It has been a wonderful midweek of schools rugby and it is far from over yet with big fixtures on Thursday followed by some great Friday night fixtures.
As the Champions Trophy reached its semi final stage, the NatWest Cup began to really kick into gear too, while elsewhere there were some stunning Daily Mail Trophy fixtures.
Monday
Monday saw Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar and Berkhamsted record big NatWest Cup victories, Berkhamsted is particular will see that as an excellent early marker in the competition.
Tuesday
Tuesday’s headline was Sedbergh’s 37-34 victory over Wellington College, it was one of the great games of schools rugby and you can see how great we though it was here: Sedbergh v Wellington.
Elsewhere KES Morpeth did well to overcome Dame Allan’s in the NatWest Cup, while Royal Hospital School and Ipswich’s big derby game ended in an 18-18 stalemate.
Wednesday
The big focus on Wednesday was the two Champions Trophy semi finals between Millfield and Oakham, and Grammar School at Leeds and Barnard Castle. Millfield and Grammar School at Leeds both progressed, they will meet at Allianz Park on the 26th in the final – you can see our Millfield v Oakham report here, and our summary of the afternoon here.
Wednesday was also the day that the NatWest Cup exploded into life though, as some of the big guns flexed their muscles and a couple of others found themselves in a spot of bother.
Last year winners Dulwich College breezed through past New Hall, with their opponents in that final, Warwick, easing past Bishop Vesey’s in similar fashion.
Truro School, Campion, and Skinners’ all hit outstandingly high scorelines, while Whitgift won 54-0 in a game that never even reached the second half. RGS High Wycombe, Lymm High School, and Sherborne were no less impressive.
Stowe v Sir Thomas Rich’s looked a top quality fixture from the outset, so it proved to be but Stowe were able to pull away to a 36-13 victory. One side who did not manage to get past their banana skin was King’s Macclesfield, who fell to a surprising 29-26 defeat to Wilmslow High.
RGS Worcester edged pastEllesmere College 17-13, while Wimbledon College stunned local rivals KCS Wimbledon, winning 34-17.
With the likes of Hampton, King’s Worcester, Seaford, Yarm, and Stonyhurst all also gathering victories, the quality in the NatWest Cup is about to go into overdrive as the top sides start suddenly finding themselves in difficult match ups.
Still to come
Today sees a cracking looking game between Clifton College and St Peter’s Gloucester, as well as a NatWest Cup tie between Wellsway and QEH.
On Friday there are three games under lights, a local derby between St Olave’s and Langley Park. A top game in Henley between Shiplake College and Lord Wandsworth College, and arguably one of the games of the week, between St Joseph’s College and Denstone College in Northampton.
Who impressed you this week? Let us know your thoughts via @FifteenRugbyXV or the comment box below. If you have any reports/photos etc then please send them into promotions@fifteenrugby.com
Schools Rugby Midweek Fixtures:
Monday
Chislehurst & Sidcup 53-0 DoY Royal Military School (NatWest Cup)
Parmiters 0-90 Berkhamsted (NatWest Cup)
Tuesday
KES Morpeth 26-5 Dame Allan’s (NatWest Cup)
Royal Hospital School 18-18 Ipswich
Sedbergh 37-34 Wellington College (18.00)
Wednesday
Millfield 32-17 Oakham (Champions Trophy SF) 14.00
Grammar School at Leeds 29-15 Barnard Castle (Champions Trophy SF) 14.15
Austin Friars 0-51 Ermysted’s (NatWest Cup)
Bishop Vesey’s 9-38 Warwick (NatWest Cup)
Bodmin 10-81 Truro (NatWest Cup)
Campion 71-0 Davenant (NatWest Cup)
Hampton 38-13 Pangbourne College (NatWest Cup)
Hereford Cathedral School 27-55 King’s Worcester (NatWest Cup)
Judd 31-20 Maidstone GS (NatWest Cup)
KCS Wimbledon 17-34 Wimbledon College (NatWest Cup)
King’s Macclesfield 26-29 Wilmslow High (NatWest Cup)
Lymm High School 57-0 Merchant Taylors’ (NatWest Cup)
Mount St Mary’s 3-39 Manchester GS (NatWest Cup)
New Hall 0-37 Dulwich College (NatWest Cup)
Princethorpe 15-24 The Leys (NatWest Cup)
QEGS Penrith 3-35 Yarm (NatWest Cup)
Richard Hale 13-36 Bloxham (NatWest Cup)
RGS High Wycombe 55-0 Dr Challoner’s (NatWest Cup)
RGS Worcester 17-13 Ellesmere College (NatWest Cup)
Seaford College 22-19 CoL Freemen’s (NatWest Cup)
Sherborne 45-7 Richard Huish (NatWest Cup)
Sir Thomas Rich’s 13-36 Stowe (NatWest Cup)
Skinners’ 61-0 Sussex Downs (NatWest Cup)
St Cecilia’s 0-54 Whitgift (NatWest Cup)
Stonyhurst 38-10 Darlington (NatWest Cup)
Still to Come:
Thursday
Clifton College v St Peter’s Gloucester
Wellsway v QEH (NatWest Cup)
Friday
Shiplake College v Lord Wandsworth College – 19.00
St Olave’s v Langley Park – 19.15
St Joseph’s College v Denstone College – 19.45
