St Joseph’s Festival: Dramatic finish to a wonderful 30th St Joseph’s Festival

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Cranleigh won the 30th Annual St Joseph’s Festival in dramatic circumstances, in what was only their second ever appearance at the tournament.

 

They drew 10-10 with Brighton College in the final in front of a packed out crowd. Confusion reigned at the end, with most people’s knowledge of the tournament’s rules taking them only so far as to know that the side with the most tries would win, as extra time is not possible due to limits on school players’ playing time in a single day.

 

However the two sides had each scored a try each in the final, Cranleigh having taken a 10-0 lead into half time following a penalty and a converted try from a move at the back of the lineout, before Brighton College then scored a try through a well worked backs move in the second half and followed it up with a late Jon Searle penalty to draw level.

 

What that meant come the final whistle was that it would in fact be the side that scored first in the final that would lift the De La Salle Trophy, and that first half try from a shifted maul move gave Cranleigh that honour.

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It is quite an achievement for the Surrey school, how are now able to call themselves both the St Joseph’s Festival champions and the Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s champions after they won the Open there at the first attempt last year.

 

Brighton College, however, will travel home with a knot in their stomach’s after playing arguably the best rugby across the entire weekend. Their performance against Millfield in what was effectively the semi final was probably the performance of the weekend.

 

There was some small comfort for Brighton College though, whose fly half and captain, Marcus Smith, was named the Player of the Tournament, a year after finishing as runner-up to Hampton’s Roman Malin-Hiscock last year.

 

Smith was a revelation all weekend, playing some sublime running rugby throughout, and bringing a kicking game beyond his year’s to the table too.

 

Malin-Hiscock was of course part of the victorious Hampton School side last year, who were also first time winners. They fell a little short of their expectations yesterday, ending up in the Plate competition, but rallied brilliantly on Sunday to claim the Plate title after beating the hosts, St Joseph’s College, 13-0 in the final. To come home with two trophies in a row from this incredibly tough tournament is always a special achievement, regardless of the colour.

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Over in the main competition Brighton College sailed to the final unbeaten, indeed they were unbeaten all weekend. Cranleigh also got there having gone through the Cup stage unbeaten, though they lost to Millfield on the opening day, but the nature of their group meant things were a bit more open in the final round of group games.

 

A win for Cranleigh over Denstone was good enough for them to automatically qualify, and they did so in style with a 39-5 win, but up until then QEGS Wakefield and Merchiston Castle, two unsung heroes of the tournament, were still in it.

 

QEGS unsung nature was rewarded with a bit of style at the end of the day though as their flanker Aiden Kelly was awarded the Try of the Tournament, where he will sit alongside some pretty famous names, such a as Christian Wade.

 

The story of the entire Festival was without doubt the Cup final though, where Cranleigh and Brighton College put on a spectacular show, befitting of being the two top teams on the day.

 

It was a brutal final, with plenty of blood spilt in pursuit of victory. That it ended as a draw was a shame, leaving Brighton with a bitter pill to swallow and Cranleigh with a slightly hollower victory than they might have ideally liked.

 

Nevertheless though, both sides should be proud, their rugby was outstanding throughout and the spirit and determination shown the final outstanding. Brighton College will recover and prove to be one of the best sides in the country this term, while Cranleigh will surely also go on to even heights as well this term.

 

To travel home as both the Rosslyn Park and St Joseph’s Champions is an achievement that few teams can rival. It shows their abilities across all formats and styles of the game.

 

Hats off too to St Joseph’s for putting together yet another fantastic Festival, but the final word must go to Cranleigh, St Joseph’s Festival Champions at only the second time of asking. Oustanding.

 

St Joseph’s Festival De La Salle Cup Winners – Cranleigh

St Joseph’s Festival Plate Winners – Hampton

 

St Joseph’s Festival Day 2 Groups – Final Standings
Group A (Cup)Group B (Cup)Group W (Plate)Group X (Plate)
Brighton CollegeCranleighHamptonSt Joseph’s College
MillfieldMerchiston CastleRGS NewcastleWhitchurch HS
Dulwich CollegeQEGS WakefieldEltham CollegeJohn Fisher
RGS HWDenstone CollegeGordon’sSt Peter’s

 

St Joseph’s Festival – Day 2 Results
TimePitch 1Pitch 2
08.30RGS Newcastle 18-0 ElthamHampton 40-0 Gordon’s
09.05Millfield 24-0 Dulwich CollegeBrighton College 7-3 RGSHW
09.40Whitchurch 7-18 St Peter’sSt Joseph’s 16-0 John Fisher
10.15Merchiston 15-0 DenstoneQEGS Wakefield 0-7 Cranleigh
10.50Gordon’s 0-29 RGS NewcastleHampton 26-0 Eltham College
11.25Millfield 27-0 RGSHWDulwich 10-19 Brighton College
12.00Whitchurch 5-0 John FisherSt Joseph’s 12-0 St Peter’s
12.35Cranleigh 12-0 MerchistonQEGS 35-7 Denstone College
13.10RGS Newcastle 7-14 HamptonEltham College 12-5 Gordon’s
13.45Brighton College 14-5 MillfieldRGSHW 5-19 Dulwich College
14.20Whitchurch 5-5 St Joseph’sJohn Fisher 15-14 St Peter’s
14.55QEGS 10-19 MerchistonCranleigh 39-5 Denstone College
15.30Plate Final – Hampton 13-0 St Joseph’s College
16.15Trophy Final – Brighton College 10-10 Cranleigh (Cranleigh win as 1st try scorers)

 

St Joseph’s Festival Day 1 Groups – Final Standings
PosGroup 1Group 2Group 3Group 4
1Millfield (Q)Brighton College (Q)Merchiston     Castle (Q)QEGS Wakefield (Q)
2Cranleigh (q)Denstone College (q)RGS High Wycombe (q)Dulwich College (q)
3RGS NewcastleHamptonWhitchurch High SchoolSt Joseph’s College
4John FisherSt Peter’s, GloucesterGordon’sEltham College

 

St Joseph’s Festival – Day 1 Results
TimePitch 1Pitch 2
09.00Millfield 19-3 RGS NewcastleCranleigh 25-5 John Fisher
09.40Hampton 7-8 St Peter’sDenstone 3-38 Brighton
10.20RGS High Wycombe 18-6 Gordon’sWhitchurch 10-20 Merchiston
11.00Dulwich 8-12 ElthamQEGS 13-7 St Joseph’s
11.40Millfield 17-9 John FisherCranleigh 27-0 RGS Newcastle
12.20Hampton 7-5 DenstoneSt Peter’’s 0-40 Brighton
13.00RGS HW 18-5 WhitchurchGordon’s 0-36 Merchiston
13.40Dulwich 10-15 QEGSEltham 3-10 St Joseph’s
14.20Millfield 11-7 CranleighJohn Fisher 8-9 RGS Newcastle
15.00Brighton 12-7 HamptonSt Peter’s 7-15 Denstone
15.40Merchiston 12-6 RGS HSWhitchurch 24-0 Gordon’s
16.20St Joseph’s 7-26 DulwichQEGS 38-0 Eltham
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