This season has seen playing numbers at Bicester grow yet again. Three senior teams have competed in the league system for the first time. We have seen several juniors graduate to the senior club from the Colts as well as our numbers being boosted by a large number of Fijians from 23 Pioneer Regiment and players from the locally based charity Christians in Sport.
Unlike season 2007-08, when all senior sides, were all resoundingly successful, this one has been one of more mixed fortunes for the Bicester club. Whilst the 1st XV have experienced a mostly disappointing season, the 2nd XV have carried all before them, winning their second successive promotion, and the newly formed 3rd XV finished mid table in the Division below, a highly creditable performance for a new team.
FIRST XV
The first team have been hit by injuries and lack of availability by key players for lengthy periods. However they did achieve five excellent victories, and might so easily have added at least three more to that total, which would have enabled them to finish mid-table, instead of one place off the bottom.
However, by avoiding the bottom spot, their place in the Southern Counties League North is secure for next season. Unlike the last campaign in the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Premier League, when Bicester won a number of easy victories against the lower sides, every win in the Southern League has to be earned the hard way. Led by Coach Chris Nash and Simon Grater, along with fitness coach James Shields, manager Michael Hutchinson and skipper Anthony Lewis, a lot of hard work was done both at the Saturday matches and at the mid-week training sessions. Out of the 22 matches played, five were won and 17 were lost, with 288 points being scored and 706 conceded.
Bicester began their campaign with a 13-8 home victory over Beaconsfield. Dan Spencer and Alec Warriner were the try scorers with Steve Risbridger adding a penalty. An unfortunate 34-15 defeat followed at Aylesbury, before we crashed at home to Buckingham 53-0. In a more evenly contested game at Grove, we lost 24-8, before hammering Swindon 42-22 on our own ground. Paul Leverton and Martin Linstrom both scored two tries with Esava Rakacikaci, Anthony Nightingale and Anthony Lewis contributing one apiece Tom Barnes kicked two conversions and a penalty goal. A 25-7 defeat at Chipping Norton was followed by another fine home win against Slough 18-7. Dan Spencer, Esava Rakacikaci, and Paul Leverton, were try scorers whilst Steve Risbridger slotted over a second-half penalty. A below-par performance by the pack was the main reason for our emphatic 57-0 defeat away at Marlow, but despite Steve Risbridger’s impressive tally of five penalties, we went down 23-15 at home to Milton Keynes. Two defeats, away at Witney 46-7, and at home to Windsor, 36-8, preceded a 26-3 loss at Milton Keynes, a game we could so easily have won, had we not been reduced to 14 men!
We began the 2009 campaign with two more narrow defeats, 18-8 away at Slough, and 25-20, at home to Chipping Norton.
Then on Saturday 14th February, Bicester completed the “double” over Swindon with a superb 22-17 triumph away at Greenbridge Road. Steve Risbridger converted two of the three tries scored by Martin Linstrom, Alec Warriner, and Esava Rakacikaci, and he also banged over a penalty goal. One week later, Bicester avenged their earlier loss, beating Grove her 27-13, with tries from Steve Barnes, and Martin Linstrom, Steve Risbridger was again in fine form with the boot, converting one try and landing five penalty goals. Bicester performed well against Marlow, here, until the closing stages, and the 44-17 home defeat flattered the league’s 2nd placed side. Winger Pat Truby scored his maiden try for the 1st team. Bicester were the first side to score 17 points on the Buckingham pitch, despite losing 66-17, but we ended the season with three lacklustre performances, leading to two home reverses by Aylesbury, 44-12, and Witney, 41-11, and an away loss at Beaconsfield, 29-7.
The 288 points consisted of 35 tries, 29 penalties and 13 conversions. Martin Linstrom was the leading try scorer with six tries, followed by Dan Spencer (5). Paul Leverton, Leigh Rushworth, and Esava Rakacikaci, occupy third place on four tries. Alec Warriner and Anthony Lewis both scored twice. Apart from a penalty try, seven players crossed the line once: Anthony Nightingale, Steve Barnes, Pat Truby, Darren Cassidy, Chris Nash, Timoci Mantanavou, Viz and Christian Wright. Steve Risbridger kicked 25 of the 29 penalties. The other four came from Tom Barnes (2), Dan Spencer, and James Holton. Risbridger also converted 10 tries, with Tom Barnes (2) and Dan Spencer providing the other three.
The annual awards ceremony took place after the Witney game on 18th April. Skipper Anthony Lewis named Steve Risbridger as the Player’s Player of the Year, and Martin Linstrom as the Captain’s Player of the Year. He made further awards to Dan Spencer and Paul Chrisp.
SECOND XV
Rarely does a rugby season pass without at least one senior Bicester side being honoured in some way. This time, it is the turn of our second XV, who won their second successive promotion, a feat all the more remarkable as they were relegated to the bottom level only two years ago. Having won promotion last year from Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 2 North, they have just been acclaimed as champions of Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 1 North and will compete next season in the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Premier A League, the highest level for all clubs whose first teams do not play in the national leagues.
The side, managed by Jeff Willmore, has been under the captaincy of Tom Edgar, who gallantly stepped in to fill the vacancy created by the enforced absence of Jeff’s son Adam. Thankfully, Adam Willmore has now fully recovered from last year’s serious injury and is back in the side at wing forward. Under the outstanding leadership, Bicester 2nd XV have won 16 of their 18 league matches, amassing a total of 676 points. The only two defeats were away to Bletchley 2nds, 29-12, and at home to Chesham 41-39.
Beginning with a 27-17 home win against Beaconsfield 2nds, they lost at Bletchley, before winning the first of two games, played away at Aylesbury Athletic 25-21. A walkover against Buckingham 3rds was followed by a fine away success at Chesham 33-24, before another walkover to Banbury 2nds. Scrum-half Ben Wacalevu then scored four tries in the 52-9 rout of Aylesbury 2nds and he added two more, as the 2nds thrashed High Wycombe 2nds 69-0 away. Nete Bav also scored twice and Tom Barnes converted seven of the 11 tries.
Barnes then slotted over a penalty conversion and drop goal in the 23-16 away win at Witney 3rds, and just before Christmas High Wycombe 2nds were hammered again, 94-5 here at Oxford Road. Both Nete Bav and “Jim” Matanavou scored hat-tricks and Lewis Massey, Alastair Smith, and Tom Edgar each bagged a brace of tries. Tom Barnes converted six out of eight tries in the 52-13 away success at Aylesbury 2nds and seven players contributed points in the 37-12 triumph also away at Banbury 2nds. Next came the home loss to Chesham, but the second away fixture with Aylesbury Athletic ended again in our favour 37-34.
Both Adam Willmore and Tom Edgar were among the try scorers as we trounced Buckingham 3rds away, 67-3. Then followed a fine 35-26 win at home to Bletchley 2nds, whose first team compete in South-West 2 East, a level above our own Southern Counties North Division. Mataiasi Vave scored a hat-trick of tries and Tom Barnes converted five tries, as we won the return game at Beaconsfield 2nds, 48-18, and finally we beat Witney 3rds here, 31-24 in the last match.
Altogether, 108 tries, 52 conversions, 11 penalties and a drop-goal were recorded in the 18 league games. The leading try scorer was Nete Bav (9) with Ben Waqalevu and “Jim” Matanavou in second place with eight tries. Four players scored six tries, Viz, Tom Edgar, Qalo Eliki, Paul Johnson, and Dave Millward. James Cookson crossed five times and eight players did so three times: Viz, “Max” Tuiwai, Jonny Hicks, Trevor Bethell, Dave Brind, Waisake Rokobati, S. Mats, Mataiasi Vave, and Mohammed Sazaz.
Of the 52 conversions Tom Barnes contributed 25, Alastair Smith eight, and Jak Cluness five. Barnes also landed six penalty goals and a drop goal.
Tom Edgar received the 2nd XV Players’ Player award from manager Jeff Willmore with additional awards going to Michael Harris (representing Christians in Sport group), Tony Shaw, Adam and Annie Willmore, and Sally-Ann Baldwin.
THIRD XV
The newly formed Bicester 3rd team have made an encouraging start to the league rugby scene. Finishing in 6th place in Berks Bucks Oxon Division 2 North. They won 6 and drew two of their 16 matches, but the eight defeats include three walkovers. 262 points were scored, and 212 were conceded, a highly creditable achievement.
The side, managed by Colin Morris, who has played at both full back and in the front row, scored 41 tries, 18 of which were converted, together with seven penalty goals.
Starting with a fine 20-10 away win against Winslow, they went down to Aylesbury 3rds at home 20-14. They next conceded a walkover to Amersham Chiltern 3rds before losing away to Chipping Norton 2nds, 59-7. A try by Dave Brind and a penalty by Andrew Morris earned the 3rd XV an 8-8 draw at Witney 4ths, and two weeks later they were granted a walkover by Banbury 3rds, a 30-5 defeat away at 2nd placed Chinnor 4ths followed, but they made amends with a crushing 46-17 victory over high Wycombe 3rds here.
Dave Millward scored two tries with Mark Gulvin, Dave Brind, Chris Stone and Andrew Heritage all crossing the line once. Heritage converted five of the six tries, and Stuart John kicked two penalty foals. The 3rd XV lost the return fixture at home to Witney 4ths, 12-5, but they avenged the earlier loss at Chipping Norton, beating Chippy 2nds at Oxford Road, 15-0. An exciting 31-31 draw at home to champions Amersham and Chiltern 3rds followed, before they went down 20-15 away to Banbury 3rds.
Finlay Brown then scored five tries as the 3rds hammered Aylesbury 3rds away, 68-0. They completed “the double” over 4th placed Winslow, 28-5, with Dave Brind scoring a brace of tries, but were forced to concede walkovers to High Wycombe 3rds and Chinnor 4ths at the end of the campaign.
Dave Brind was the leading try scorer with seven to his name. Then followed Finlay Brown (6), Chris Stone (3), with Dickie Walsh, Dave Millward, Andrew Heritage, Anthony Burrows, Stuart Leese and Peter Bramley, all running in two tries. Stuart John converted 12 of the 18 tries, and he slotted four of the seven penalty goals.
COLTS
For Bicester Colts this has been a season of mixed fortunes. They lost two games away at Buckingham, 13-5, in the Kirk Nokes memorial game, and 27-5, in a Berks Bucks Oxon Colts league match last September, but defeated Banbury at home, 39-3.
They also beat Oxford Harlequins away in a league match, but lost to Oxford RUFC Colts on Sunday 8th March.
Bicester Colts drew their Bucks berks Oxon Division 2 league match with Drifters 3-3, courtesy of Sam Butler’s well-struck 42-metre penalty goal. In the dying minutes the Bicester pack was held up on the Drifters line four times! Matt Dye and Craig Harris both scored tries in the 21-15 home defeat to Marlow, but Bicester beat Wallingford 26-14 in the Quarter-Final and Tom Miles were the try scorers, with Sam Butler converting three times. However, despite dominating the possession stakes in the first half, they went down 28-6 to a well-drilled clinical Banbury side in the semi-final at Bodicote Park.
Mini and Junior Review
Bicester U17s enjoyed success comparable to the senior 2nd XV. They beat Buckingham 35-3 in their Colts league, scoring 5 converted tries before the break in a spectacular display of running rugby. Losing only one league game, to Bracknell, the U17s reached the quarter final of the South West Division (national) Cup before going down to Chinnor U17s.
Bicester U15s preserved their status in the Bucks Berks Oxon 1st Division, by defeating Witney 21-12 in the play-off game. Prop Josh Walker, hooker Tyrone Brown, and centre Jordan Brodley were the try scorers, with scrum-half Elliot Nicklin converting all three.
Bicester U14s won their fourth consecutive Oxfordshire Cup with their 20-15 success over Banbury in the Final at Stratfield Brake. Tries were scored by Henry Gayler, Don Rowland, Tom Burrell, and James Grosvenor.
Bicester U13s won both matches, during their tour to Tregoyd Wales. They gained an emphatic 40-19 win at Brecon, and a 28-24 success at Builth Wells.
Here are the some more notable results of the mini and junior section:
County Festival - Henley
U7s - A team won Plate
U8s - A team Plate finalists
U9s - Won the Bowl
U10s - A team won the Plate; B team Cup semi-finalists
U11s - A team won Plate; B Team County Cup Champions
U12s - Semifinalists
U13s - Plate finalists in County 10s
U14s - County Champions for the 4th year
U15s - Finished 5th in the Oxon Division 1
U16s - Finished mid table in Oxon Division 2
U17s - Runners up in BBO Division 2 league and then went on to finish 2nd in the pay-offs. The 2nd highest Oxfordshire Club in the league
by Paul Chrisp
