The NatWest Cup has been a bit of a slow burner this year but as Round 4 starts to finish up and the Round 5 fixtures begin to take shape, things are starting to look very interesting indeed.
Some sections look stronger than ever, as always, but there is one section in particular that is looking monumentally strong – Midlands A.
Round 5 will see Bromsgrove and Warwick meet, Warwick have been immense in this competition in recent years and have been in fine form all season, however Bromsgrove are in equally brilliant form. It is a fixture worthy of the quarter final stage, but what will perhaps be even more nerve-wracking for these two are the likely remaining ties in Midlands A before they even get to the National stage.
Bedford Modern will likely be the next opponent for the winner of that game, and given their excellent form this season they will be more than capable of causing a major upset.
If that was not enough, the likely round 7 opponent for the winner of all of those games will be against Stamford, unbeaten this season, unbeaten at home for four years, a simply brilliant team. Midlands A really is as tough as it gets.
Midlands B is not much easier, a potential Modus Cup rematch is in the offing if King’s Worcester beat Old Swinford Hospital and RGS Worcester beat Northampton School for Boys, while in the top half of the draw Oundle look like a real threat this year.
In North A Stonyhurst look like real dark horses to threaten in the national stages of the competition but an away game against Yarm will not be easy. They should be weary of more than just Yarm though, Wilmslow High surprised plenty by beating King’s Macclesfield 29-26 and could post a threat, while St Peter’s York are a real danger.
North B looks highly competitive, though there are still a lot of round 4 fixtures and potential upsets to be negotiated before the Round 5 fixtures are settled. That said, sides such as Hymers College could really do some damage this year, they are on a real roll this year. Likewise Pocklington and Manchester Grammar, while Lymm High School are always a force in the NatWest Cup, as Dulwich College will attest after their tough away trip last year.
Speaking of Dulwich, their progress has been smooth so far but they look likely to face a very stern round 5 test against John Fisher. The triple champions have already beaten Fisher this season but will be more than aware of the threat that the Croydon side pose to their progression from London & South East B. Get through that and the highly impressive Trinity await, this will be no easy section to exit.
If that looks competitive, London & South East A looks no less so. The tie of Round 5 is likely to be St Joseph’s College v Campion. Last year St Joseph’s were one of the favourites for the title but a shock defeat to an inspired Campion saw them dumped out. They will be going all out for revenge in this one and it will definitely not be a game to be missed.
That is not the end of the quality in LSE A though, 2010 & 2011 champions Whitgift must play Seaford College in what will be a huge clash, with the winner playing either St Benedict’s, who have a rich history in the competition, or Wimbledon College, while up in the top half Skinners’ await.
The South West has not progressed quite as far as the other areas, with less round 5 fixtures confirmed, however it certainly looks competitive.
Projecting ahead in South West B, a repeat of last year’s epic quarter final between RGS High Wycombe and Hampton could await in round 6 if they win their respective 5th round fixtures, but in the top half of the draw a 5th round fixture between Monmouth and Stowe could be the tie of the section, the winner of that will fancy themselves to go far.
South West A looks less competitive but with Sherborne lurking there is certainly a latter stage threat, while Truro School have been really pushing to go far over the last couple of years and will seriously fancy their chances of a shot at national progress.
Who do you think will make the quarter finals? Let us know via @FifteenRugbyXV or via the comment box below.
U18 NatWest Cup – North A – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
King’s Macclesfield 26-29 Wilmslow High | Wilmslow High v Ermysted’s GS |  |  |
Ermysted’s GS 51-0 Austin Friars | |||
QEGS Penrith 3-35 Yarm School | Yarm v Stonyhurst | ||
Queen Elizabeth’s VI form College 5-34 Stonyhurst | |||
Hutton GS 36-7 Giggleswick | Hutton GS v St Peter’s, York |  | |
St Peter’s York 68-19 Prince Henry’s GS | |||
Newcastle School for Boys v Gateshead | Newcastle Schools for Boys/Gateshead v King Edward’s, Morpeth | ||
King Edwards Morpeth 26-5 Dame Allan’s |
U18 NatWest Cup – North B – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
Wath 7-57 Wirral Grammar School | Pocklington v Bishop Burton | Â | Â |
Pocklington 18-5 Bishop Burton | |||
Hymers College v John Leggott | Hymers College/John Leggott v Crossley Heath | ||
AKS Arnold 18-44 Crossley Heath | |||
Ashville/Hartlepool v Worksop | Ashville/Hartlepool/Worksop v Manchester Grammar | Â | |
Mount St Mary’s 3-39 Manchester Grammar | |||
Lymm High School 57-0 Merchant Taylots | Lymm High School v Calday Grange/Altrincham | ||
Calday Grange v Altrincham GS |
U18 NatWest Cup – Midlands A – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
Bromsgrove 61-17 Solihull | Bromsgrove v Warwick | Â | Â |
Bishop Vesey’s 9-38 Warwick | |||
Bishop’s Stortford College 10-50 Bedford Modern | Bedford Modern v Bloxham | ||
Richard Hale 13-36 Bloxham | |||
Roundwood Park 5-14 Tring School | Tring v The Leys | Â | |
Princethorpe 15-24 The Leys | |||
Loughborough GS 34-10 Nottingham HS | Loughborough GS v Stamford | ||
Carre’s Grammar School 0-50 Stamford |
U18 NatWest Cup – Midlands B – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
King’s Grantham v Gresham’s | King’s Grantham/Gresham’s v Norwich |  |  |
Wymondham College 10-27 Norwich | |||
Oundle School 48-8 The Perse | Oundle v Trent College | ||
Wyggeston & QE College 17-22 Trent College | |||
Hereford Cathedral 27-55 King’s Worcester | King’s Worcester v Old Swinford Hospital |  | |
Old Swinford Hospital 27-10 KES Brimingham | |||
RGS Worcester 17-13 Ellesmere College | RGS Worcester v Northampton School for Boys | ||
Adams GS 0-10 Northampton SfB |
U18 NatWest Cup – London & South East A – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
Dartford Grammar School 29-0 Colfe’s | Dartford Grammar School v Skinners’ |  |  |
Skinners’ 61-0 Sussex Downs | |||
St Joseph’s College 39-28 Felsted | St Joseph’s College v Campion | ||
Davenant Foundation 0-71 Campion | |||
KCS Wimbledon 17-34 Wimbledon College | Wimbledon College v St Benedict’s |  | |
University College School 3-55 St Benedict’s | |||
St Cecilia’s, Wandsworth 0-52 Whitgift | Whitgift v Seaford College | ||
City of London Freemens 19-22 Seaford College |
U18 NatWest Cup – London & South East B – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
Tiffin v College of Richard Collyer | Tiffin/College of Richard Collyer v Reigate Grammar School/Trinity | Â | Â |
Reigate Grammar School v Trinity | |||
Parmiters 0-90 Berkhamsted | Berkhamsted v St Clement Danes | ||
St Celment Danes 21-0 Cardinal Vaughan | |||
New Hall 0-34 Dulwich College | Dulwich College v John Fisher/Dover GS | Â | |
John Fisher v Dover Grammar School | |||
Duke of York RMS 0-53 Chislehurst & Sidcup | Chislehurst & Sidcup v Judd | ||
Judd 31-20 Maidstone Grammar |
U18 NatWest Cup – South West A – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
Dauntsey’s v Bournemouth School | Dauntsey’s/Bournemouth v Lord Wandsworth College |  |  |
Lord Wandsworth College 57-7 Milton Abbey | |||
St Peter’s Gloucester v The Crypt | St Peter’s Gloucester/The Crypt v Wellsway/Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital | ||
Wellsway v Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital | |||
Sherborne v Richard Huish | Sherborne/Richard Huish v Blue/Exeter | Â | |
Blue School v Exeter School | |||
Exeter College 37-17 v Torquay Boys GS | Exeter College v Truro School | ||
Truro School 60-10 Bodmin College |
U18 NatWest Cup – South West B – Round 4 Results & Schedule | |||
Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 |
Gryphon 19-15 Beechen Cliff | Gryphon v Portsmouth GS/Oaklands | Â | Â |
Portmouth GS v Oaklands Catholic School | |||
Backwell School v Monmouth | Backwell/Monmouth v Stowe | ||
Sir Thomas Rich’s 13-36 Stowe | |||
RGS High Wycombe 55-0 Dr Challoner’s | RGS High Wycombe v Desborough/Aylesbury |  | |
Desborough v Aylesbury Grammar | |||
Pangbourne College 13-38 Hampton | Hampton v Bishop Wordsworth | ||
Peter Symonds’ 12-23 Bishop Wordsworth |
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