Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools
SUSSEX is not normally considered a hotbed of rugby in England – although that hasn’t stopped Joe Marler, Joe Launcbury, Dylan Hartley and Billy Twelvetrees making a big impression in modern times. But in Brighton College the Martlets County unquestionably boast one of the emerging forces in the schools game.
John Pope started the good work and flew the flag for rugby at the school for many years before passing the baton to Nick Buoy in 2006 and in the last 15 years 29 OBs have played rugby professionally somewhere in the world and 22 pulled on an England shirt of some description.
Another feather in the school’s cap has been its adoption by Eddie Jones as an England training centre.
“Its nice to look back on a little tangible success on the pitch but that isn’t what drives us to be honest,” says Buoy. “I take the view that I am lucky to run a rugby club with some 350 members and the priority is for all of them to have fun, maximise their rugby ability – whatever that may be – and understand the value and camaraderie of teamwork.
“I got an email recently from a former player who had just graduated from medical school having qualified as a doctor and he insisted that being a rugby player at Brighton had been a big part in being able to take on that challenge successfully.”
School coaches around the country will surely echo that sentiment and at Brighton sport is always considered part of the bigger picture. Academic standards are high – they won Independent School ofthe year for 2019 – and there is an infectious internal dynamic and appreciation of excellence in any field.
Sport has always been important to the college, they were one of first independent schools to install a purpose-built gym in 1859, although initially cricket and football were the games they excelled that. Rather typifying that was Sammy Woods, a rumbustious son of Empire who was born in Australia where he learned his rugby but shipped back to England in 1884 to complete his education at Brighton. Wood played 13 times for England, five as captain and also represented England and Australia at cricket.
Woods is still probably the most prominent rugby-playing OB but there has been a good and varied crop. There was Wasps stalwart lock John Hart, Wasps European Cup winner Alex King, England Sevens star Ollie Phillips and a host of players at Harlequins headed up by Jordan Turner-Hall, Marcus Smith and the Chisholm brothers.
On one notable occasion in October 2014 all three Chisholm brothers –Ross, James and Ali – played for Harlequins A against Worcester at the Stoop Smith was part of a strong year group that won the Rosslyn Park Colts (U16) 7s title in 2015 and then moved through to form the rump of an exceptionally strong XV in the 2016-17 season.
Indeed they went unbeaten during the regular XVs season, winning all eight of their games against A grade opposition in the Daily Mail Trophy which included the scalps of Dulwich,
Cranleigh, John Fisher and Epsom but there was a slight tinge of disappointment in that they lost out at the St Joseph’s Festival in the most unfortunate of circumstances. They also lost in the Open final of the Rosslyn Park Sevens to an outstanding Cranleigh sqaud.
Missing out at St Joseph’s was particularly cruel as they were in outstanding form and unbeaten throughout the tournament. In the pool stages they marched past Denstone College and St Peter’s and won tighter contests with Hampton and RGS High Wycombe on the first day before storming to second day pool wins over Dulwich and Millfield which earned a place in the final against Cranleigh.
There they drew 10-10 but with the scores equal and number of tries equal they lost out on an obscure tournament by-law which stated that the tie breaker would be who scored the first try in the final. That was Cranleigh and the awarding of player of the tournament to Marcus Smith was only scant consolation.
The following season Brighton were in steely mood wanting to put the record straight. And how. Although slipping to narrow defeats against Cranleigh and Dulwich in regular season games, they were an outstanding improving side and had their eyes at all times fixed on the St Joseph’s tournament.
On the first day Brighton went to work against Eltham (19-5), John Fisher (22-8) and Merchiston Castle (7-0) while on the Sunday they headed to the final with victories over Dentone (17-0) Hampton (10-0) and Dulwich (12-5).
Quality rugby and great wins all the way but Brighton were only warming up. In the final they produced arguably the greatest ever display at the St Joseph’s tournament by routing an hitherto strong looking Millfield team 38-12. The cup was theirs and Toby Smith, England U18 Sevens No.8, was also named the player of the tournament.
There is another promising squad waiting impatiently in the wings this season wondering when they might be unleashed. Buoy is remaining upbeat with intense skills and fitness sessions and adapted internal matches with consequences to ramp it up a little. Consequences?
The losers get to clean and wipe down the gym equipment for the next week or have to do a length of the pitch bear crawl. Like everybody match day proper can’t come quick enough.
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