Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s: St John’s Leatherhead seal the Vase in a thrilling final

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St John’s Leatherhead claimed the 2017 Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s U18 Vase final after a thrilling final against Cheltenham College.

 

St John’s had been magnificent all tournament, topping a tough group on day one before beating The Perse 42-0 in their elimination round game yesterday afternoon.

 

In today’s quarter final groups they topped a monstrously hard pool ahead of QEGS Wakefield and Blundell’s, sending them into semi final group two.

 

There they met Eastbourne College, a favourite among many spectators, and Oakham, the NatWest Champions Trophy semi finalists, both of whom they beat.

 

Cheltenham College, meanwhile, had come through some tricky groups of their own, beating Monmouth and Stowe to top quarter final group B, before seeing off the challenge of two very strong semi final pool competitiors in St Peter’s York and Bromsgrove.

 

Heading into the final, a close a tense game was expected, and so it proved, but not initially. St John’s absolutely flew out of the traps, and for a while it looked as though the men who performed so well in the Surrey 7s might run away with this final.

 

They took a 19-0 lead, and Cheltenham looked in dire straights. This is 7s though, and the game can turn on a sixpence. The men in red and black pulled one back to make it 19-7, though St John’s replied almost instantly to stretch the lead back out to 26-7 at the half time break.

 

Whatever was said at half time must have worked for Cheltenham though, they came flying out of the traps, scoring a quick couple of tries and holding onto the ball for almost the entire duration of the half as they closed it to 26-19.

 

With the game entering the final play they piled on the pressure again, creating a chance. Despite the onslaught though, St John’s kept their heads, forcing Cheltenham wide so that when they eventually did breach the defence it was in the corner with a tough conversion.

 

That was exactly as it played out, and with the wind picking up it really was a near impossible conversion, a smart bit of defensive work from St John’s.

 

It was a brave and exciting comeback from Cheltenham College, but ultimately for their play over the day and their outstanding rugby in the first half of this fantastic final, the Vase ended up in the right hands, but what a way to decide it, this was a final that will live long in the memory.

 

Over in the Bowl competition, for those that lost in the Vase elimination round, Epsom College picked up the trophy. The South West Londonders topped their quarter final group before ousting Pocklington and Millfield 2nd VII in their semi final pool to set up a final against Stockport Grammar School, who had seen off the challenge of Wallington County Grammar and Bloxham in their semi final group.

 

In the final Epsom were just too good and too powerful in the end, starting fast and only accelerating from there to take a quite brilliant 31-0 win, walking home with the Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s Bowl title.

 

Walking away with the Vase after a stunning day of play though were St John’s Leatherhead, whose rise over the last year or so has been truly impressive.

 

Overall, the plate was a real success, with perhaps the real highlight being the number of genuine ‘Vase’ teams that made it towards the latter stages of the competition, adding some real romance and excitement to the comepetition.

 

Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s Vase Results:

 

U18 Vase Final

St John’s, Leatherhead 26-24 Cheltenham College

 

U18 Bowl Final

Epsom College 31-0 Stockport Grammar School

 

U18 Vase Semi Final Groups (Final Standings, 1-3):

 

Group 1Group 2
Cheltenham CollegeSt John’s, Leatherhead
St Peter’s, YorkEastbourne College
BromsgroveOakham

 

U18 Bowl Semi Final Groups (Final Standings, 1-3):

 

Group 1Group 2
Epsom CollegeStockport GS
Millfield BWallington CGS
PocklingtonBloxham

 

U18 Vase Quarter Final Groups:

 

Vase AVase BVase C
St Peter’s, YorkCheltenham CollegeBromsgrove
FelstedMonmouthReed’s
BerkhamstedStoweSt Pauls

 

Vase DVase EVase F
St John’s, LeatherheadEastbourne CollegeOakham
QEGS WakefieldEltham CollegeQueen Ethelburga’s
Blundell’sKing’s WorcesterYsgol Y Preseli

 

U18 Bowl Quarter Final Groups:

 

Bowl ABowl BBowl C
Millfield BPocklingtonEpsom College
Shawnigan Lawe BLoughboroughSir William Borlase
Simon Langton GSKingswoodMalvern College

 

Bowl DBowl EBowl F
BloxhamStockport GSWallington CGS
The PerseIpswichMarlborough College
Seaford CollegeTiffinBradford GS

 

U18 Vase Elimination Round Results:

 

Berkhamsted (A) 29-24 Shawnigan Lake (B)

St Peter’s York (C) 19-14 Simon Langton GS (D)

Millfield B (E) 5-19 Felsted (F)

Kingswood (G) 14-29 Stowe (H)

Cheltenham College (I) 47-0 (Z) Loughborough

Pocklington (J) 10-14 Monmouth (K)

Malvern College (L) 7-29 St Paul’s (M)

Epsom College (N) 19-22 (O) Reed’s

Bromsgrove (P) 33-26 (Q) Sir William Borlase’s

QEGS Wakefield (R) 31-19 Seaford College (S)

Blundell’s (T) 42-12 Bloxham (U)

The Perse (V) 0-42 St John’s Leatherhead (W)

King’s Worcester (X) 28-26 Ipswich (Y)

Eastbourne College (AA) 25-12 Tiffin (BB)

Bradford Grammar (CC) 21-35 Ysgol Y Preseli (DD)

Marlborough College (EE) 19-24 (FF) Oakham

Stockport GS (GG) 20-26 Eltham College (Runner Up 1)

Queen Ethelburga’s (HH) 21-12 Wallington CGS (Runner Up 2)

 

HSBC Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s Vase Final Group Standings (1-5) 170 Teams:

 

Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D
BerkhamstedShawnigan LakeSt Peter’s YorkSimon Langton Grammar
Nelson CollegeChrist College BreconLangleyRadley College
UCSLorettoHayesRGS Guildford
King’s MacclesfieldChurcher’s CollegeShawinigan Lake 2nd VIIYsgol Bro Dinefwr
Colston’sAKS ArnoldHymers CollegeBishop Gore

 

Group EGroup FGroup GGroup H
Millfield BFelstedKingswoodStowe
WelbeckRGS NewcastleWallington CGSRoyal Hospital School
RGS WorcesterWorksop CollegeEmanuelBrynteg Comprehensive
Ysgol Gyfun Bryn TaweRGS LancasterRoyal Alexandra & AlbertRichard Huish
Torquay BGSPrior Park CollegeBirdgewater CollegeMichaelhouse A

 

Group IGroup JGroup KGroup L
Cheltenham CollegePocklingtonMonmouthMalvern College
Merchant Taylors’Portsmouth GSDurhamKCS Wimbledon
Ysgol Gyfun GwyrDean CloseBede’sNew Hall
King’s BrutonGower CollegeEsher CollegeKing’s Canterbury
Mount KellyLord Wandsworth CollegeMichaelhouse BWycliffe College

 

Group MGroup NGroup OGroup P
St Paul’sEpsom CollegeReed’sBromsgrove
DownsideAbingdonKing’s College TauntonJudd
CokethorpeShore Sydney CoEGravesend GSTrinity
Ampleforth CollegeKES BathSt David’sCabot Learning Federation
Coleg GwentSt Olave’s GSLlandafManchester GS

 

Group QGroup RGroup SGroup T
Sir William Borlase’sQEGS WakefieldSeaford CollegeBlundell’s
Pangbourne CollegeHill HouseEton CollegeTaunton
WellingtonYsgol Sir Thomas PictonBirkdaleBristol Grammar
KES StratfordSir Joseph Williamson’sDuke of York’s RMSMount St Mary’s College
GunnersburyGordon’sGreenhillHereford Cathedral

 

Group UGroup VGroup WGroup X
BloxhamThe PerseSt John’s LeatherheadKing’s Worcester
CampionShiplake CollegeChrist’s HospitalWirral GS
Cardinal NewmanThe OratoryYarmWorth
Wrekin CollegeSutton ValenceBedford ModernBishop Heber High School
St Dunstan’s CollegeKing JohnClayesmoreArdingly College

 

Group YGroup ZGroup AAGroup BB
IpswichLoughboroughEastbourne CollegeTiffin
The LeysUppinghamWhitchurchMaidstone GS
Queen’s College TauntonTruroPlymouth CollegeShrewsbury
Dauntsey’sSt Peter’s GloucesterCooper’s CobornLiverpool College
Steyning GSQEHHarrodianLatymer Upper

 

Group CCGroup DDGroup EEGroup FF
Bradford GSYsgol Y PreseliMarlborough CollegeOakham
Milton AbbeySt Edward’s OxfordWisbech Grammar SchoolPembrokeshire College
BablakeStonyhurst CollegeMelksham OakEllesmere College
Treorchy ComprehensiveYsgol Gyfun Bro MorgannwgQES BarnetSevenoaks
Ibstock PlaceRutlishAkeley WoodQES Kirkby

 

Group GGGroup HH
Stockport GSQueen Ethelburga’s
Eltham CollegeBrentwood
Weston CollegeAshville College
Coleg Sir Gar BWindsor Boys’
Stockport GSBassaleg
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