St Brendan’s became back row powerhouse
Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools
THE name of St Brendan’s Bristol might not mean much to the modern-day schoolboy rugby player – or indeed their coaches and masters in charge – but for the best part of 25 years, from the early 60s to the late 80s, it would strike fear in prospective opponents.
Schooled by the fearsome Christian Brothers, St Brendan’s became a mean machine of a team that took no prisoners but also produced backs of invention and wit. They were a nightmare to play against, so much so that many of the big private schools in the West Country declined the offer of a fixture.
And those who did brave a visit to Bristol were not only sent packing with a big defeat but the distinctive red clay at St Brendan’s playing field at Brislington, stained their kit for the rest of the season. ‘Red marl’ the mud was called and no tears were shed when the school moved to new premises and a new ground.
St Brendan’s passion for rugby was off the Richter scale, largely fuelled during their golden era by Bristol captain Peter Blake – an old boy of the school who returned to teach and coach there – and a lean Welsh history teacher Elywn Price who lived and breathed the sport and was the hardest and most exacting of taskmasters.
Blake was a rugby visionary, a gifted back who, as Bristol captain, effectively served as the club coach and got the famous old club playing a fluid attractive version of ‘total’ rugby the like of which nobody at the Memorial Ground had ever seen.
England did not trust his allsinging-and dancing approach but the Barbarians loved him. In 339 games for Bris between 1953 and 1966 he scored 92 tries, made at least three times that number and slotted over 32 dropped goals.
His influence was huge and he dovetailed nicely with the fire and brimstone approach of Price who also had a good eye for natural rugby talent and liked to move his players around.
Bristol legend Peter Polledri – father of Gloucester and Italy
flanker Jake – was a tigerish scrum-half through the age groups until he moved into the sixth form at St Brendan’s and Price watched him play. Instantly he recognised Polledri’s combatative qualities and Duracell battery of an engine and switched him to openside flanker – the position in which he played nearly 500 games for Bris.
Blake and Price were also assisted by the formidable Father ‘Spike’ Sheehan, another austere fitness fanatic who ensured no slacking on runs and in the gym. The intensity of the St Brendan’s approach – which they adopted academically as well – might have attracted criticism in this more touchy feely era but, my goodness, did it produce some quality rugby teams.
Other serious rugby brains passed through the school during this era, St Brendan’s was a remarkably fertile breeding ground for rugby movers
and shakers. Jim Davidson not only went on to win six Ireland caps but also coached Ulster to three inter-provincial titles and then Ireland between 1987 and 1990 while Peter Colston – another talented player and old boy – also taught at the school before eventually coaching England between 1976-79.
Peter Johnston – another old boy who returned to teach – was a top RFU coach, Mike Titcombe became of the most respected international refs of the era while another old boy, Dennis Power, went on to coach Holland. Current Bath owner Bruce Craig became passionate about the game while at St Brendan’s.
For a number of years, in the 60s in particular, one of
St Brendan’s toughest games was against their Teachers XV who were packed with decent players and/or fitness fiends. The RFU would not allow such a game these days on safety grounds but you wonder how many schools in Britain could put together a Teacher’s XV fit enough to contest the issue with one of the strongest school sides in the country?
In 1971 a St Brendan’s Old Boys team, comprised exclusively of recent former pupils who were all playing senior club ruby, took on a British Lions strength International XV to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Rugby club.
The school produced quality players in most positions but
back row tyros were always something of speciality starting with Davidson – born an Ulsterman, but the winner of England schools caps at U15 and U19 level before returning to Belfast – and Polledri, but continuing with England flanker Mike Rafter and his nephew Dave Pegler who captained Loughborough, England B and Wasps.
Dave’s father Mike was another talented back rower as was Nick Turner who captained England schools on their successful tour of Australia in 1974. Nigel Pomphrey became a stalwart of the strong Bristol pack in the 70s and early 80. Pomphrey was unlucky enough to play three times for England in non-capped internationals.
It’s difficult to identity one golden period but you would be hard pushed to better the St Brendan’s team circa 1964-67 which went unbeaten for 50 matches with the only blemish in that run being a draw in a specially arranged challenge match against St Edward’s Liverpool who at the time were probably the strongest school in the North.
That group included three England schools caps – Peter Binham, Brian Locke and Robert White – and featured a fine goal kicker in Mike Heal who operated variously at fullback and fly-half and captained the side in 1967 the last season of their long unbeaten run. Both Heal and Binham won Blues when they went up to Oxford with Heal taking a starring role in the University’s famous victory over the Springboks.
“The school tapped into the vast passion for the game in Bristol plus there was that Catholic educational element,” recalls Heal. “It was a pretty full-on rugby experience and when you came out of the First XV the St Brendan’s tag meant you could almost certainly handle yourself in senior rugby.
“An away defeat in my first season against Millfield 11-6 sticks in my mind. It was the Gareth Edwards Millfield team but he was injured and didn’t play. They were still a superb side, though, deserving winners, but we got our revenge the following year and won comfortably.
“The fixture was dropped the following season which didn’t please us much but at least Millfield had played for a couple of seasons. Most of the big public schools wouldn’t go anywhere near us, we were mainly on the grammar school circuit which was probably tougher but not so high profile. Our big grudge match and normally our toughest fixture was Marling GS in Stroud another name you don’t hear much of these days.
“We did spark up a friendship with St Edward’s in Liverpool – who were a cracking side – and St Anselm’s in Cheshire which we combined on half-term tours. It was St Edward’s who dented out unbeaten run in the 1965-66 season with a drawn match up there in my second season although we beat them in a great match back at our place the next season.”
The early and mid 80s saw a final glorious blazing of talent with victory at the Preston Grasshoppers Schools Festival in 1983 – the tournament was a forerunner to the modern day St Joseph’s tournament – while later in the decade Alan Sharp and, briefly, Mark Regan made their names at St Brendan’s. And then it was all over, as if it had never happened.