There was a hint of an Indian summer around certain parts of the country this weekend, and some of the rugby on show certainly matched up to it.
The Daily Mail Trophy table is also slowly starting to take shape and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Wellington College are sitting atop the rest and looking comfortable.
Focus On
We had a big preview for Abingdon v Eton College, it was Eton College that took the win, 27-10, making it back to back wins after beating Abingdon’s near neighbours Radley College the week before.
Brighton College found their form on Saturday. Two defeats from two was not the start that they were after but a 31-14 win at home to St John’s Leatherhead was much more like the sort of performance that they have been after.
Kingswood have started the season well, and they proved it with arguably their best result of the season to date, beating a strong Bristol Grammar School 38-5 away from home.
Bromsgrove backed up last weekend’s win over Oundle with a defeat of Hampton, 21-10. Cranleigh, meanwhile, continued their explosive start to the season with another highly impressive win and margin of victory as they was off Epsom College 48-13.
Like Cranleigh, Harrow have started the season on form. They came up against a very much in form Dulwich College side on Saturday but once again stood up to the challenge to take victory by a 22-10 margin.
Tonbridge’s tough start to the season continued as they suffered a defeat at the hands of local rivals Judd. Judd impressed all looking on last year, and have started well this year, but Saturday’s 20-17 victory could signal an even higher jump for the rest of the season such will be the confidence that they take from it.
Our prediction that Stamford would be too strong at home even for Stowe was borne out as they secured a commanding 28-5 win, while St Edward’s Oxford, who look as though they are putting together a quietly impressive campaign already, were 22-19 victors over Clifton College.
Wellington College and Whitgift have both started the season fairly impressively, and so it proved out on the field as they played out a highly competitive game. Whitgift put Wellington under as much pressure as anyone this season, but ultimately fell to the same result, a defeat, but by a small 24-20 margin. Wellington are undoubtedly one of the best around, but Whitgift most likely are too. They may have a couple of defeats to their name, but they have come to Sedbergh and Wellington, two of the strongest around.
Of course the rugby was only part of the story at Wellington on Saturday, the game was a played in memory of Seb Adeniran-Olule, a former pupil at both schools. Following his tragic death the Seb Adenrian-Olule Charitable Fund was set up, which provides educational and sporting opportunities for boys who wouldn’t normally be able to access them, and the game was played in his memory, with a raffle going to the fund, which has already raised over £25,000.
Around the Grounds
It was a slightly quieter weekend with many of the big boarding schools on exeat, but there was still plenty to talk about. Blundell’s had a storming afternoon, beating King’s College Taunton by a highly impressive 59-0 margin.
St Albans bounced back from their midweek Champions Trophy defeat with a 31-22 win over Aylesbury Grammar, so too did Caterham, beating London Oratory 38-12, while Campion impressed many with their 37-7 triumph over Trinity.
There was a fantastic game up in Durham as St Peter’s York and their hosts, Durham School, played out a real nail biter, which St Peter’s just edged, 16-14.
Grammar School at Leeds are off to areal flyer this season and demonstrated just that with an absolutely stunning 63-0 victory over RGS Lancaster on Saturday.
QEGS Wakefield are another side in the north that are enjoying a sensational opening few weeks, and they proved that again in style in their 49-17 win at King’s Macclesfield. Kirkham Grammar are always top class, and they have made their fixture list even tougher this year. It seems to be doing them no harm so far though, and they notched another win by beating Sir Thomas Rich’s 20-6.
Back in the South Berkhamsted were looking good as they beat KCS Wimbledon 26-17, King’s Canterbury’s good start continues with a 31-24 win over Eastbourne College.
Haileybury put in arguably the performance of the weekend as they utterly decimate Oundle, winning 68-5. The game was initially seen as one that could go either way, but that performance was a stunner.
Canford backed up that opening weekend win over Millfield with a strong 22-3 win against Portsmouth Grammar School, while Malvern College pulled up a half century against Pate’s Grammar.
Downside, meanwhile, achieved a hugely special result for the school as they beat the traditionally incredibly strong Bryanston School 26-19.
Reed’s burst the Hurstpierpoint bubble after their storming win over Brighton College the previous weekend, beating the visitors 42-27. St Paul’s were really on song against RGS High Wycombe as they were cast aside 25-5, while Seaford College performed well for their 47-14 win over Lord Wandsworth College.
St George’s College defied out expectations with their 20-5 win over St Benedict’s, while St Joseph’s College look in good nick as we head towards Festival weekend, beating Norwich 46-26.
Woodhouse Grove put in probably their best performance of the season for a quite brilliant 53-0 win over Pocklington on Saturday, while Worksop College were almost as good themselves as they saw off Nottingham High School 50-12.
Friday
Friday saw two exciting Anglo-Welsh clashes. The honours were eventually even as Monmouth took the first game for Wales, beating St Peter’s Gloucester 32-14, before Millfield evened things up as they sealed an English victory in a stunning game of rugby, seeing off Coleg Sir Gar 38-33.
You can see photos from some of the weekend’s action here: Gallery – Saturday 23rd September.
As always, if you have any videos, photos, or reports from the weekend’s rugby, please feel free to send them in via Twitter (@FifteenRugbyXV), Facebook (www.facebook.com/FifteenRugby), Instagram (@fifteenrugbyxv), or through email (writers@fifteenrugby.com).
Schools Rugby Results – Saturday 23rd September:
Focus On
Abingdon 10-27 Eton College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Brighton College 31-14 St John’s, Leatherhead (Daily Mail Trophy)
Bristol GS 5-38 Kingswood (Daily Mail Trophy)
Bromsgrove 21-10 Hampton (Daily Mail Trophy)
Epsom College 13-48 Cranleigh (Daily Mail Trophy)
Harrow 22-10 Dulwich College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Judd 20-17 Tonbridge
Stamford 28-5 Stowe (Daily Mail Trophy)
St Edward’s Oxford 22-19 Clifton College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Wellington College 24-20 Whitgift (Daily Mail Trophy)
Saturday
Ashville College 17-33 Silcoates
Aylesbury GS 22-31 St Albans (Daily Mail Trophy)
Bedford Modern 5-21 QES, Barnet
Birkdale 0-45 Queen Ethelburga’s
Blundell’s 59-0 King’s College Taunton (Daily Mail Trophy)
Bradford GS 10-8 Stonyhurst College
Brentwood 33-19 Robert Clack
Bryanston 19-26 Downside
Calday Grange GS 41-19 Cheadle Hulme
Campion 37-7 Trinity (Daily Mail Trophy)
Christ College 17-10 Plymouth College
City of London Freemen’s 7-14 Reading Blue Coat
Cooper’s Coborn 24-45 St Olave’s GS
Cranbrook 7-12 Maidstone GS
Dundee HS 0-60 Dollar Academy
Durham 14-16 St Peter’s, York (Daily Mail Trophy)
Ellesmere College 0-30 Wilmslow HS (Daily Mail Trophy)
Emanuel 36-10 Tiffin (Daily Mail Trophy)
Exeter 30-10 QEH
Giggleswick 41-22 Rydal Penrhos
Glyn 45-7 Isleworth & Syon
Grammar School at Leeds 63-0 RGS Lancaster (Daily Mail Trophy)
Hereford Cathedral 47-12 Cokethorpe
Hymers College 26-17 Mount St Mary’s College
KCS Wimbledon 17-26 Berkhamsted (Daily Mail Trophy)
KES Southampton 48-12 Clayesmore
King’s Canterbury 31-24 Eastbourne College (Daily Mail Trophy)
King’s Ely 10-59 Wisbech GS
King’s Macclesfield 17-49 QEGS Wakefield (Daily Mail Trophy)
King’s Rochester 19-12 Ashford
Kirkham GS 20-6 Sir Thomas Rich’s
Langley 36-8 The Leys
Langley Park 7-10 Dartford GS
Latymer Upper 2-29 UCS
Leicester GS 17-27 King Henry VIII, Coventry
London Oratory 12-38 Caterham (Daily Mail Trophy)
Loughborough 36-15 Bishop Vesey’s GS
Merchant Taylors’ 24-17 Manchester GS
Millfield 2nd XV 7-42 Bishop Wordsworth’s
Mill Hill 12-8 Haberdashers
Monkton Combe 0-26 King’s Bruton
Newcastle School for Boys 12-49 Sedbergh 2nd XV
Northampton School for Boys 24-5 Solihull (Daily Mail Trophy)
Oundle 5-68 Haileybury (Daily Mail Trophy)
Pangbourne College 22-40 Bloxham
Pate’s GS 13-51 Malvern College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Portsmouth GS 3-22 Canford (Daily Mail Trophy)
Princethorpe College 19-10 Lawrence Sherriff
Ratcliffe College 12-14 Bablake
Ravens Wood 17-34 Eltham College
Reed’s 42-27 Hurstierpoint (Daily Mail Trophy)
RGS Guildford 16-5 Wimbledon College (Daily Mail Trophy)
RGS High Wycombe 5-25 St Paul’s (Daily Mail Trophy)
Royal Hospital School 27-19 RGS Colchester
Seaford College 47-14 Lord Wandsworth College
Skinners’ 7-37 John Fisher (Daily Mail Trophy)
St Ambrose College 16-12 Kirkham GS 2nd XV
St Benedict’s 5-20 St George’s College, Weybridge (Daily Mail Trophy)
St Columba’s College 20-25 Wellingborough
St Joseph’s College 46-26 Norwich
Stockport GS 7-31 Wirral GS (Daily Mail Trophy)
Stewart’s Melville 34-28 RGS Newcastle
Wellington School 47-19 West Buckland (U18 Vase)
Woodhouse Grove 53-0 Pocklington (Daily Mail Trophy)
Worksop College 50-12 Nottingham HS
Friday
Millfield 38-33 Coleg Sir Gar
Monmouth 32-14 St Peter’s, Gloucester
Still to Come:
Chislehurst & Sidcup GS v St Dunstan’s College
Crossley Heath v Audenshaw
Dauntsey’s v KES Bath
Old Swinford Hospital v Trent College (Daily Mail Trophy)
