Norwich School 1st XV

Touchdown, 09:45, 4 hours to kill and a whole airport to explore. The group once again converged at the same spot as on the way out, full circle. Mr Grisewood parted for the last time with the boy’s money and away they went to wile away the day before the final short flight home. On arrival at Norwich Airport I said my goodbyes with a tinge of sadness, over the last couple of weeks I have got to know all the players and teachers well. As this was the last tour for some of the boys and indeed their last act as school boys the chances of us meeting again are slim. It has been a privilege spending time with Norwich’s 1st XV and I wish every member of the squad success in the future.

The whole team have been a credit to their school, their parents and their country whilst on tour in South Africa.

Breakfast was at 08:00 with check out at 10:00 leaving time for one more tour meeting to discuss the day ahead. Monday in winter proved a difficult challenge to find some way of entertaining the boys in a manner fit to end a fantastic tour. Once again Norwich’s local man on the ground came up tromps and after a leisurely wander down Long Street we headed off to Tokai Forest for a highly charged afternoon paintballing. Forwards against backs teacher against teacher was the order of the day. Once the Marshals had given everybody a team talk and laid out the rules the games began.

The backs game plan of speed over brawn wasn’t going to plan with first games ending up 2-1 and it didn’t get any better from there. As each game passed the wiry warriers came back to the safe zone ever more battered with bullet marks in the most uncomfortable of places. As the games drew to a close it was obvious that the backs just didn’t have the might of the forwards and the day ended 3-2, forwards win.

After the games had finished the group transferred to the world’s largest shopping centre giving everybody the chance to buy gifts for loved ones back home. Later in the evening saw our legend of a driver, Deon, fulfil his final duty of the tour, getting us to the airport on time. On arrival Sam Hopper presented Deon with a tour brochure and a tour shirt by way of thanking him for all his efforts over the last couple of weeks. It’s true to say that a coach driver can make or break a tour and Deon certainly contributed to Norwich’s tour of South Africa. Once into the airport everybody settled down and relaxed in readiness for their long flight to Amsterdam. It was evident by the fact that everybody was soon sleeping that it had been a very exhausting couple of weeks.

The day started early with most but not all making it down for breakfast but following a late night and an 08:00 departure it was easy to see why. The journey started very quietly with almost all the group sleeping for the first half. At the mid point we made a welcome pit stop giving everybody the chance to stretch their legs and get something to eat. The final leg seemed to pass very quickly and we were back at the Ritz Hotel early afternoon. Once checked back in the whole group wandered down to the African market for some souvenir shopping. Tonight was the group’s final night and a group dinner was enjoyed at the Waterfront. Presentations were made by both teachers and students with everybody involved in the tour getting a big pat on the back for a job well done. The rest of the evening was relatively quiet with younger boys heading off to bed early leaving the older boys one last night to paint the town red.

Breakfast 07:30-08:30 final team meeting 09:00-10:00, first on the agenda was the signing of a Norwich Tour shirt which was presented to Mr & Mrs Eaglesham later in the day for all their support in the run up to the tour. Later a light training session was held at the local school to ready the team for their final game on tour.

All the boys were again immaculately presented as they disembarked from the coach but were stopped in their tracks and did a double take at the sight that greeted them. Norwich were aware that today’s fixture was being played after a local derby but what no one realised that a local derby in this neck of the woods means all age groups, TV coverage, Radio coverage, loud music, food vending stands and most intimidating of all thousands of local fans all cheering their respective teams. When Norwich took to the field the whole audience became one loud partisan group cheering the local team. The music seemed to get louder just before kick off as if to unnerve the touring team, no such luck I’m afraid. Norwich started with passion, commitment and menace, George just couldn’t hold them in any area of the field and were soon three down thanks to another pin point kick from Trigs. The rest of the first half saw powerful scrummaging leading to some fantastic forward back link play which resulted in a great try and conversion. At half time next years 1st XV were replaced with by their departing seniors who took to the field for their last time in a Norwich Shirt. It was a proud moment for the teachers who have devoted time and effort turning boys into men and a poignant moment for the boys themselves and one which they would never forget; losing was not on the agenda. Right from the whistle Norwich piled on the pressure and the points after which George started to capitulate. The partisan crowd did their best to raise the home team but all the cheering in the world wasn’t going to unnerve or stop a rampant team thirsty for glory and win in their final game. When the final whistle blew the score was a resounding 36-0, job well and truly done, England 3 South Africa 1.

The after match hospitality was provided at the local school with the boys enjoying their first real Braai of the tour. Presentations were made followed by a very touching speech by Mr Grisewood thanking all the boys for their commitment and discipline during the tour and for the support the seniors have shown during their time at Norwich. The journey back to Wilderness was again a noisy one with songs and cheering aplenty. Once everybody had changed ,the whole party headed into George and a night of competitive pool before retuning to Cape the following morning.

Match Report by Mr Grisewood

We trained at George High and there was a lot to do as the starting line up was made up of only those in the U5 and L6 with David Treglown being given the honour of captaining the team for its final run out.

Match 4 V George High Select XV

We were fortunate to take part in the 60th Annniversary celebrations of George High School and there was a big crowd and a fantastic atmosphere at the ground. The game began well with us on the attack from the start and the pressure soon told with the opposition giving Trigs an easy penalty, 3-0.The forwards were working hard to create quick second phase ball and it was from such a ball that Tom Lake burst through their midfield defence scoring under the posts, 10-0. That was how the score stayed until half-time despite continuous attacking.

We began the second hald=f with our U6 on the field and the extra experience soon began to tell as we threatened their line almost immediately.It was Ed Crew that scored the first try out wide on the right after a well timed pass from Trigs, 15-0. Next Jacob Bolton scored with some very direct running from the 22 fattenening their backs along the way, 22-0! A move straight off the training field cut their midfield defence open, split 15, with Crewy running a perfect line and showing great strength and skill to offload to the ever present Charlie Steward to score 29-0.

The final try came as a result of some great opportunism by Nicky Ferns who moved into scrum half and sensed a gap behind he breakdown and ran in unopposed from the 22, 34-0. The final act of the game was for our talisman, Charlie 'The Boff' Williams, to convert , unfortunately he kicks like a forward and the score remained 34-0.

So that concuded the playing side of the tour and there were some emotional scenes as some of th eboys realised that they had played their last game for school. Spirits were high as we went to George High for some food and the presentations. Graham and Linda Eaglesham accepted a signed tour shirt on behalf of our main sponsor, Bennett's Retail Ltd. Matthew Casson and Daniel Lambie each received a school tie in appreciation for all trhey have done for the tour party.

Ironman

Pat Graf Grote

Player of the Day

David Treglown

In the evening we headed back to George for a relaxing evening of fun and merriment!

Having slept well all the boys had an early breakfast and then stretched their legs in the hotel transferred to Mossel and its popular beach front and a couple of hour’s fun. First on the agenda was the second round of highly competitive crazy golf followed by lunch and swimming. Everything is competitive with this rugby team and swimming is no different seeing forwards and backs being pitted against each other and Sargent being used as the rugby ball, literally. The object of the game was to get from side of the pool to the other, obviously the game descended into carnage with the teachers being dragged into the fray. Later in the day the boys were put through their final training session on tour in preparation for tomorrows match against a George Invitation Side. Once back at the hotel everybody had 30 minutes to shower and change ready to return to George Town for dinner. The chant all the way there went something like, “give me an S, give me a P, give me an R and what have you got Spur”. For the forth time in as many days the boys had made it quite clear what they wanted for diner and they dually got it with Chris Price celebrating his birthday on this occasion. Once back at the hotel it was early to bed in preparation for tomorrows last game.

Today saw a very early start with the coach departing Stellenbosch at 09:00 heading straight into the mountains for the very long but beautiful drive to the East Coast of South Africa and the Indian Ocean. This roadside region is dominated by ever-present quartzite and Sandstone Mountains and hill ranges. No stretch of the road is without some high ground constantly in view. The mountain ranges of the Cape Folded Belt lie in an east to west series of arcs that dip slightly to the south and are characterised by great folds in the rock strata. As the journey wonders from town to town the scenery becomes more vast and varied with steep mountain faces followed by deep plunging valleys with Ostrich and Springbok minding their own business as we sped ever closer to our final destination.

The journey was broken up with a lunch stop in Ladismith followed by Oudtshoorn were to boys enjoyed a couple of hours in the company of large cats, crocodile pigmy hippo’s and much more at The Cango Wildlife Park. The final leg seemed to fly by as the whole coach was absorbed by the 1997 Lions Tour to South Africa that was showed on the DVD system. On arrival at the Wilderness Hotel the boys quickly dropped put their bags into their rooms, changed into swim shorts and then made the foolish decision of going swimming. As the pool was freezing it didn’t tale long before they all retreated to the steam room in an attempt to warm up. Dinner was enjoyed at the hotel followed by an early night after a long days drive.

Breakfast was early this morning with a full team meeting being held at 09:00 with video analysis of all the previous games and training sessions. Followed by a full and detailed discussion to run through all the days’ expectations both on and off the field. Again the team had a light training session to set themselves for the challenge that lay ahead. The departed slightly behind schedule but arrived in good time to prepare mentally and physically ready for kick off at 15:15. As Paarl took to the field there was great support for them from their fellow students who formed a long tunnel and cheered them onto the pitch. The game started at a very high tempo which initially caught Norwich off guard who infringed in their own 22 giving Paarl an early scoring opportunity which they duly took. Norwich then mounted their own offensive resulting in a penalty of their own. David Treglown put the ball between the posts to level the score. Norwich then held their own for much of the period but succumbed to an excellently worked try by the scrum half and wing following a maul in their own 22 followed by a penalty giving them a lead of 13 – 3. Norwich then started to make some head way with good possession of there own but Paarl’s defence held fast, not allowing possession to be turned into points. Just before half time Paarl again crossed Norwich’s line to make the score 18 – 3.

The second half was a different story with Norwich enjoying possession but not being able to register any points. Paarl seemed to be struggling with Norwich’s sheer power and started to suffer the consequences as the referee gave penalty after penalty. Norwich went for the corner every time but just couldn’t get over the line as Paarl’s defence wouldn’t crack. Eventually Norwich changed tactics and went for goal but it was just too late and the final score was 18 – 6 with Norwich clearly winning the second half.

The after match hospitality was the best so far seeing all the boys sit together and enjoy a good feed. The presentations were made with both coaches offering the other invitation to return. The boys departed having made new friends and winning the admiration of their fellow South African students for the manner in which they played rugby.


Match report by Ian Grisewood

Once again perfect playing conditions prevailed in the glorious surroundings at Paarl Boys High School. The warm-up had gone well but the late arrival of the referee delayed the kick off time by 15 minutes which obviously hampered our preparation. The opposition took the game to us from the first whistle and were soon 3 points up. Our reply was quick and David Treglown soon levelled the score at 3-3. We were then pulled from side to side and only excellent scrambling defence held them at bay, with Nick Jones to the fore in the centres. Nevertheless the pressure eventually told and they scored following an overlap on the left wing 10-3. They added a penalty, 13-3 but then it was our turn to exert some pressure coming close to scoring on a number of occassions, however the decisive play of the match came just before half-time. With a line-out on our 5m line our concentration lapsed and we were driven over the line taking them to three scores ahead 18-3. After some honest reflection at half-time the boys were a different team in the second half and really taking the game to the opposition. Pat Graf Grote, Charlie Williams & Tom Williams began to impose themselves making good yards with the ball in hand. Trigs and Tom Lake were trying everything to unlock their defence in the midfield. Unfortunately the crucial early score was not forthcoming; thanks in no small part to the South African mind set of 'thou shall not pass'. So all we had to show for our endeavours was a Treglown penalty goal, 18-6, despite having the bulk of possession. That was how things remained to the final whistle. So, there was some consolation in us winning the second half but it was tinged with disappointment as we realised we had missed an opportunity to beat a revered rugby playing school. The presentations were a friendly affair with both sets of boys getting along very well despite the language barriers. We extended a genuine invitation to Paarl to visit us on their next tour to the UK.

Ironman

Tom Lake


Player of the Day

Charlie Steward


The Captain’s View
Norwich School 1st XV rolled up to the Stade de Paarl to play their hardest game on tour. The atmosphere was simmering as the stadium that could hold thousands held only 50. The boys eyed up the opposition who were indeed giants of men and one of the best teams in South Africa. Kick – off approached and the stadium erupted with rapture for the home team, Norwich were unmoved & stood toe to toe with the giants like 300 Spartans had once done.

Paarl started the game strongly with 2 early tries and a penalty. We could only respond with 3 points from a penalty kicked as ever by the reliable Dave Treglown. The score at half-time was 18-3 to Paarl. However, rugby is certainly a game of two halves and we were the stronger team after the break. Paarl rarely reached our 22 as we peppered their try line with runner after runner. The score did not reflect the performance and courage of my team although the Paarl defence never floundered and kept strong throughout. The final whistle blew with the score at 18-6 to Paarl; the lads had experienced their first defeat in South Africa. Indeed Paarl had been the better team although with greater killer instinct to reach the try line we could have easily got back into the game. The lads shared a few beers in the local student pub. The night was entertaining with a few of the younger boys struggling to keep the pace but then that is the very essence of a rugby tour and their right of passage from junior to senior player. The night ended with the future head boy exclaiming that he was indeed the 'lady hunter'.

The day started slowly with the boys drifting into breakfast in dribs and drabs depending on what time they eventually made it to bed after celebrating their win the day before. With no team meeting this morning and almost a full day of rest they truly deserved the rest. Most of the boy’s took the opportunity to catch p on their sleep but some inevitably gravitated to one room and turned it into room full of bundles of love. On this rugby tour there is no such thing as a full free day and true to form Mr Holmes slipped in a cheeky training session in late afternoon to keep the boys on their toes. A group dinner was once again enjoyed at a Spur’s restaurant with Matthew Oaks celebrating his thirtieth birthday. The rest of the evening was down time in preparation for tomorrow’s game.

With a relaxing morning ahead breakfast was a relatively slow affair with nothing too pressing until mid morning and a very serious team meeting before today's fixture against a strong rugby playing school. Mr Holmes was well prepared today with a video projector and footage from the previous training sessions and more importantly all the game against Kasselsvei. The main points made about the previous match were not allowing the other team to dominate the way Norwich play and focus on their own game. Today would need team commitment, desire and complete single mindedness if they were going to win. The days training session was all about match preparation, lineout calls, lines that would be run and defensive patterns needed to win the match. As always our coach driver Deon was on time ready to take us to Wynberg Boys School arriving 1 hour and 15 minutes before kick off. In stark contrast to Kasselsvei School Wynberg School sits in the middle of a very wealthy and beautiful suburb of Cape Town with facilities to match the location, including a Bill Bowden sponsored pavilion. The boys went straight into their well rehearsed warm up routine, once changed a series of warm up routines were performed before the final team talk in their changing room. As always the team emerged as one and took to the field as a collective group ready to fight for one another until the job was done.

Today the group checked out of the Ritz Hotel ready for the second leg of the tour and their stay in Stellenbosch. Once everybody was on board the driver Deon (legend) suggested we make the most of the fine weather and take the opportunity and do Table Mountain. .Everybody agreed and in 30 minutes time the cable car was rotating itself and Norwich to the top of one of the Worlds most famous mountains. Table Mountain has been formed over millions of years and its unique plateau summit can be seen from over 60Km at sea. The main reason for the mountain's flat top is its relatively soft rock compound and the force of the wind, which can change dramatically, forcing visitors off the summit with haste. The panoramic views are truly breathtaking with beautiful flora and strange little animals, not that any graced our presence. The steepness of the mountain side made for very nervous steps as the boys tried to get the best picturesEvery tour has its characters and this one is no different. David Treglown stole the lime light and put a smile on a few strangers’ faces with his sign that read “Free Hugs”. Not surprisingly it was a huge success with both male and females taking him up on his offer, moving away with huge smiles on their faces. On arrival in Stellenbosch everybody dispersed to various eateries for a well earned lunch. Late afternoon and the coaches put the boys through another intense training session in preparation for tomorrow’s game against a far stronger team than Kasselsvlei. As dusk fell the boy’s drifted back to the hotel in twos and threes clearly tired and ready for dinner and an early night.

Today breakfast was early as the group departed the hotel at 09:00 for Stellenbosh and the final day’s play of Craven Week. Craven week is an annual event featuring the top rugby players from each Province at U18’s all trying to gain selection for the South African Schools XV. The boys were big and the standard of play excellent, some of the link play was mesmerising but the most impressive aspect of all the games was the speed the ball was moved and how fast the wide runners were.

The day had a more relaxed start due to yesterday’s intense training session with a latish breakfast and team meeting at 10:15. First on the agenda was the traditional signing of the host nation's flag by all the touring party, which will eventually be displayed with pride at Norwich School. The rest of the meeting was a more serious affair with subjects like attitude, discipline, commitment, desire and team spirit being discussed ahead of the first tour fixture. Once the meeting concluded the boys were free to relax and enjoy some free time. The odd one or two decided to take a dip in a very cold pool but didn’t stand it for long, but most headed down to the beach front to take part in a very serious game of score card crazy golf, results to follow. The team departed the hotel at 13:00 for the 45 minute picturesque drive across the north part of Cape Town to the township of Kasselsvlei. All touring teams that travel to South Africa must play a township team and Kasselsvlei are one of the best not losing more than a couple of matches over the last number of years. As the coach approached the school the landscape changed dramatically with the large houses giving way to far smaller more humble dwellings, making the atmosphere a little uncomfortable due to new and before unseen surroundings. Just before arrival a rousing rendition of Jerusalem was belted out by the whole squad lifting the team’s morale. There was an unusual silence as the boys entered the school due to the unfamiliar surroundings but once the hand of welcome had been offered everybody started to relax. The local children were eager to get to know and get involved with Norwich and to the boy’s credit they all played ball.

Breakfast was served in the hotel restaurant and having suffered airport and airplane food for the last 24 hours was a feeding frenzy to match anything the African bush has to offer with most boys going back for seconds.

The first of the tour's daily meetings was held at 10:00 at which a few of the teachers rules and expectations were discussed. The meeting was a relatively short affair with most time being taken up by the Captains request to hold the first court of the tour. George Sargent chaired the proceedings and immediately called to the dock Finlay Barnham for waking up an unsuspecting lady in the middle of the night to discuss problems he was having with his safe. Followed by Josh Wright for not eating anything during the day but wearing his coat for most of it. The last defendant called was Jacob Bolton for declaring his passion for Pierre Cardin night wear. Not surprisingly when put to a democratic vote was found guilty.He was charged with wearing a very unattractive but funny fairy outfit for the rest of the day and when ordered 'dance like a fairy' and shout; 'I’m free' repeatedly.

The group arrived at the extremely early time of 04:30 dressed immaculately looking tired and excited all at the same time.

Check in proved painless and the flight to Amsterdam got away on time. With only a short time before the connecting flight to South Africa there was just enough time for everybody to grab a bite to eat and any last minute essentials needed for the 12 hour flight to Cape Town.

The journey was long but painless with the odd one being able to catch up on some sleep, mainly Mr Holmes. The plane touched down on time and the transfer to the hotel went smoothly. Once everybody had checked in and dropped their bags off in their rooms dinner was finely served and enjoyed in the panoramic rotating restaurants on the top floor. Mr Holmes made a brief tour speech before everybody headed to bed and lights out.