The Day of the Jackal - Sian Hersey Steps Up as St. Julian’s Beats Benfica
St. Julian’s Rugby Club U16 team enjoyed a 17-12 victory against a fully fired-up Benfica team in the latest round of the Torneio Regional.
Close-fought wins against sides that push the boundaries of permissible aggression are always the sweetest, especially when everyone pulls together and puts in a big collective defensive effort - as was the case here when our visitors were banging on the door for most of the final quarter, and one score would have done it for them. In tight games such as this, players need to show real character and not flinch for an instant, as a missed tackle or spilt possession can let the prize slip. In coaching parlance, you need to step up, do your job and trust your teammates to do theirs. “Tous pour un, un pour tous”, as D’Artagnan would have had it. To single out just one player for praise under such circumstances may be anathema to the purist, but here, we have to make an exception for the particularly special player wearing the green, white and red number 14 jersey.
Sian Hersey arrived at St. Julian’s at the start of last year and has already made her mark in several areas, not least when forming part of the victorious students’ team in their unprecedented last-ball triumph in the Staff Cricket Match. The daughter of a French mother and an Australian father, who grew up in Hong Kong - the spiritual home of international Rugby Sevens, it is perhaps no surprise to learn that Sian followed her older brother down to the local rugby club every Sunday morning, first in her pram and then with her boots on, and duly developed a passion for the game. “She has played in mixed teams and girls teams and is now the only girl in the St. Julian’s U16 team”, beams mum Florence with obvious pride. Sporting’s U18 girl's team are after her too, apparently. Whatever the gender mix, she loves being part of her teams and cherishes the elixir of rugby’s team spirit. Her place in the side is no soft concession to her gender either - she has had to fight the boys hard for the “Hersey jersey” and earn the right to wear it with pride on match days.
Which is exactly what Sian was doing in that game against Benfica when the chips were down. She had not put a foot wrong all game, playing a key part in attack and defence, but when a quick recycled ball could easily have put Benfica in the clear as the clock ticked down, she put her body on the line by swooping in to steal the ball from a tackled player in textbook jackal style. For those who are unfamiliar with what is involved in this peculiar rugby skill, the “jackler” has an instant to latch on to the ball, while staying on their feet and bracing for the imminent impact of furious opposition players keen to make life as unpleasant as possible. Such turnovers, or penalties won when the prone player fails to release the ball, are big moments in a game when the psychology can turn on its head and confer instant hero status on the successful jackler. So when Sian pulled off not just one but two of these vitalbrave and vital interventions in quick succession, and in so doing, effectively won the game for her team, legendary stature beckoned.
Except Sian Hersey didn’t see it like that. Not for a split second. As her Aussie dad Steve would say; “she was just doing her bit for her mates, mate”.
Mr Simon Mount, Head of Rugby
.png&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Lawson Plays showcase the Houses creativity")
