NatWest Cup begins to bubble

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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

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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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