Year 11 Rugby team remain undefeated and reach 3rd National Final!
The Sirius Academy Year 11 Rugby team continued their success as they near the end of their Sirius careers, by reaching their 3rd Carnegie Champion Schools National Cup Final. The boys achievements as a school team may never be matched, and they hope to finish their final season undefeated with three trophies as their last three matches together are the Hull Schools, Yorkshire and National Cup Finals. Again the team were an absolute credit to the Academy, displaying bravery, team spirit and skill, to beat a tough, and physically bigger Honley team (Huddersfield). The team will play St Benedict’s High (Cumbria) in the Final, in what will be a very tough ask as the boys aim to claim the title of the best Schools team in the UK.
The match started with Sirius on the front foot, and in wet, muddy conditions the ball was controlled well with Macaulay Duke, Andrew Ogden and Liam Robinson repeatedly making good yards forward. However against the run of play a full length effort from the Honley half-back put Sirius 6-0 down. Back battled Sirius with Macaulay Hallett running strongly, supported well by James Buttery and Aiden Armstrong. On ten minutes, Josh Wood drew in the defence to allow Jansin Turgut to send Armstrong over with Robinson goaling from out-wide for 6-6. Sirius then settled into the match, to have their best spell of the game in the final fifteen minutes of the half. Will Collier, Lewis Hackett and Liam Harris worked hard returning the kicks, with Turgut, Hallett and Armstrong leading the way in defence. With Wood and Jordan Abdull creating space with excellent link up play, Buttery crossed out-wide with Abdull adding the goal, before Turgut hacked on a loose ball to score to give Sirius a 16-6 lead. Sirius continued to play their expansive Rugby with good control, with Joe Burton running excellent angles on the left, and Stephen Batty and Marshall giving good speed and enthusiasm with their introduction. Marshall was next over crashing over from close range, before Harris showed strength before stepping his way over to give Sirius a deserved 28-6 half-time lead.
Sirius knew they would find Honley a determined side in the 2nd half, and this proved to be the case with an early try pulling the score back to 28-10. With Sirius defending a lot, and finding it difficult to make good yards, Honley piled on the pressure, but the defence stood strong, with Robinson, Batty and Marshall strong in the middle, and Armstrong, Burton and Turgut dealing with the dangerous Honley second rower effectively. When in possession Hallett and Buttery continued to make good yards, and space was created for Abdull to dummy his way over for a 34-10 lead with fifteen minutes remaining. Back came Honley, who took advantage of some tired Sirius defence, to register three late tries, to pull the score back to 34-24, however Sirius were comfortable in seeing the game through and securing their place in the prestigious Final.
Please congratulate the following boys on their continued success, attitude and behaviour:
Lewis Hackett, James Buttery, Steven Marshall, Jordan Abdull, Josh Wood, Joe Burton, Macaulay Duke, Liam Robinson, Macaulay Hallett, Liam Bilton, Jansin Turgut, Ryan Brown, Stephen Batty, Jordan Gant, Macaulay Longley, Will Collier, Liam Harris (Year 10), Aiden Armstrong, Andrew Ogden, Brendon McCourt, Liam Gordon.
Special thanks to Rachel Gay for her support with the boys.
