The final weekend of School Rugby for the term produced some brilliant games and fascinating results.
With many schools already away for Christmas the fixture list was a reduced one but that certainly did not mean that it lacked any quality.
Daily Mail Trophy
Being the final weekend of the term it also meant that it was the final weekend of the Daily Mail Trophy, and as an end of term special we included all seven Daily Mail Trophy fixtures in our weekly competition.
The prize for seven out of seven correct predictions was a t-shirt for every member of the entrants’ team, and therefore garnered plenty of interest.
Unfortunately there were no winners though, a 15-15 draw between Bradford Grammar School and Kirkham Grammar School, and St Benedict’s 5-10 victory over Dulwich College foxed most people.
That result caps what has been a fine term for St Benedict’s though, they have really lived up to their excellent reputation. For Dulwich though the big focus from now is about being ready for their big NatWest Cup tie against Judd in the New Year.
Back to the Daily Mail Trophy Competition though, where in our other two ‘core’ fixtures Manchester Grammar rounded off their season is style with a 29-19 victory over Lymm High School, while QEGS Wakefield defied our prediction to comfortably beat Nottingham High School 31-13.
In our three ‘bonus fixtures’ St Paul’s showed their quality, and justified the praise that has come their way again this year, with a 17-3 victory over Tiffin. Denstone College also finished their season on a high with a 34-0 victory over St Ambrose College, a fitting end to a superb season.
Likewise Grammar School at Leeds, who beat Wilsmlow High 48-10 to finish a season that has been simply brilliant in equally outstanding style.
Champions
The Daily Mail Trophy Champions, Woodhouse Grove, ended their term perfectly. They beat Harrogate Grammar 24-5, leaving the Yorkshire side unbeaten for the term, bar that surprise NatWest Cup defeat to MTS, a fantastic term of rugby.
Speaking of Champions, Whitgift are former back to back Schools Cup champions, and are among the favourites to become the NatWest Cup champion this season. They finished off the term in in sublime fashion, beating Glyn 78-0 to leave spirits high going into Christmas.
Another side still in with the chance of winning the NatWest Cup are Campion. Unfortunately though their final game of the term, against RGS High Wycombe, was postponed. However last year’s runners up, Northampton School for Boys, did play, losing 10-0 to Berkhamsted.
Also in action were Eltham College, who beat St Olave’s Grammar 23-10, and Wimbledon College, who beat Wallington County Grammar 26-7.
Selected Results – Saturday 14th December:
Bradford Grammar 15-15 Kirkham Grammar (Featured Fixture)
Dulwich College 5-10 St Benedict’s (Featured Fixture)
Lymm High 19-29 Manchester Grammar (Featured Fixture)
QEGS Wakefield 31-13 Nottingham High (Featured Fixture)
St Paul’s 17-3 Tiffin (Bonus Fixture)
Denstone College 34-0 St Ambrose College (Bonus Fixture)
Wilmslow High 10-48 Grammar School at Leeds (Bonus Fixture)
Berkhamsted 10-0 Northampton School for Boys
Campion PP RGS High Wycombe
St Olave’s 10-23 Eltham College
Whitgift 78-0 Glyn
Wimbledon 26-7 Wallington County Grammar
Woodhouse Grove 24-5 Harrogate Grammar
