Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby's great schools
Sir Thomas Rich School – universally known as Tommies – have been producing quality players since before World War 2, not least the precocious Hook brothers, Bob and Bill, who both made the short journey to Kingsholm to play their senior rugby.
Bob, the older by ten years, had to wait a while before the call came from Gloucester, playing his early senior rugby for Widdon, but he quickly made up for lost time with the blazing pace he had shown at both wing and centre for Thomas Rich. He went on to claim 89 tries in 146 games for Glos.
From 1935-38 he was the leading try-scorer in all three seasons for the club and also started for Gloucestershire's County Championship-winning side in 1937. Bob was reckoned to be the quicker of the two brothers, but it was Bill who went on to earn belated England recognition, despite having lost many of his best years to the War.
Bill was an exceptional schoolboy player and made his senior Gloucester debut at Kingsholm as a 17-year-old when he was still in the lower sixth, having never played senior rugby. While at Tommies he continued to play regularly for the club during the holiday periods.
During each of his two sixth form seasons he also represented The Rest against Home Counties Public School and after just a few months out of school – September 1940 – he earned selection for a British Empire XV against a West of England XV in a fundraiser at Clifton College.
But then the dislocation of the war really kicked in – Bill was stationed with the RAF in West Africa – and it was six years later that he finally got to pick up his Gloucester career at fullback where he operated without fanfare for a couple of seasons.
After seeming a perennial England triallist without ever quite catching the selectors eye, he finally made his England debut in March 1951 against Scotland at Twickenham when Englad recorded their one win of that year's Championship.
The following season he played in defeats against South Africa and Wales before being dropped and returning to club rugby. His son Gordon Hook was also a talented England 18 group back who captained the First XV for two seasons between 1963-65.
Another notable Old Richian was a member of another famous Gloucester family, flanker Ian Smith whose dad Dick was a legendary figure at the club having made more than 500 first team appearances before he also enjoyed a successful spell as coach.
Dick didn't go to Thomas Rich but Ian most certainly did and, like his father, was equally at home playing centre or flanker.
He was obsessed by the game and would play for the school in the morning, before turning out for LongLevens on the Saturday afternoon. There was usually a game somewhere on Sunday as well.
Gloucester-born and bred he seemed headed for an England cap and made the ‘long' training squad for the 1991 World Cup but missed out on selection. Meanwhile Scotland boss Ian McGeechan had been doing his homework and learned that both Smith's paternal grandparents hailed from Aberdeen before the family had moved south to Gloucester.
Smith made his Test debut against England in 1992, was a member of their 1995 World Cup squad and went on to win 25 caps. Since then he has coached Georgia and Portugal.
Another Gloucester favourite and back rower from the school during this era was Mike Longstaff. Others, such as Paul Wood and Simon Devereux, continued to come off the production line.
Moving up into the boilerhouse we have England lock Steve Boyle who turned to the game late having moved to the school in the sixth form when the family moved down from Herefordshire where he was something of a soccer prospect.
Boyle quickly started to make an impact in the pack as a lock and after a couple of seasons with Old Richians tried his hand at Gloucester where, after learning the ropes for a couple of seasons, he became as stalwart member of a mighty pack that claimed two John Player Trophies and were a force in the land.
A specialist front jumper, Boyle was also a natural try score from various lineout and penalty ploys – 71 tries in 312 first team appearances tells it own tale. His one international season was 1983 when he won three England caps and, despite England finishing bottom of the table, he got the call from the British and Irish Lions for their trip to New Zealand where he proved a popular tourist.
“I've never seen a tackler like Sam in 41 years coaching at school level”
While doffing a cap to all of the above, the school's outstanding product is surely Sam Underhill, their latest tearaway flanker, who starred in the First XV for three years and captained them in his final year, 2013-14, when he led them on a tour of New Zealand.
Unfortunately an earthquake in the Wellington region midtour prevented them from travelling to the South Island for that section of the tour. As it was they won two of their three games in North Island and were only edged out in a thriller against Wesley College.
“I've been coaching 41 years at school level and I have never seen a tackler like Sam,” recalls Chris Carter, the director of sport and deputy head at the school. “He was phenomenal – great technique, timing and strength. He was a sight to behold at schools' level and a ral-lying point for a really strong year group. We have all kinds of his shirts on display – England Schools, Gloucester and England. He continues to be an inspiration for our teams.
“We were very strong during his three years in the team although it should be emphasised there were a number of other exciting talent: Tom Miles and Joe Carolan, Ross Preedy and Charlie Scott were talented backs and Ollie Young was a cracking scrum-half.
“The 2011-12 season was the one that got way, we impressed all season but come the quarterfinal of the Daily Mail Cup against St Joseph's and we were leading 17-8 with five minutes left and lost concentration and let them in for two tries from lineouts. Sam was incredible that day but that defeat really hurt.
“If anything we had an even better team the following season and lost just one game and that was in the Cup as well, 10-3 away to a very good High Wycombe team. We played in a 35-35 draw at Monmouth that year which was the best schools' game I have seen, two terrific sides going full bore from start to finish. A long penalty at the death from Preedy earned us the draw.
We have had good rather than exceptional teams recently but bear in mind our fixture list is the strongest it has ever been and we were poised, I believe, for great things last season before Covid struck. Our talismanic player in the group is another back row player, Robbie Nixon, who captained the team as a lower sixth player the previous season.
“Robbie is the second hardest schoolboy tackler I have ever seen! He is a bit taller and rangier than Sam… a good all round player, and it's fingers crossed for him. He skippered Gloucester U18 to a very good win over Leicester last weekend.
“Another one to look out for is Sonjal Rai from our excellent U16 team which has impressed right through the school. Sonjal is of Nepalese extraction and combines strength and pace with some great skills. He could make a big impact for us in his first senior year if we can just get some rugby underway this September.
“As a State-aided Grammar school we have our challenges but with the rugby culture we have put in place right down the school – we fielded six Under-12 teams against Warwick –I am very hopeful for the future. The enthusiasm is as strong as ever.”
