The Christmas break is over and the return of School Rugby is upon us!
The first week back is not the busiest midweek of school rugby but nonetheless there are some fantastic games between some seriously high quality opponents.
The action begins tomorrow when last year’s U18 School Vase champions, Yarm, take on Bangor Grammar School from Northern Ireland. Yarm did not follow their brilliant cup win last year with the best term of rugby before the Christmas break, results wise, however they are certainly capable, and should be able to kick off the New Year with a win.
Wednesday is when the new rugby term truly begins though, and there is one fixture that stands out as having the potential to wrap up the game of the term prize nice and early, Millfield v Truro College.
Millfield cam very close to winning our Team of the Term award last term, eventually losing out to Woodhouse Grove, and part of the reason for them being heavily considered was because of their record against the very toughest opponents.
Few schools take on the AASE College’s but Millfield do, and they already have a victory against one this season, in the form of Filton College, and they will be aching to do so again against Truro College on Wednesday.
Both have had players involved in the U18 Premiership over Christmas so they will still be pretty fresh, and on Millfield’s pristine Jubilee pitch it ought to be a top class game. It will be tight, but Millfield have shown that they are capable of beating this level of opposition.
Another belter is Solihull v Coleg Morgannwg. Games against Welsh opposition are always tough, anyone who ahs played against them would confirm that and Morgannwg are no different.
Solihull had a fantastic term last term though and will be confident, despite losing heavily in their last outing against Welsh opposition. That game was against Llandovery College though and Llandovery are among the very best in the whole of the UK.
Sir Thomas Rich’s welcome Old Swinford Hospital to town and will be expecting to perform well in their first outing of the New Year. Tommies were one of the star packages last term, and while Old Swinford Hospital showed some individual brilliance, their results failed to hit the heights of the likes of Sir Thomas Rich’s, leaving the home side in pole position for this one.
It has been a long break with no school fixtures, but this term promises to be a highly competitive one for school rugby, beginning with this exciting block of midweek fixtures.
Midweek Fixtures (Predictions in bold):
Tuesday 7th
Yarm v Bangor Grammar School
Wednesday 8th
Millfield v Truro College
Sir Thomas Rich’s v Old Swinford Hospital
Solihull v Coleg Morgannwg
COL Freemen’s v Wallington County Grammar
The Leys v St Columba’s – NatWest Vase
Do you agree with our predictions? Let us know via @FifteenRugbyXV where we would also love to hear your results as they come in.
