Message from the Deputy Headmaster:

There is so much to say about the derby fixture against Dale College this week. Our learners enjoyed Debating, Football, Chess, Cross-Country, Hockey and Rugby over the weekend. On Friday, Graeme was absolutely delighted with the tense 3-2 win by the 1st XI hockey side, while Dale enjoyed equally close wins in the U14A, U16A and 2nd teams.

Heading into the rugby fixtures on Saturday, Graeme would have been both nervous and excited at the prospect. Dale College has a vast and proud rugby history, and it was always going to be a tough yardstick for our teams to measure themselves against. The U14A side led the charge on Somerset Field with possibly one of their best performances of the year. Their match statistics showed that they hardly put a foot wrong in the tense on-field battle, winning 18-5. That would set the tone in many ways for the day. Graeme came up against intense physicality, combined with sublime speed and athleticism from Dale throughout the day. The U15A side, disappointed with the results from the previous week, got over the line in an equally bruising encounter, winning impressively 35-24. It was the U16A side that was arguably under the most pressure during their match. After the team lost the fixture last year, it was always going to be a tough game again this year. Dale seemed like their were going to repeat their result from last year in a match which saw momentum swing throughout the match. Midway through the second half saw Dale take ascendancy, but the Graeme U16A side managed to keep themselves in contention. With a penalty against Graeme with three minutes to play, and Dale in the lead, their resolve was tested yet again. The underlying feeling from the Graeme side seemed to be a refusal to accept the loss or accept the momentum against them at times. They picked themselves up, time and time again. Every time they seemed to get knocked down, they somehow managed to claw themselves backinto the match. In the dying seconds of the match they found themselves back on the Dale try line, trailing by four points. In an epic finish to the match, Graeme scored in the corner to clinch the win, creating both hysteria and inspiration for those watching. The battles on Somerset Field continued with the 4ths showing impressive character, but sadly went down 27-20 in another hectic match. The 3rds (19-7) and 2nds (26-14) both won their matches in impressive fashion, leading up to the much anticipated 1st XV match in front of a huge crowd.

When Graeme scored twice in the opening exchanges, many (mistakenly) might have thought it might become a one-sided affair, but they could not have been more wrong. Dale, true to their history, burst into life and, with incredible power and physicality, swung the momentum in their favour throughout the first half. It was a massive moment in the match, when Graeme scored in the last minute of the half to regain their lead. That momentum continued during the start of the second half before Dale again took the game by the scruff of the neck. For many moments during the match, it seemed Graeme was holding on against a powerful Dale side, with both teams matching each other in every facet of the contest.

As we all knew, it was also going to possibly be the last ever match for Erin Nelson and Luke Doyle at Graeme College, before they travelled to join the SA team next week. Doyle was sidelined for most of the match due to a muscle niggle, with Thursten Williams doing a fine job to fill very big boots (and under enormous pressure). It was a massive goosebump moment though, when Doyle was given the green light, by coach Van der Meulen, to try help Graeme get over the line in the last ten minutes. Doyle, with his leg under a mountain of strapping, almost hobbled on to the field, in front of a Graeme crowd that went berserk as he entered the contest. That seemed to give the Graeme team another lift, that they maybe needed. In fact, Doyle was quite sublime in those last ten minutes of the match, speaking volumes about his ability and influence.

The entire Graeme team matched Dale’s physicality and power throughout the match. Even though every single Graeme player could stand proudly after their match, knowing that they were all absolutely brilliant, it would be just insane not to mention the unbelievable contribution of Erin Nelson. His inclusion in the SA squad maybe says enough, and it might even be understood if he tried to protect himself a bit, ahead of next week’s international matches. It could also be understood if, for once, he didn’t deliver another standout performance on the day. However, what was later described by his coach as maybe one of the best performances by any schoolboy he had ever seen, Nelson was a colossus in both attack and defence. He led his team from the front, and they must have all fed off his intensity. He literally seemed to deliver a perfect performance.

There was, in the end, only one deserving winner as Graeme held on for a much-deserved 33-22 win in the toughest of battles. The day says so much about Graeme College, the culture, the players, the coaches and the belief. It also said so much about Dale College, with Graeme lifting their performances to new heights to overcome the challenge. There will be many sore bodies on the Graeme campus on Monday and we then do it all over again next week against Queen’s, with yet another unbelievably imposing fixture. No time has ever felt more appropriate to say Courage and Toil got our players across the line, as they displayed incredible rugby performances throughout the day. Graeme will enjoy an unprecedented set of results against Dale College before regrouping ahead of the Queen’s derby. Graeme won the U14A, U14B, U14C, U15A, U15B, U16A, U16B, 3rds, 2nds and 1st XV matches; a set of results that has never been accomplished before. Hence the incredible pride in the culture, determination and willpower of our players and supporters. This will no doubt go down as one of the most epic rugby days in the school’s proud history. The Graeme College 1st XV might even have gone into the game as slight favourites on the day, but the age-group sides definitely would not have, and that was possibly even more pleasing than anything else. Yet again, this small school from Makhanda seemed to deliver performances far above their weight category. The magic though, was watching our community celebrate with the school!

Summary of Results vs :

u14C won 24-19 u14B won 35-22 u14A won 18-5 u15B won 24-12 u15A won 35-24 u16C lost 35-3 u16B won 40-31 u16A won 25-24 4ths lost 27 – 20 3rds won 19-7 2nds won 26-14 1st XV won 33-22.