The start of October saw another weekend of superb rugby on the school pitches up and down the country.
Our ‘Focus On’ fixtures all provided plenty of talking points, while throughout the many other school fixtures there was an overload of impressive performances, with some eye-boggling score lines.
Focus On
First though to our ten ‘Focus On’ fixtures, which this week were all magnificent games of rugby.
Perhaps one of the most impressive results of the weekend saw Oakham beat Bedford 13-12, at Bedford. Given that Bedford are the reigning Champions Trophy champions, and are were unbeaten this season and top of the Daily Mail Trophy table, it was a truly sublime effort from Oakham.
Another impressive Brighton College performance saw them beat Dulwich College 37-17, their confidence will be sky high at the moment after a brilliant start to the season. So too must Kirkham Grammar School’s after they put in yet another almost unplayable performance to torment RGS Lancaster, eventually winning 59-5. The National Ruby Awards School Team of the Year are looking in fine form again this season.
So too are Abingdon, who once again proved how off the mark our predictions can be with a superb 22-0 win away against a good Cheltenham College team. Woodhouse Grove showed once again that they are a force to be reckoned with, beating school rugby legends, Barnard Castle, 29-5.
There was a heavyweight tussle down in Somerset as Millfield welcomed Wellington College to their famous Jubilee pitch. The two sides once again put on a stunning game of rugby, with Wellington College running out as the winners again, 35-17, bouncing back well from defeat to Whitgift last week. (Report: Millfield v Wellington College)
Whitgift were unable to keep that form going this week though, Warwick showed just what a top side they are this season as they secured a tight 8-3 victory over the side who have beaten Wellington and come so close against Sedbergh.
Sedbergh themselves were in fine form, winning a ‘schools rugby Calcutta Cup’ against Scottish side Merchiston Castle. Sedbergh had won narrowly against the same opposition in pre-season, but went even better this time with a superb 34-8 victory.
Sherborne bounced back from their heartbreaking midweek Champions Trophy exit to Bristol Grammar by securing an outstanding 43-14 victory over Marlborough College.
There was actually some Champions Trophy action on Saturday as St Paul’s and RGS Guildford played the last of the 1st round fixtures. St Paul’s took the spoils with a superb 20-5 victory, giving them a place in the second round, where they will welcome the champions, Bedford.
Around the Grounds
Elsewhere there has been plenty of exciting action all around the country. Bedford Modern secured an outstanding 16-10 win at home to Stamford, while Berkhamsted bounced back from midweek woes to beat St Albans 36-5. Birkdale were flying against Ashville College, winning 65-15.
Bristol Grammar School’s penchant this week for exciting high scoring games continued as they secured a breathless 36-29 win at home to Monmouth.
Manchester Grammar School were in simply stunning form away at Bolton School, winning 82-0 for one of the biggest scorelines of the day. Campion were not far behind with a 61-15 destruction of QES Barnet, while Sandback put 60 past Cheadle Hulme.
Felsted once again showed their quality with a superb 41-0 win over Gresham’s, RGS Newcastle meanwhile beat Grammar School at Leeds 40-12. There was a highly impressive display from their rivals Durham too, who beat Hymers College 59-0.
Kingswood were equally good, beating Prior Park College 50-0, while Haileybury were in fine form as they beat an Oundle side who last week beat Bromsgrove, 25-9.
QEGS Wakfield picked up a good win at Loughborough, with The Oratory also securing a good win, 29-15 at home to Reed’s. There was a thriller at The Perse as they were beaten by Royal Hospital School 23-22.
Reigate Grammar School were back in form at home to Worth, winning 39-0, while Hampton bounced back form that defeat to Tonbridge in midweek with a narrow 17-13 win at RGS High Wycombe.
Rugby School hosted Uppingham with a new Trophy on offer, created to commemorate what is one of the oldest rugby fixtures, not just between schools, but of all time. Rugby took the honours with a superb 48-0.
It was exactly the same result at Seaford College as they beat KES Southampton, while Eltham College continue their good start, beating Sevenoaks 13-5.
The St Joseph’s Festival is under two weeks away, but hosts St Joseph’s College are going to have to bounce back from a 30-20 defeat to Northampton School for Boys.
St John’s Leatherhead flexed their muscles against Hurstpierpoint College, winning 43-3 and scoring some wonderful tries in the process. Down in the south west, Blundell’s fine start to the season just keeps on going as they beat a good Truro School side 17-7. Tonbridge meanwhile faced a strong Judd side.
If you have any photos, reports, or videos from the weekend’s school rugby, please do send them into us via email (writers@fifteenrugby.com ), Facebook (www.facebook.com/FifteenRugby ), or via Twitter (@FifteenRugbyXV).
You can see photos from the weekend’s games in our gallery: Gallery – Schools Rugby, Saturday 1st October.
Schools Rugby Weekend Results – Saturday 1st October:
Focus On:
Bedford 12-13 Oakham (DMT)
Brighton College 37-17 Dulwich College (DMT)
Cheltenham College 0-22 Abingdon (DMT)
Kirkham GS 59-5 RGS Lancaster (DMT)
Millfield 17-35 Wellington College (DMT)
Sedbergh 34-8 Merchiston Castle
Sherborne 43-14 Marlborough College (DMT)
St Paul’s 20-5 RGS Guildford (Champions Trophy)
Warwick 8-3 Whitgift (DMT)
Woodhouse Grove 29-5 Barnard Castle (DMT)
Further Results:
Ampleforth College 13-19 Austin Friars
Aylesbury GS 7-8 Reading Blue Coat
Bedford Modern 16-10 Stamford (DMT)
Berkhamsted 36-5 St Albans (DMT)
Birkdale 65-15 Ashville College
Bloxham 35-7 KES Birmingham (NatWest Cup)
Bradford GS 15-42 Nottingham HS (DMT)
Bristol GS 36-29 Monmouth (DMT)
Bromsgrove 22-5 Solihull (DMT)
Bolton 0-82 Manchester GS
Campion 61-15 QES Barnet
Cheadle Hulme 21-62 Sandbach
Christ’s Hospital 14-8 Caterham (DMT)
Colston’s 29-5 King’s College, Taunton (DMT)
Cranbrook 27-26 Chislehurst & Sidcup GS
Dartford GS 10-26 Wallington CGS
Dean Close 45-5 Hereford Cathedral School
Denstone College 23-10 King’s Macclesfield (DMT)
Downside 20-27 KES Bath
Emanuel 33-12 Latymer Upper
Felsted 41-0 Gresham’s
Fettes College 66-19 Bell Baxter
Grammar School at Leeds 12-40 RGS Newcastle (DMT)
Gunnersbury 27-39 London Oratory
Haileybury 25-9 Oundle (DMT)
Hymers College 0-59 Durham (DMT)
John Fisher 34-10 Wimbledon College (DMT)
Kingswood 50-0 Prior Park College
Lawrence Sherriff 10-10 King Edward VI, Stratford
Leicester GS 34-12 Bablake
Loughborough 12-23 QEGS Wakefield (DMT)
Magdalen College 17-15 Merchant Taylors’ (DMT)
Mill Hill 39-10 Windsor Boys
Oratory 29-15 Reed’s (DMT)
Perse 22-23 Royal Hospital School
Portsmouth GS 32-5 Churcher’s College
Queen Ethelburga’s 29-14 Welbeck
Reigate GS 39-0 Worth (DMT)
RGS Colchester 10-21 Norwich
RGS High Wycombe 13-17 Hampton (DMT)
Rugby 48-0 Uppingham (DMT)
Seaford College 48-0 KES Southampton
Sevenoaks 5-13 Eltham College
Shiplake College 7-37 City of London Freemen’s
Sir Thomas Rich’s 24-18 King’s Worcester (DMT)
Skinners’ 14-5 Brentwood
St Columba’s College 14-27 Bishop Stortford HS
St George’s Harpenden 7-26 Hayes
St John’s, Leatherhead 43-3 Hurstpierpoint College (DMT)
St Joseph’s College 20-30 Northampton School for Boys
Stockport GS 12-19 St Ambrose College (DMT)
Stonyhurst College 43-8 Rydal Penrhos
Sutton Valence 38-12 Colfe’s
Taunton 45-0 QEH
Tiffin 23-6 Haberdashers
Trinity 31-22 New Hall
Truro 7-17 Blundell’s
Tonbridge 29-17 Judd
Watford GS v Tring
Wellington School v St Peter’s, Gloucester
Wilmslow HS v Lymm HS (DMT)
Still to Come:
Crypt v Pate’s GS
Langley Park v Ravens Wood
Newcastle School for Boys v Yarm
Plymouth College v Exeter
Ratcliffe College v Mount St Mary’s
Trent College v Old Swinford Hospital (DMT)
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