Lambs Rugby Tour to Rome

27 April 2012

James Doe, School Captain of The Oratory School and Josh Williams, both First Team Rugby players, were selected to play for the Independent Schools’ Barbarians (The Lambs) tour to Rome during the Easter break. The Lambs, made up of top level players from Independent Schools across the UK, played and won three matches in Rome over the week following Easter Sunday.

Playing two local and specially selected U.19 sides, back to back on consecutive days, and posting a win in both over 50 points, the Lambs hoped for stronger opposition in the final game. Club Capitolina to the North of Rome city centre provided that challenge with an U’20 side on the Friday evening before the tour party flew home the following morning.

The Lambs converted a win 19-17 in pouring rain making true Barbarians open-running style of rugby difficult to put together. Josh Williams as Winger, played in all games and scored two fleet footed tries, backing himself to run the outside line on one occasion and neatly side-stepping inside to create the second.

James Doe having played a ‘mulligan’ (poor game) in the match prior to the tour played at Fly Half, sharing the position with a strong 10 from Bedford school, until the coaches realised the speed and impact the alternative 10 in the centre position would have. The second and final games saw the pairing of James at Fly Half and the Bedford man at Centre, making a great improvement over the gain line and breaking the opposition defence.

James was awarded Player of the Tour which was a great honour given the calibre of the team.