The NatWest Cup 5th Round begins next week, and while plenty of attention will be on the new Champions Trophy Final, there will be plenty to get excited about in the NatWest Cup.
As such, we have picked our fixture to watch in each of the eight sections for the 5th Round.
North A – Yarm v Stonyhurst
This will be very interesting; Yarm won the plate in 2013, suffered a bit of a dip last year but bang in form again this year. Stonyhurst are always a good side and were one of our dark horses last year and even more so this year, they have been on top form so far.
North B – Hymers College v Crossley Heath
When you hit late November with only one defeat to your name all season, you know you are going strong, when that defeat is to the excellent Barnard Castle, things look even better – that is the position of strength that Hymers are in. Life has been a little more volatile for Crossley Heath, but they are always a knockout force.
Midlands A – Bromsgrove v Warwick
Tie of the round as far as we are concerned, we can see the winner of this going all the way to the final. Both sides have lost just twice all season, and each has been to brilliant opposition. Warwick lost to Millfield, who are in the Champions Trophy final, and Stowe, another potential force in this Cup, while Brosmgrove lost to Monmouth, who face Stowe, and, crucially, to Warwick. Could that play a factor? It will certainly make for compulsive viewing. Can Warwick recover from their trip to Sedbergh fast enough?
Midlands B – Oundle v Trent College
Trent College lifted the Vase last year, so it is no surprise to see them making inroads in the Cup this year, while Oundle have a hugely talented side this year, who have been unlucky to have seen three defeats. When Stamford, Stowe, and Bromsgrove are your three vanquishers though, you know you are doing OK. This will be a good one.
London & South East A – St Joseph’s College v Campion
Part 2: The Revenge. Last year after winning their own Festival in October, St Joseph’s were one of the favourites for the NatWest Cup before they were knocked out by an unfancied Campion outfit, how exciting then that these two will meet again. St Joseph’s have the better form and record, but Campion have shown that means little, however this is a major revenge mission for St Joseph’s and is not one to be missed!
London & South East B – Dulwich College v John Fisher*
Assuming John Fisher get through the fourth round, this should be a classic. Dulwich the “back to back to back†champions against the eternally hard to beat John Fisher. Dulwich have beaten them once already in this season that has seen the Champions lose just once, but Fisher did get past them in the shortened games of the St Joseph’s Festival – a titanic tussle awaits.
* John Fisher must first beat Dover Grammar School in Round 4.
South West A – Sherborne v Exeter School
Sherborne look like the favourites in South West B, although Truro School have progressed well in recent years and the likes of Lord Wandsworth College have potential. This game stands out though because it ought to be the toughest game of the competition yet for Sherborne, who need to keep winning big and turning up at 100% or they will get turned over, and that is exactly what Exeter will be after.
South West B – Monmouth v Stowe
This is another mouth-watering clash, the men from Wales have lost just once all season, to Crawshays Welsh, including victories over Bromsgrove, Cheltenham, and Marlborough. Stowe will be their toughest opponent since Bromsgrove though, but crucially did lose to the West Midlands side where Monmouth by contrast won. Stowe have lost only one other game though, to unbeaten Stamford, and boast a whole host of schoolboy internationals. It ought to be a classic.
Who are you looking forward to seeing in action in the NatWest Cup? Let us know via the comment box below or on @FifteenRugbyXV
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Round 5 Schedule & Round 4 Results:
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 40-28 Gateshead | Newcastle Schools for Boys 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 46-0 John Leggott | Hymers College v Crossley Heath | ||
AKS Arnold 18-44 Crossley Heath | |||
Hartlepool 12-29 Worksop College | Worksop v Manchester Grammar | Â | |
Mount St Mary’s 3-39 Manchester Grammar | |||
Lymm High School 57-0 Merchant Taylots | Lymm High School v Altrincham GS | ||
Calday Grange 11-21 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 20-25 Gresham’s | 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 50-0 Bournemouth School | Dauntsey’s v Lord Wandsworth College |  |  |
Lord Wandsworth College 57-7 Milton Abbey | |||
St Peter’s Gloucester 38-7 The Crypt | St Peter’s Gloucester v Wellsway/Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital | ||
Wellsway v Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital | |||
Sherborne 45-7 Richard Huish | Sherborne v Exeter | Â | |
Blue School 3-23 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 | Â | Â |
Portmouth GS 24-10 Oaklands Catholic School | |||
Backwell School 12-31 Monmouth | Monmouth v Stowe | ||
Sir Thomas Rich’s 13-36 Stowe | |||
RGS High Wycombe 55-0 Dr Challoner’s | RGS High Wycombe v Aylesbury |  | |
Desborough 5-45 Aylesbury Grammar | |||
Pangbourne College 13-38 Hampton | Hampton v Bishop Wordsworth | ||
Peter Symonds’ 12-23 Bishop Wordsworth | |||
