The final major midweek of schools rugby this season has yielded some outstanding rugby once again.
Some of the biggest names in schoolboy rugby met this week, while the NatWest Cup also had two brilliant quarter finals, and there was plenty of County Cup action, too.
Tuesday
The action started on Tuesday, though Bishop Wordsworth’s did win a friendly over Australian touring side Ipswich Grammar, 52-15. Tuesday saw Canford and Seaford College meet, with Canford running out as 36-13 winners. It was a victory that by the end of the week would have seen them break into the Top 10 of the Daily Mail Trophy, with the prospect of moving even higher up the table come the end of the weekend.
Wednesday
Wednesday was, as usual, the big day this week. There was perhaps nothing bigger than the two NatWest Cup quarter finals, Bromsgrove v Sir Thomas Rich’s and Warwick v QEGS Wakefield.
They were two huge games, with Bromsgrove, the back to back champions, winning 28-13, and Warwick beating QEGS, last year’s losing finalists, 13-11 in a repeat to three successive U15 finals from 2013 to 2015. We have covered those two games elsewhere and have a chance for you to vote for who you think will win the NatWest Cup here: Two more NatWest Cup semi finalists confirmed.
There was exciting action in the NatWest Bowl, too, as Wycliffe College beat Bridgwater 28-21 and Gordon’s edged a tight one against Sandringham 17-15.
Arguably the biggest game of the week though was Sedbergh v Millfield, a fixture known throughout the rugby world. These two giants have played some outstanding games through the years, and this year it was a superb performance from Sedbergh that sealed the victory, 28-6.
Haileybury sealed a second successive County Cup title, beating St Albans 24-21 at Old Albanians, you can see the report here: Haileybury v St Albans. There was also action at Allianz Park as Berkhamsted played outstandingly well to beat Tonbridge, who last week won the Champions Trophy, 53-19. Though the Tonbridge side was, naturally, much changed.
Elsewhere Ampleforth College beat Hill House, while QEGS Penrith beat Austin Friars and KES Five Ways were 31-0 winners over Bablake.
There was a good 36-16 win for Bishop’s Stortford College over Norwich, while Hayes faced a tough afternoon against the Blackheath Academy, losing 59-7. The Crypt meanwhile lost 33-24 to Katharine Lady Berkeley’s, with St Dunstan’s beating Oakwood Park 27-10.
There was a huge game at the Cardiff Arms Park as Christ College Brecon hosted The Oratory, who made the long trip back to Reading with a huge smile on their faces thank to a narrow and exciting 22-21 victory.
There was a big smile of the faces of Eltham College too, once again they scored in the final play of the game to steal the victory, this time against St Olave’s Grammar, 27-23. Their mental strength has been simply astonishing of late.
Kirkham Grammar School have proven themselves to be right up there with the very best in the country, and they showed that once again on Wednesday with a stunning 60-5 victory over Cokethorpe.
There was a close encounter between Trinity and Skinners’, Skinner’s mounted a comeback but a late score from Trinity secured a 24-19 victory, meanwhile St Joseph’s College beat AASE side Moulton College 24-10. Reigate Grammar were also in action, they faced the same Ipswich Grammar side that played Bishop Wordsworth’s on Monday, securing a tight 24-21 victory from an exciting game of rugby.
Thursday
Thursday was a quieter day with just two fixtures, but they were outstanding fixtures. Rugby School completed a first unbeaten season since 1978 with a 24-16 victory over King’s Macclesfield, securing a Top 10 finish in the Daily Mail Trophy in the process.
St Edward’s Oxford also ended the season on a real high as they beat Pangbourne College but a stunning 59-7 margin.
Attention now turns to the weekend, where the final fixtures of the term will be played, you can see our preview and predictions here: Schools Rugby Weekend Preview – Saturday 10th December.
If you have any photos, videos, or reports from the week’s school rugby, please do send them in via email (writers@fifteenrugby.com ), Facebook (www.facebook.com/FifteenRugby ), or via Twitter (@FifteenRugbyXV).
Schools Rugby Midweek Results:
Tuesday
Canford 36-13 Seaford College
Wednesday
Ampleforth College 42-25 Hill House
Austin Friars 24-28 QEGS Penrith
Bablake 0-31 KES Five Ways
Berkhamsted 53-19 Tonbridge
Bishop’s Stortford College 36-16 Norwich
Blackheath Academy 59-7 Hayes
Bromsgrove 28-13 Sir Thomas Rich’s – NatWest Cup
Christ College Brecon 21-22 The Oratory
Cokethorpe 5-60 Kirkham GS
Crypt 24-33 Katharine Lady Berkeley’s
Eltham College 27-23 St Olave’s GS
Gordon’s 17-15 Sandringham (NatWest Bowl)
Haileybury 24-21 St Albans – County Cup Final
Reigate Grammar 24-21 Ipswich Grammar (Australia)
Sedbergh 28-6 Millfield
St Dunstan’s 27-10 Oakwood Park
St Joseph’s College 24-10 Moulton College
Trinity 24-19 Skinners’
Warwick 13-11 QEGS Wakefield – NatWest Cup
Wycliffe College 28-21 Bridgwater (NatWest Bowl)
Thursday
Rugby 24-16 King’s Macclesfield
St Edward’s, Oxford 59-7 Pangbourne College
Still to come:
Durham v Edinburgh Academy
Myerscough College v QES Kirkby Lonsdale
Oakham v Langley
St George’s College, Weybridge v Sevenoaks (NatWest Vase)
