Fencing vs Worth

What a tremendous afternoon's fencing against our 'derby' rivals, Worth.  Our 4 teams won their matches (3 of them convincingly) and in some style too. The margins of victory confirm just how far our fencers have progressed in just over 4 years.  When we first fenced Worth back in 2010, they were the more experienced, dominant club.  Now, as the results show, the tables have turned!! So, well done to all 12 fencers today - this was truly a big team effort!

6th FORM BOYS FOIL: Josh Hardy (c) Bryan Chiu, Maxwell Pierce - WON  45:26 Vth/6th FORM FOIL: Polina Popova (c) Sam Sheridan, Toby Brann  - WON  45:18 MIDDLE SCHOOL FOIL: Lucas Williamson (c) Matt Geddes, Alec Watson  -  WON 45:9

EPEE: Bryan Chiu (c) Oli C-McCullagh, Colin Cook  - WON 45:42

In the 6th form boys foil match, captain Josh Hardy started off proceedings slowly but after landing his first hit, he quickly found his line and rhythm and made light work of his opponent.  So did Bryan Chiu in the next bout and at 10:2 up all seemed to be going the home side's way till the 3rd fencer for Worth came on to the piste.  This was clearly their best player and posed Maxwell Pierce a real challenge to reach the next landmark of 15 hits.  With the game finely balanced going in to the fourth bout, Josh regained control of the match with aplomb.  Maxwell came out for the 5th bout and began to find his rhythm too and with the score at 25:18, Bryan came on to the piste to face their best fencer.  Who would win this key bout?  Bryan ... and with style too, 30:19.  This broke Worth's resolve.  With Bryan pounding the air in jubilation and Worth's supporters reeling in disappointment, Maxwell, then Josh and finally Bryan fenced out the match to a convincing 45:26 conclusion.  Another fine performance from a team demonstrating real mental toughness.

 In the Middle School Foil match, our 'dream team,' ably led for the first time by Captain Lucas Williamson, fenced against a mixed age Worth side.  But they were no match for our confident yet disciplined fencers of Lucas, Alec Watson and Matt Geddes.  As the attached score sheet illustrates, each of our fencers set about accumulating hits against their opponents and were not letting them settle in to their game pattern. Our finishing was not just clinical.  It was brutal.  The margin of victory was absolute.  At the end of the match, our opponents hastily sought solace in the cake.  Ours watched and cheered on our next team to come on to the piste.

And this was the Upper school Foil match.  Captain Polina Popova led her merry band of foilists, Sam Sheridan and Toby Brann.  Now, none of these 3 fencers had had the chance to take part in the British Schools Team Championships.  Yet their fencing demonstrated they had a point to prove. And prove it they did, winning comfortably 45:18.  Our team dominated from beginning to end. 

 The epee match was indeed finely balanced.  Captain Bryan Chiu was well supported by the unique styles of Oli Clarke-McCullagh and the younger but bullish, Colin Cook.  The Worth team comprised of two good standard epeeists and a very talented chap....more on him later. The early rounds saw Ardingly take a slim lead of 5:4 and just about hold it, 10:9, 15:14 and 20:19.  Their key player took the 5th bout by the scruff of the neck and edged Worth in to a lead at 21:25.  How would our team, and in particular, the next Ardinian to fence, Bryan, respond?  ... with a steely determination that shook Worth.  As Bryan found the same rhythm that had flattened Worth's foilists some minutes earlier and tormented Eton's international captain, 2 weeks ago, he took his time and found lethal lines of attack, nimble footwork and quickness of action that left his opponent with no answer. He scored nine hits in a row to none in return. 30:25 and the game was most definitely back on.  But this match was not over yet and this Worth team were made of much sterner stuff.  Colin then Oli found the going very difficult but dug really deep and yet fenced very intelligently to secure double hits as and when they could.  Going in to the last bout of the match, the score of 40:39 may well have favoured the home side but no one watching this titanic tussle felt confident that their side would win.  On to the piste stepped both captains, who I later discovered had last fenced each other in their club in Hong Kong a few years ago.  This contest was about to jump up a gear and as the first attack began, spectators witnessed high-class fencing with rapid movement, quick thinking and excellent technique and improvisation - the best of the match.  Bryan struck first and frankly appeared to want it slightly more.  To his credit, Leo from Worth tried his hardest but Bryan was simply not to be denied.  His trademark yelps, rather than elicit incredulous laughs from Worth's younger contingent, now silenced the opposition and drew encouragement from the appreciative home support.  Bryan closed the match 45:42 and Ardingly secured its fourth victory from four.

It was a special day for our fencers.  You could see it in the look in their eyes and the delight on their faces and that they didn't want to leave the Sports Hall afterwards.  It wasn't just the victories and satisfaction coming from trouncing Worth.  No trophies had been won or medals acquired.  Something else had been achieved and each Ardinian fencer possibly sensed it.  Whether they had fenced superbly or as well as they had in the past or not, they knew that they were part of a winning fencing club that had a place for each of them.  They knew they had developed a great deal over the last few years in a sport very few had ever tried before.  Oh, and their coach was chuffed too.

 Next Saturday....another first, Wellington come to us...