Harvard Youth Whip Vets 46-43
Dec.12.2009
“It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true
test”- Elbert Hubbard
This could not be more true, as yesterday afternoon on a sunny Savannah 4 pitch, a
crowd of mainly family members and supporters of the great game, bore witness to the
changing of the guard in the Harvard rugby family.
As if it were scripted long in advance, the events that unfolded in the new founded
rivalry that is the annual “Battle of the Ages” old vs. young match seemed familiar. A
familiarity that lends itself to knowing that this day would eventually come, that
somehow, sooner or later the passing of the torch would become a mere formality and
the youth of the Harvard Rugby Under 19 team, whose victory was not easy in coming,
would now hold the coveted trophy aloft.
On a grassy outfield, on a day that many would normally seek the trappings that only the
shores of the northern coast of Trinidad could offer, the Harvard Under 19 Rugby boys
showed their older brothers what they are made of.
The young boys team, despite an early get together and lengthy warm up, was taken by
surprise by the vigorous start of their elder opponents and were soon facing an uphill
battle to recover a 2 try lead, built up by the Old Boys after 10 minutes. The Old Boys
had started with their full strength team, featuring several ex-national players and more
than several decades of combined playing experience between the 42 man squad.
The youth team game plan from the outset seemed to be to run the older boys around to
gain territorial advantage from pace. At the half way stage however, the youth team
were still trailing by a try and their half time team get together was a despondent
looking gathering of worried team mates.
The old team, having started to make changes towards the end of the first half, was
freshly equipped with ‘fresh’ talent to start the second half and put on an opening 10
minutes that startled the youth once more. The pace and fitness of the youth team
eventually permitted them to recover sufficiently to take the lead in the game and the
numbers to the breakdown proved to be a deciding factor in the possession of the ball
and coupled together with quickly taken penalties and free kicks saw the Old Boys
frequently on the back foot and chasing try scorers.
The Old boys, tiring towards the end of the game and trailing by 8 points rallied enough
to break open the defense and score in the corner but the referee having decided that the
full 80 minutes had been played out, called time to the match and declared the Young
Boys the winners with the final score at 46 - 43.
The significance of this youth victory goes far beyond the boundaries of club rivalry, as
it serves also to bolster the confidence and self belief of many of the boys, who have in
some instances merely one season under their belts. The ability to out think, out run and
outwit your mentors and coaches speaks volumes for one’s mental development as a
player. The Old Boys, had they been wearing hats, would have taken them off to the
U19 team as a gesture of deference to their superior team play and ability on the day.
The Harvard Club honoured the U19 rugby team successes at the annual award dinner on
Saturday night and the post match celebrations in the clubhouse, after the match, on
Sunday evening saw the Harvard rugby fraternity get together with family, friends and
supporters to enjoy the finale to the end of the season and hang the boots up for the
festive holidays.
Well done the yute……………we’ll meet again next year.
Written by: Bruce Wallace and Nicholas Martinez (Harvard Old Boys).
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