Brighton College put in a stunning display in the final of the St Joseph’s Festival to finally get their hands on the De La Salle Trophy.
It was a truly outstanding performance in the final, where they beat a strong Millfield side 38-12, avenging last year’s heartbreaking tournament for them, when they missed out on the title on try count back after a draw in the final.
It means that Brighton College have gone an incredible two years without tasting defeat at this tournament, a record that puts them right up there with some of the very best to have stretched their legs on this Suffolk turf.
Right from the opening game on Day 1, where they beat eventual Plate finalists Eltham College 19-5, Brighton were talked about as the team to beat.
They saved the best to last though, a truly sensational performance in the final. They led by an almost unbelievable 31-0 margin over a Millfield side that had turned plenty of heads all weekend. As performances in finals and under pressure go, it was just about as good as it gets.
Tries in that first half came from centre Alfie Beadle, a brace from left wing Henry Simpson, who also had a sensational kicking performance as well, a truly superb effort from number 8 Toby Smith, who charged from deep inside his own half and then showed stunning pace to finish off.
It was fitting that following the conclusion of the tournament Smith was awarded the prestigious Player of the Tournament gong, following on from Harlequins’ Marcus Smith, who won it last year in Brighton College colours.
It was a clean sweep of awards for the south coast side, who also claimed the Try of the Tournament through full back Jon Searle, another man that was in the running for the Player of the Tournament award, alongside openside Luke James.
Credit must go to Millfield though, after such a tough first half it would have been easy to cave, and perhaps there was fear of that when almost straight from the kick of Luc Smith, brother of Marcus, scored following a brilliant Luke James break.
Millfield had played stunning rugby all weekend though, and they were determined not to exit without some real fight. Increasing their tempo and urgency they scored two tries, through back rowers Tyler Olding and Henry Povoas, giving the final score a much more respectable look of 38-12.
Over in the Plate tournament QEGS Wakefield made up for their tough exit from the Cup yesterday, by a single try on try count, by going on to dominate the Plate, conceding just ten points across their four plate fixtures.
That included a 13-0 win in the final against a highly spirited and impressive Eltham College side, nobody could possibly complain though, QEGS were without doubt the top side in the Plate, and in truth they could well have challenged right at the top end of the Trophy, had the got that extra try.
There was not a side in the tournament that could have lived with Brighton College in that Trophy final, nor indeed the tournament as a whole. They were the only side to go through it unbeaten, and on Sunday they truly stepped up, playing some stunning rugby, a blend of intelligent play for field position, but also an ambition to attack from deep and to keep the ball alive through offloading and passing that few could live with.
They opened up the day with a brilliant 17-0 win over Denstone College, backing that up with a 10-0 win over Hampton. Arguably their toughest game came against Dulwich College in what was effectively a semi final, the final pool game in Group A, where the winner would reach the final.
Dulwich had impressed all weekend and ran Brighton close, but the men from the south coast managed to scrap for a 12-5 victory.
Millfield impressed too, their key result was a 24-12 win over a highly impressive Merchiston Castle outfit, a win that backed up their opening 36-0 win over RGS Newcastle.
A defeat to home side St Joseph’s College in a dead rubber pool game at the end perhaps showed signs of a vulnerability to Brighton College though, certainly Brighton were out of the traps in the final like greyhounds, two tries up in five minutes.
In many ways that fast start encapsulated why Brighton College won this tournament, not only was it a highly skillful start, it was a passionate and determined one. That passion and determination, allied with skill and ambition to spare, was what set them apart all weekend. This was a side hurting after last year’s final, and a coaching staff that had been waiting a decade, they did not just want this, they ached for it.
They were prepared to be brave though, the whole squad was rotated and the side played with real ambition throughout, it was a truly outstanding weekend.
Ambition was the theme of the weekend, almost all sides played with that desire to have a go, and it made for a wonderful weekend of rugby from all sides.
For Brighton College, victory, it seems, is worth the wait. A year on from heartbreak, they now have their champagne moment.
2017 St Joseph’s Festival Final Results & Standings:
De La Salle Trophy Final:
Brighton College 38-12 Millfield
Plate Final:
Eltham College 0-13 QEGS Wakefield
| St Joseph’s Festival Group A Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | Brighton College | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Dulwich College | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Hampton | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Denstone College | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| St Joseph’s Festival Group B Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | Millfield | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Merchiston Castle | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | RGS Newcastle | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | St Joseph’s College | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| St Joseph’s Festival Group W Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | Eltham College | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Hurstpierpoint College | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | RGS High Wycombe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Portsmouth Grammar School | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| St Joseph’s Festival Group X Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | QEGS Wakefield | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Whitchurch High School | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | John Fisher | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | St Peter’s, Gloucester | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 St Joseph’s Festival – Day 2 Groups | |||
| Group A (Cup) | Group B (Cup) | Group W (Plate) | Group X (Plate) |
| Brighton College | Millfield | Eltham College | QEGS Wakefield |
| Dulwich College | St Joseph’s College | RGS High Wycombe | St Peter’s, Gloucester |
| Hampton | Merchiston Castle | Hurstpierpoint College | John Fisher |
| Denstone College | RGS Newcastle | Portsmouth Grammar School | Whitchurch High School |
| St Joseph’s Festival – Day 2 Results | ||
| Pitch 1 | Time | Pitch 2 |
| Eltham College w/o Portsmouth Grammar School | 08.30
Plate |
RGS High Wycombe 12-12 Hurstpierpoint College |
| Brighton College 17-0 Denstone College | 09.05
Cup |
Dulwich College 17-7 Hampton |
| QEGS Wakefield 32-10 Whitchurch High School | 09.40
Plate |
St Peter’s, Gloucester 7-19 John Fisher |
| St Joseph’s College 0-10 Merchiston Castle | 10.15
Cup |
Millfield 36-0 RGS Newcastle |
| Eltham College 12-7 Hurstpierpoint College | 10.50
Plate |
RGS High Wycombe w/o Portsmouth Grammar School |
| Brighton College 10-0 Hampton | 11.25
Cup |
Dulwich College 15-12 Denstone College |
| QEGS Wakefield 26-0 John Fisher | 12.00
Plate |
St Peter’s, Gloucester 5-26 Whitchurch High School |
| St Joseph’s College 5-12 RGS Newcastle | 12.35
Cup |
Millfield 24-12 Merchiston Castle |
| Eltham College 12-5 RGS High Wycombe | 13.10
Plate |
Hurstpierpoint College w/o Portsmouth Grammar School |
| Brighton College 12-5 Dulwich College | 13.45
Cup |
Hampton 20-12 Denstone College |
| QEGS Wakefield 31-0 St Peter’s, Gloucester | 14.20
Plate |
John Fisher 12-17 Whitchurch High School |
| Millfield 5-10 St Joseph’s College | 14.55
Cup |
Merchiston Castle 17-17 RGS Newcastle |
| Eltham College | 15.30
Plate Final |
QEGS Wakefield |
| Brighton College | 16.15
Cup Final |
Millfield |
2017 St Joseph’s Festival Day 1 Standings & Results – Day 2 Groups & Fixtures
| St Joseph’s Festival Group 1 Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | Brighton College | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Merchiston Castle | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Eltham College | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | John Fisher | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| St Joseph’s Festival Group 2 Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | Dulwich College | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | RGS Newcastle | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | RGS High Wycombe | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Whitchurch High School | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| St Joseph’s Festival Group 3 Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | Millfield | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Hampton | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | QEGS Wakefied | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Hurstpierpoint College | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| St Joseph’s Festival Group 4 Final Standings | |||||
| Pos | Team | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | St Joseph’s College | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Denstone College | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | St Peter’s, Gloucester | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Portsmouth Grammar School | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 St Joseph’s Festival – Day 1 Groups | |||
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
| Brighton College | RGS High Wycombe | Millfield | St Joseph’s College |
| Merchiston Castle School | Dulwich College | Hampton | Denstone College |
| John Fisher | RGS Newcastle | QEGS Wakefield | St Peter’s School, Gloucester |
| Eltham College | Whitchurch High School | Hurstpierpoint College | Portsmouth Grammar School |
| St Joseph’s Festival – Day 1 Results | ||
| Pitch 1 | Time | Pitch 2 |
| Brighton College 19-5 Eltham College | 09.00 | John Fisher 13-18 Merchiston Castle |
| RGS High Wycombe 0-13 RGS Newcastle | 09.40 | Dulwich College 15-0 Whitchurch High School |
| Hurstpierpoint College 14-31 Millfield | 10.20 | Hampton 12-21 QEGS Wakefield |
| St Joseph’s College 10-3 Portsmouth Grammar School | 11.00 | Denstone College 15-0 St Peter’s, Gloucester |
| Brighton College 22-8 John Fisher | 11.40 | Eltham College 5-29 Merchiston Castle |
| RGS High Wycombe 10-5 Whitchurch High School | 12.20 | Dulwich College 29-7 RGS Newcastle |
| Millfield 24-19 QEGS Wakefield | 13.00 | Hampton 29-12 Hurstpierpoint College |
| St Joseph’s College 10-0 St Peter’s, Gloucester | 13.40 | Denstone College 36-0 Portsmouth Grammar School |
| Brighton College 7-0 Merchiston Castle | 14.20 | Eltham College 26-10 John Fisher |
| Dulwich College 14-5 RGS High Wycombe | 15.00 | RGS Newcastle 29-12 Whitchurch High School |
| Hampton 22-19 Millfield | 15.40 | Hurstpierpoint College 10-19 QEGS Wakefield |
| St Joseph’s College 10-3 Denstone College | 16.20 | St Peter’s Gloucester 33-7 Portsmouth Grammar School |