Match Reports: Week 9

U10 Rugby v King’s Hawford

King’s Hawford are a notoriously strong rugby playing school, mixed with strong winds and glaring sunlight, this was going to be a challenging afternoon. Both games were very well balanced with some terrific rugby skills on show. It was clear that the breakdown was the main aspect of the game, with both teams being highly competitive at the ruck. BCS were quick over the ball and were often able to create turnovers. Both teams were able to hold their head up high having given everything on the pitch and oding themselves proud.

U10/U11 Swimming v Solihull Prep 

The first swimming gala of the year saw BCS travel to Solihull Prep with the U10s and U11s on Tuesday evening. A wonderful gala hosted by Solihull and it was great to see so many skills on show from both schools! A mix of nerves and excitement met the team ahead of the first race of the day but soon their hard work and dedication to swimming was shining through. We started really strong winning all of the medley relays and all the girls teams finishing 1st and 2nd and our year 5 boys team winning by a comfortable margin. This continued through the individual races with Year 1s and 2s filling the Bluecoat programme. A great afternoon of swimming from our team! With a special mention to Amelia from Year 4 who was swimming up in this gala and did really well.

U9 Rugby Festival At King’s Hawford

These festivals are a great way to see how much progress has been made by playing lots of different teams in one afternoon. As always, the focus is on the rugby development rather than the scoreline. Unfortunately for BCS, our mindset and focus were not quite ready for the first game which resulted in a fairly one sided match. However, as our BCS values indicate, we cheerfully persevered and showed resilience. As the boys became more confident and took on board the feedback, we eventually started to play as a team. When our defensive line went forward, we put the opposing teams under so much pressure, it often resulted in a turnover. With the ball, we started to run with more aggression and lower body contact and therefore retain possession for longer. We now need to focus on consistency and focus over multiple games.

U11 Rugby v RGS

Players of the Match: Aydin and Oli

On a crisp November afternoon, nine boys from Year 6 featured in a thoroughly impressive game of rugby against a strong side from RGS: The Grange. The opposition started the game strongly and, with space gifted to them, they scored four quick tries.  However, once BCS bounced back with a few scores, including a fantastic solo run by Arjun, our confidence began to grow and the game was evenly poised at half time. 

The second half saw an outstanding performance from the whole team.  In defence, tackles became easier as BCS closed down the opposition quickly and the counter rucking was superb – Finn proved very effective in that regard and his reading of the game was excellent.  With ball in hand, BCS became more dangerous as every minute passed and Dhruv, Liam, and Sian all displayed strong decision making in offloading the ball in the tackle.  Umar looked dangerous out wide with his natural pace and change of direction while captain Uppal enjoyed every opportunity to run hard at the opposition defence, scoring several tries along the way. 

Games often boil down to key moments and on several occasions Oli and Aydin made pivotal tackles near to our own try line which led to massive turnovers.  At the other end of the pitch, Aydin displayed immense power splitting the opposition in two leading to a few tries when the game was tight – as a result, both Aydin and Oli were awarded player of the match.  However, a final word must be given to the whole side who showed incredible discipline, especially in the second half.  That focus and determination became the difference between the two teams and the boys should be incredibly proud.

U9 Hockey v Warwick 

Result: Blue Coat win 

Players of the Match: Rosemarie, Emily, Kimran and Ishvari

After a secret picnic and an exciting coach journey, the girls adapted well to a late start. The teams were warmed up well whilst we waited for the seniors to leave the astro at Warwick. With all teams playing side by side, the pitches were very long and narrow and so our usual wide play was squeezed. As the matches progressed, we found space and using some great reverse stick skills we managed to score. Each team played with enthusiasm and energy and put Warwick under a lot of pressure and managed to keep them pushed back in their own halves. As we move through the hockey term, the whole of Year 3 are developing their skills and gaining a better understanding of match play.

U11 IAPS Rugby Festival

Result: Blue Coat win (4-0), (5-0), (3-2), (5-0), (4-2), (2-1)

Players of the Match: Every member of the team

The under-11 rugby squad made the trek over to Ratcliffe College to take part in the Regional IAPS rugby festival. We’ve been going to Ratcliffe for a number of years and it is a fantastic festival where we get to play against schools who are not normally on our regular circuit. This year, the performance of the boys throughout the whole day was exceptional and we managed to win every game we played in! The first game was against The Elms  with a display of wonderful continuity to keep the ball moving and off the floor. The next game we played was against Wellingborough who we again saw off comprehensively with more fantastic handling and incisive running. Next game we conceded early and had a bit of a wobble before regaining our composure. Nottingham High were the next team to find the “all court” French style play impossible to compete with as we ran out as winners.

This brought up a winner takes all final group game against King’s Hawford. The boys’ attitude was first class and we ran out comfortably. This put us in the final against the hosts, and it was a real battle of opposing styles. Thankfully all the hard work the boys have put in on becoming composed on the ball and able to move it under pressure paid off. The scoreline doesn’t really do justice to our superiority and the most pleasing part of the whole day was our commitment in defence which saw us achieve three shutouts and only be behind for three minutes all day. Truly, this was an amazing team effort where everyone gave their all for the team and they all deserve equal share of the success. Well done all on this amazing achievement!

U8 Hockey v Eversfield

Result: Blue Coat win 3, Eversfield win 1

On Thursday, four U8 teams had the opportunity to play Eversfield at home. This fixture gave the girls the opportunity to practise lots of passing, dribbling and scoring. Each team were able to experience playing lots of different positions throughout the afternoon and to play against both girls and boys. All the girls demonstrated their BCS values, cheerfully persevering even during moments of loss and showing respect to their opposition through leading three cheers after the game. Well done to all who played.