The Old Boys Senior B side of 2003 were a special team.
We had big hard ball winning forwards like Kent Sutherland, Jock Welch, Jimmy Maguinness, Marcus Dominey, Andrew Wilkinson, Jason “big Donk Diddy” Mitchell and Moray Low who stood up all season, and creative backs in Ian Coombridge, Matt Smith, Shane Fisher, Phil Henshaw and Jacob Markham who sniffed out plenty of try scoring opportunities. Smithy himself dotting down for 15 tries.
The main differences though I think, was Hayden Leonard at 1st 5/8 who absolutely controlled the game with his prodigious left boot and game breaking size and speed. Hayden scored 13 tries himself from a move called Waimate which was so easy to read we would always laugh as he sliced through the defence time and again.
We had massive buy in from all the boys on the training paddock and at game time. Some nights we would add a Wednesday fitness session so come the end of the season we were all firing. We also looked for point scoring opportunities at all times. Between Hayden Leonard and Phil Henshaw we kicked 20 dropped goals, and with their goal kicking skills we also slotted plenty of penalties to keep the scoreboard ticking. We dished out some hidings, but also found ways of winning clutch games that kept our momentum and expectations really high.
We stuck together through the entire season so when times got tough such as our extra time semi final win over Waimate and the arm wrestle in the final against Mackenzie we always had somebody step up when it mattered. We had great support from our bench and guys like Tim Walsh, Tim Cowan, Bruce Tennant, James Grubb, Michael “big show” McCone and Gareth Hale all made massive contributions.
And boy howdy did we party hard after every game. A game at McKenzie got snowed out so a few boys went to the Cave pub anyway, and when we got home the rest of the team had gathered enmasse at my house to party. Our English import Tim Beardo Walsh initiated a team song which although it would be considered somewhat disparaging of the opposition these days, we sung with gusto at every opportunity along with the obligatory Father Abraham.
Our coaches Brendon Argyle and Ross Sutherland gave us a long leash to prepare and our management team of Gerard O'Sullivan and Carole Sutherland, plus Frosty Munro our medic always had us totally organised.
14 from 14 even 20 years later is a feat I'm not aware has been repeated in SC rugby.
A great team.
Robbie Rankin
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