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Our Highest Profile Sport
Rugby has played such a high profile role at The Academy since the middle of the last century that it would be impossible to contemplate life without it! As the statistics of recent years indicate, the school remains one of the leading XV's in Scotland as well as having spread the Scottish Rugby gospel to the ends of the earth during the 1990s and into the 21st century.
New Field has been the scene of epic matches especially against our oldest rivals Merchiston Castle in a fixture which is the oldest continuous fixture in world schools rugby. The large Saturday crowds have witnessed open, running Rugby which is often in contrast to that seen at many club grounds.
Part of overall education
Rugby is an increasingly physical game as levels of fitness and strength increase but it is still a game for those at school. We endeavour to play and train hard but the ethos of the game here is that it is only a part, albeit a demanding one, of the education which we provide
2007-8 Season
Played 19 won 16 lost 3
Alex Blair was selected as captain for the season and Jack Davis as vice captain. During July Chris Duncan represented Scotland U16 at the Home Nations tournament in
Pre-Season Results
V St Pauls 3x20 minutes lost 7-10
Tynedale Festival (15 minute games):
V RGS Newcastle lost 0-7
V Tynedale schools lost 5-10
V Durham School won 5-0
V Stowe School won 5-0
V Northumberland schools lost 0-5 (plate final)
Tom Brown was selected by John Fletcher, the coach of Newcastle Falcons, as the player of the tournament.
Match reports
Saturday 8th September 1st XV v Heriot’s won 26-17
The first match of the season against a solid and large Heriot’s side saw the 1st XV come out on top 26–17. It was a typical early season match littered with mistakes, particularly at the start of the game but as both teams settled the game started to flow. Heriot’s dominated the set piece and the Academy XV lived off scraps for most of the game. The Academy were 16-17 down with ten minutes to go but some classy runs from captain Blair and some good support play saw us score two late tries. A playing win but the side have a long way to go to reach their potential.
15th September 1st XV v Fettes Won 12-11.
The 1st XV had a narrow win against a well drilled Fettes XV . As the score suggests it was a very even game which might have gone either way. Fettes had the upper hand up front but our defence was dogged around the fringes. Outside the scrum we looked more threatening and it helped that Zak Muluzi turned up (he was on the field last week but forgot to play). Indeed it was Muluzi’s strong runs and off-loads which led to our two tries. Blair and Brown again looked the class players on the field.
40 points to 3 up at half time against Loretto was very pleasing, but a lacklustre second half performance saw us score only one more try. Our back line had far too much speed and skill for Loretto’s although their forwards gave us a tough second half. Brown and Ballantine were the pick of the backs but Jack Davis’s tremendous tackling earned him man of the match.
22 September 1st XV v Dundee Lost 11-22
Against Dundee we started very well and looked the better side. The lineout functioned well and Dundee could not cope with Brown’s timing and pace as he hit the line. 11-0 up at half time it looked as though one more score would win the game. However Dundee upped a gear and we fell away as we missed tackles and tired against a good set of Dundee forwards. We struggled with the referee’s interpretation of the laws and gave away far too many penalties. Sides will attack us around the fringes and we must get better at defending in and around this area.
29 September 1st XV v Stewart’s Melville: Won 36-12
Stewart’s Melville must have had 70% of possession in this game yet after 60 minutes the Academy were 36 -0 up. Some tremendous scramble defence kept Stewart’s from scoring and every time we managed to secure some decent ball we seemed to score. It was not that the Stewart’s Melville defence was poor, but our backs in particular played very well hitting the ball at pace and passing and off-loading with accuracy. Some excellent tries were scored: if we can get some ball we will threaten any side.
6 October 1st XV v Dollar Academy: Won 18-10
This was a fully deserved win against a strong Dollar side who may not have had some of their recent superstars but who are always well drilled, physical and committed. Dollar’s game plan was basic but played to their strengths , kick or pick and drive. It was nothing that we didn’t expect and our pack, lighter and smaller than Dollar’s, matched them man for man. Behind the scrum we looked much the better team. Fraser Strachan at scrum half had another excellent game snipping and making numerous cover tackles. Ballantine and Greig fielded the high balls with ease and ran in our two tries. Fraser Gillies, Alex Blair, and Tom Brown cut the Dollar defence apart with fabulous running skills. To go up to “fortress” Dollar and win in style was tremendously satisfying. The only down of the afternoon was a nasty knee injury to Rory Bredin. This was an excellent performance.
Cup v Queen Victoria School won 22-17
27 October v Merchiston lost 12-15
Merchiston have brushed aside their opposition this season. Putting sizeable scores on all Scottish opponents and with only one loss to their name against Sedbergh who have as usual a very strong side. Watching Merchiston at the Tynedale festival I would go as far as saying that this was the best Merchiston side in fourteen years. Therefore the first ten minutes of Saturday’s match was an absolute delight as we tore into Merchiston up front and cut them apart outside. It was not Merchiston who looked the better side but the Academy who were playing with coinfidence and flair. Merchiston’s defence buckled and a delightful try from Alex Blair after an excellent run from Tom Brown put us 5 points ahead. Merchiston started to find their feet and gradually started to dominate up front: two well-worked tries stretched our defence to the limits and at half time we were 10-5 down. Ten minutes after half time Merchiston scored out wide after some Academy missed tackles and at 15- 5 ahead the next few minutes were crucial. Many of the hundreds of spectators must have thought that the floodgates would open. It was not to be and the Academy spent most of the next twenty-five minutes in the Merchiston half. A poor pass from Fraser Strachan who had an outstanding match bounced awkwardly but the elusive Alex Blair picked up the ball slightly out of position, cut through the Merchiston defence and offloaded to Tom Brown who dived over the line; once converted the score was 12-15. A penalty three minutes from time ten metres out should have been kicked which would have surely earned us a deserved draw but after coming so close to scoring a try on a couple of occasions in the previous ten minutes of play the players really did believe that a win was on the cards. It was not to be as Merchiston held on to their three-point advantage. A disappointing result but the side should be very proud of their performance.
3 November 1st XV v Hutcheson’s Grammar Won 31-19
It is always difficult for a side to play with any intensity after a match such as the Merchiston contest of last week. However at the end of the first half and the first twenty minutes of the second half the Academy raised their performance to cut apart Hutcheson’s and go ahead 31-5. Thereafter the side eased off and Hutcheson’s scored two tries from driving the line-out. The Academy were left to win comfortably if a little uneasily 31-19. Our U18 Edinburgh backs, Strachan, Brown and Blair often get a mention in the News Sheet but two forwards, Jaakko Pardoe and Stuart Normand, were the outstanding players on Saturday with Jaakko scoring a try and Stuart dynamic in the loose.
1st XV v Trinity (Cup) won 75-0
On Wednesday, the 1st XV were 50-0 up at half time against Trinity. This gave the opportunity for all the replacements to play a full second half and although the game became slightly scrappy after this mass substitution, all the players who came on acquitted themselves well. Eleven tries were scored with our wings Murray Greig and Brodie Ballantine looking exceptionally threatening. Ben Lobos and Ashton Gardner dominated their opposite props in the set piece and were often involved in open play. Fraser Gillies produced a fantastic kicking display, kicking 10 out 11 not all of them easy. For a player who was only fifteen years old last week this shows a remarkable amount of mental toughness as well as considerable skill.
10 November v Strathallan won 48-24
The Trinity match was a good warm up for our much tougher opponents Strathallan on Saturday. The XV played some excellent rugby in the first half to score some superb tries and to entertain a good Academy parental support group. Strathallan reverted to their strengths in the second half and bullied us up front but once again our forwards didn’t crumble and the XV scored a couple of end to end tries to finish with nearly 50 points. This was a good team performance. 2nd row forward Alex Gordon and the back row of Barney Paton, Rory Bredin and Tom MacDonald were outstanding. Zak Muluzi is still out of rugby with a fractured hand but his centre replacement Ben Brown produced his best performance of the season. Scottish U18 selectors cannot ignore Tom Brown and Alex Blair who shredded the opposition defence.
17 November 1st XV v George Watson’s Won 27-7
This was another excellent all round performance to defeat a Watson’s side who have just completed victories against Dollar and Dundee. The Academy scored four tremendous tries to entertain the crowd. The XV dominated the set pieces, won some good quick ball and turned the Watson’s defence inside out. We have scored some good tries in the past few weeks but have leaked tries ourselves so it was particularly pleasing to keep Watson’s down to one score.
24 November v Glenalmond won 12-8
A very stuffy Glenalmond side and an extremely flat Academy team, who perhaps had their eye on Thurday’s cup match, resulted in a tight game on Saturday afternoon. With a very strong wind blowing down the pitch the game went with the weather conditions, Glenalmond pressurising in the first half and the Academy spending the entire second half in the Glenamlond half. We scraped a win which we only just deserved.
Cup Match v Merchiston: Lost 8-23
There was tremendous support from the Academy home crowd, but the XV were not able to produce their best performance of the season, which was needed if we were to beat a first class Merchiston side. The Academy scored a delightful try after a scintillating break from Brodie Ballantine following a well rehearsed training ground move. Despite hardly being in the Merchiston half we were eight nil up and perhaps it was to be our day. However, Merchiston tightened up the game in the second half and gradually our forwards ran out of steam, concentration wandered and tackles were missed. As expected our line breakers were targeted and there was no way through a solid Merchiston defence. A gallant effort, but we were second best on the day and Merchiston should go all the way and win the cup.
1 December v Glasgow High: Won 36-7After a slow start against Glasgow High we started to make fewer mistakes, hold onto the ball and at last managed to achieve some continuity to our game. Some delightful tries and another solid win for the XV.
8 December 1st XV v Kelvinside: Won 8-7
In fairly horrible conditions the 1st XV can count themselves lucky to have come away from Glasgow with a win. There were a couple of changes made to the side to allow the Leavers to play together and a couple of injuries, but this was a flat performance against a Kelvinside team who quite rightly were right up for it. Alex Blair was cool under pressure to slot a penalty ten minutes from the end. Kelvinside then hit the post with a penalty five minutes from time and it was only determined defence that prevented Kelvinside’s well drilled pack from crossing the line.
19 January 1st XV v St Aloysius Won 42-0 (match abandoned after 50 minutes)
Captain Alex Blair had an outstanding game on Saturday, ably supported by his fellow backs. However backs cannot play without the ball and a good supply was continuously supplied by our hard-working forwards, with Barney Paton the pick of the bunch.
9 February 1st XV v Hillhead Jordanhill: Won 35-10
A tremendous way to finish off the 1st XV season with a good win over Hillhead Jordanhill away in Glasgow 35-10. With Captain Blair and fullback Brown away on Edinburgh U18 duty, Fraser Strachan at scrum half took over the captain's duties. Injuries to Jack Davis (long term) and Brodie Ballantine should have weakened the side further, but all the players who steped in - Alex Murray, Callum Gillies, Luke Haidinger and Lawrie Seydak - did a splendid job. For once it was our forwards who dominated proceedings with our front row of Ashton Gardner, Stewart Normand and Ben Letelier Lobos destroying the opposition. Jaakko Pardoe and Alex Gordon dominated the lineout, and with the set piece under control our back row of Tom MacDonald, Rory Bredin and Barney Paton enjoyed the freedom to run and support. Callum Gillies, playing with his younger brother Fraser at centre, controlled the game at 10 and Zake Muluzi and Murray Greig ran hard and fast outside.
Summary of recent seasons
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