Final. It was a very high standard of rugby with Blackrock College defeating Terenure College, both Dublin schools.
March 18 Training at Trinity College in the morning, followed by a tour of the Guinness Brewery before moving on to our third hosts, St. Gerard’s School in Bray.
March 19 The morning was taken up with a tour of Wicklow and the surrounding countryside, and the matches followed in the afternoon. The 1st XV game was competitive, but in the end the superior experience and skill of the opposition took its toll. A 14-25 loss! The 2nd XV also lost 10-42.
March 20 A travel day! By ferry across the Irish Sea to Holyhead (Wales), then down by coach to Plasmawr School in Cardiff.
March 21 The experience of a lifetime! The opportunity to see Ireland claim its first Six Nations title, and end a sixty-one year wait for the Grand Slam! What a game! The atmosphere was electric. Who could ever forget listening to the tens of thousands of Welsh supporters in Millennium Stadium give full voice to the national anthem ‘Land of My Fathers’.
March 22 Our final set of games. After a slow start and a first half full of errors, the 1st XV overcame Plasmawr 25-17. The 2nd XV played well, only to lose by three points in an epic battle.
March 23 A quick visit to the historic city of Bath (England), and a tour dinner in London before leaving for home to-morrow.
It was a great tour, packed with many highlights. Hosting was excellent everywhere we went. Key players were Braden Simmonds and Justin Kalil for the 1st XV, and Takeshi Barnes and Noah Souvigner for the 2nd XV.