King’s shine on national stage
KING’S School’s young guns have been firing on all cylinders with the under12 rugby team finishing unbeaten to rank fifth nationwide.
The RFU rankings coordinated with The Daily Mail, confirm King’s longheld reputation as a Northern rugby fortress, with the new generation of talent rolling off the conveyor-belt as rapidly as ever.
Under the leadership of former Leicester Academy coach Pete Langley, the boys in blue played 13 and won 13, scoring 430 points and conceding 100.
This was achieved with a healthy rotation of players, the 12-man team often operating with a pool of talented 18 players, using six substitutes, to ensure every boy can develop his skills. Furthermore, the under-12 B team, under the hugely respected Paul Williams, who is stepping down after 30 years’ service to King’s rugby, played nine and won eight and were ranked a brilliant third nationally.
The key games for the A team began with the opening 15-0 win against Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Wakefield, when the coaches were still working out the best combinations, but saw the vast potential at their disposal. Another highlight was the 20-5 win over derby rivals Cheadle Hulme School, the first time anyone had scored against them, when the young men showed resilience and determination to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. A massive challenge to maintain their run was the 25-10 over Leeds Grammar, the Tykes taking the lead only for jinking inside centre Arthur Scrase to finish off a beautifully worked team move to seal the win.
The side was captained by power-house fly-half Christian Smith who combines an elusive running game, with bull dog tackling under pressure.
In the forwards Charlie Kaye typified the rugby
King’s want to coach, developing a thinking man’s calculation alongside his imposing, muscular brawn.
King’s Head of Rugby, Giles Hetherington, said: “The foundation stage is perhaps the most important in any rugby player’s development and we have been impressed by this group’s resilience, appetite and spirit. We are thrilled for the boys that they are ranked 5th nationally after their first year of senior school rugby.”