It has been a brilliant weekend of schools rugby, with some impressive result coming in from all quarters.
Despite freezing cold conditions and high winds, the quality has been high, and the conditions have made for closer games across the board, with a number of draws.
5 Key Fixtures
Our 5 Key Fixtures proved to be just that as there were some sensational results, with some of the top teams in the country dropping crucial Daily Mail Trophy points.
Perhaps the biggest result of the five was Warwick’s 20-14 defeat of Sedbergh. Warwick have at time been short of their best this year, but this result shows just how good they can be and it comes in perfect time as the NatWest Cup steps up a notch next week. For Sedbergh it is a third defeat in the bounce, they will want to avoid that becoming four on Wednesday when they face Wellington College.
Bromsgrove dropped points for the first time this term as RGS High Wycombe really stepped up to the mark to secure a 10-10 draw in freezing and gusty weather. It will mean that Bromsgrove slip to second in the table.
That slip is because Kirkham Grammar School won once again to maintain their unbeaten run, but they were made to work for it against Barnard Castle, crossing the line just once on their way to a 7-0 win.
Things were similarly tight between Dulwich College and Hampton. Hampton might have been favourites following their St Joseph’s Festival triumph, but Dulwich proved that they are, as always, a team for the big stage as they secured a fantastic 10-0 victory.
The final of our 5 Key Fixtures was Stamford v Denstone College, with Stamford looking to maintain that four year unbeaten home run against a strong Denstone college side. We thought it might be close but Stamford clinched it in style, scoring five tries and conceding none as they won 32-12.
5 Previews
Our other previewed games were no less entertaining, perhaps none more so than Berkhamsted v St Paul’s, which ended in a 21-21 draw. These two superb teams were tough to separate in prediction, and so it proved in reality. Superb.
It was tight at Bradford Grammar School too as they fell narrowly to an excellent QEGS Wakefield side, 14-7.
It was points galore on the south coast as Brighton College beat Skinners’ 43-21, and it was a similar story in Wimbledon as KCS Wimbledon beat St John’s Leatherhead 32-22, though in reality KCS were in far more control than the score suggests.
Unfortunately the last of our five previews had to be cancelled, Oratory v London Oratory.
Around the Grounds
There was a thriller at Colston’s as Bristol Grammar just outdid their hosts, 35-34. There was another draw, this time in Dartford as Dartford Grammar and Cranbrook tied at 15-15.
Hymers College picked up a good win after a horrible start to the year, beating Grammar School at Leeds 24-5.
Reigate Grammar got another big win under their belts, beating City of London Freemen’s 47-5, so too Seaford College, who beat Churcher’s 66-7.
In the NatWest Cup RGS Lancaster picked up an excellent 22-10 victory over a strong Stonyhurst College side. There was excitement at Woodhouse Grove too, where they performed exceptionally to nudge to a 21-19 victory over Durham.
Tonbridge were in flying form again, they have been one of the form teams of this second half of term, beating King’s Canterbury 58-7.
If you have any results, photos, videos, or reports from this weekend’s games, please get in touch via writers@fifteenrugby.com
Schools Rugby Weekend Results:
5 Key Fixtures
Barnard Castle 0-7 Kirkham GS
Dulwich College 10-0 Hampton
RGS High Wycombe 10-10 Bromsgrove
Stamford 32-12 Denstone College
Warwick 20-14 Sedbergh
5 Previews
Berkhamsted 21-21 St Paul’s
Bradford GS 7-14 QEGS Wakefield
Brighton College 43-21 Skinners’
KCS Wimbledon 32-22 St John’s, Leatherhead
Oratory v London Oratory – Cancelled
Other Key Fixtures
Abingdon 24-5 RGS Guildford
Bablake 7-48 King’s Worcester
Bishop Vesey’s 28-17 Bloxham
Bolton 44-5 Stockport GS
Campion v John Fisher – Cancelled
Cheadle Hulme 38-17 Hutton GS
Colston’s 34-36 Bristol GS
Dame Allan’s 8-10 RGS Newcastle
Dartford GS 15-15 Cranbrook
Eltham College 7-29 Caterham
Grammar School at Leeds 5-24 Hymers College
Hurstpierpoint College 34-24 St George’s College, Weybridge
Judd v St Olave’s GS – Cancelled
KES Aston 3-31 Leicester GS
King’s College, Taunton 0-47 Kingswood
King’s Macclesfield v Wilmslow HS – Cancelled
Loughborough GS 27-3 KES Birmingham
Nottingham HS 3-44 Solihull
Perse 5-22 Norwich
Portsmouth GS 5-20 Bryanston
Reading 0-29 Reading Blue Coat
Reigate GS 47-5 City of London Freemen’s
RGS Worcester 19-24 Hereford Cathedral School
Royal Hospital School 15-31 Felsted
Rydal Penrhos 39-27 Birkenhead
Sandbach v St Ambrose College – Cancelled
Seaford College 66-7 Churcher’s College
St Albans 3-20 Bedford Modern
St Joseph’s College 19-13 RGS Colchester
St Peter’s Gloucester 18-10 Pate’s GS
Stonyhurst College 10-22 RGS Lancaster – NatWest Cup
Tonbridge 58-7 King’s Canterbury
Wimbledon College 7-42 Reed’s
Woodhouse Grove 21-19 Durham
Worth 13-7 Emanuel
Yarm 39-5 Newcastle School for Boys
Friday
Shiplake College 15-24 Merchant Taylors’
St Benedict’s 15-11 Trinity
St Peter’s York 34-16 Ermysted’s GS
Still to come:
King’s Grantham v Northampton SfB
Uppingham v Culford
Windsor Boys v Tiffin
Wirral GS v Lymm HS
