Schools Rugby Weekend Preview: Exciting rugby looks set to continue into the weekend

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A brilliant week of Champions Trophy and Schools Cup action will surely turn into a superb weekend of schools rugby given the exciting fixtures on the card this week.

 

Up and down the country there are some huge battles between some of the strongest sides in each region, a theme across this second half of the season, in which more and more sides at the top of the tree seem to be facing off.

 

It is not just about those top few sides though, the whole fixture list looks competitive right the way through. We should be in for a top weekend.

 

Focus On

 

Barnard Castle v QEGS Wakefield

 

A classic clash between two giants not just of rugby in the north, but of school rugby in general. Both had massive midweek Cup games, Barnard Castle going down fairly hard to RGS Newcastle and QEGS drawing with St Peter’s but qualifying as the away side thanks to a dramatic late drop goal. That will surely give them a massive confidence boost ahead of this one, but Barnard Castle will want to push back after that tough midweek loss. On form QEGS should win, but this is a battle royale.

 

Prediction: QEGS Wakefield

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Canford v Sherborne

 

Another massive game, but Canford will surely have rotated slightly having faced Colston’s in the Cup on Wednesday. Both enjoyed exciting high scoring games last weekend, with Canford beating Marlborough and Sherborne winning 28-24 at home to Radley. Canford will be a much bigger test for Sherborne than Radley were though, they have been on fire so far this season and playing some superb rugby. Expect a fast paced and exciting game.

 

Prediction: Canford

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Cheltenham College v Clifton College

 

After a humbling defeat by Blundell’s last week, Clifton College are going to be going out all guns blazing to secure a result that they will feel represents them much better this weekend. They could scarcely have picked a tougher opponent to get back on the horse against though, and unbeaten Cheltenham College side that has been playing some utterly brilliant rugby so far this season. They may be a little cold though, with this their first game since half term, but Clifton will have to work hard to dethrone this excellent Cheltenham side.

 

Prediction: Cheltenham College

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Epsom College v Brighton College

 

Brighton College backed up their superb St Joseph’s Festival victory with a sparkling effort against Skinners’ last week. Epsom College will be an altogether different challenge though. They might not be having the greatest season in recent history, but a handful of extra points would have seen people talking about them toppling some of the top sides around this year. Sometimes a simple W/L column does not tell the whole story. That said, Brighton College will surely start full of confidence, and in a confident mood they can be spectacular.

 

Prediction: Brighton College

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Harrow v Eton College

 

Probably the two most well-known schools in the world go head to head on Saturday. Harrow will start as favourites, they are having a sensational season, unbeaten and playing some great rugby. Eton are coming off the back of a quarter final Champions Trophy defeat to Kingswood in midweek, how they react to that will probably be key to how they fare in this game against a side that is, if anything, even better than the Bath side.

 

Prediction: Harrow

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St Peter’s, York v RGS Newcastle

 

At the top of this list was Barnard Castle v QEGS Wakefield, and their midweek opponents also meet on Saturday. RGS Newcastle enjoyed a strong win at Barnard Castle, while St Peter’s were knocked out in the most unfortunate of circumstances against QEGS, losing out on the away side rule. That will surely fire them up in a big way for Saturday’s game. Either way, we have two of the strongest sides in the region going head to head, which should make for another classic encounter.

 

Prediction: St Peter’s, York

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Tonbridge v St Paul’s

 

Another classic schools rugby match between two of the game oldest rugby clubs. Neither is quite having the season they were probably hoping for, but Tonbridge were impressive in defeat to a very strong Harrow side last week, while St Paul’s were involved in one of the most thrilling games of the season as they drew 24-24 at KCS Wimbledon. This should be another cracking contest, Tonbridge are probably the favourites, but expect a full-blooded affair.

 

Prediction: Tonbridge

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Warwick v Bedford

 

Both winners last week, although in contrasting fixtures, these two have been at the top end of the school game for a fair old while now and will know that a win in this fixture will be a big statement as the season enters a crucial stage. For Bedford the season, in terms of competition, is now all about positioning in the Daily Mail Trophy, while Warwick are still fighting on two fronts after they moved into the last 16 of the Schools Cup last week. The players might be different now, but 2016/17 Schools Cup champions v 2015/16 Champions Trophy winners has quite a ring to it, and adds to the excitement ahead of this one.

 

Prediction: Warwick

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Wellington College v Hampton

 

Wellington College seem to be in our ‘Focus On’ section every week, which is a testament to the sheer quality of their fixture list. Every week is a massive game of rugby, and this week is no different as they welcome Hampton. Wellington’s form suggests they are the favourites, Hampton are a good side but their results, like so many others around the country, are not quite on the same level as their opponents. However Wellington were involved in that stunning game against Blackrock College last week, how much will that have taken out of them? Whatever happens, this is almost always a cracking school rugby fixture.

 

Prediction: Wellington College

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Whitgift v Haileybury

 

This could be a spectacular game. Between them they have lost just three games all season, Whitgift to arguably the two best teams in the country, Sedbergh and Wellington College, and Haileybury to last year’s Schools Cup semi finalists, Felsted. Bar perhaps Warwick, Haileybury are arguably the best side that Whitgift will have faced outside of those two giants, so expect a fierce contest. Haileybury play some exciting rugby and can threaten anyone, and Whitgift are undoubtedly right up there with the best. This one could fall either way, perhaps that experience of playing against the very best just handing Whitgift a slight advantage.

 

Prediction: Whitgift

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Around the Grounds

 

There is some spectacular rugby outside of those 10 featured fixtures this weekend, not least in Scotland, where arguably the two most famous rugby schools in the country go head to head, Merchiston Castle and George Watson’s College, in a fixture that also doubles up as a Scottish Cup quarter final.

 

Back in England the excitement continues, Sedbergh are back in action having not had a game last weekend, they host RGS Lancaster and will be looking for another impressive win as they build towards a spectacular end of season.

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Their big rivals, Kirkham Grammar School, face a tricky task away to Stowe, who will be reeling after their midweek Champions Trophy defeat. There is also a cracking game between to historical huge names of school rugby, Stonyhurst College and Ampleforth College.

 

Moving to the midlands there is a big derby between Oakham and Oundle. Oakham ran Warwick close last weekend, while Oundle fell to defeat to their old rivals Uppingham, so expect both sides to really want to make a point in this fixture.

 

Radley College and Marlborough College will both also want to convert narrow losses into a win after they were both involved in high scoring but ultimately unsuccessful games last weekend. That bodes well for plenty of excitement on Saturday between the two of them though.

 

Abingdon will want to recover after the narrowest of defeats in their local derby to St Edward’s Oxford last weekend. They face a tricky game away at a resurgent Rugby School though, so it could be a spectacular game.

 

So too could Berkhamsted v Stamford. Berkhamsted are a good outfit, but Stamford are in flying form, only Haileybury have stopped them so far this season. One side that is also performing outstandingly this year are Cranleigh, they are unbeaten and they host an RGS Guildford side that is playing some excellent rugby themselves but will surely need the performance of the season to secure the win.

 

Kingswood are looking just as good, and are now into the Champions Trophy semi finals after their midweek win over Eton College. They need to recover fast though for a trip to a Colston’s side that are playing their best rugby in years.

 

One of the sides that Kingswood could face in that semi final are Dulwich College. They enjoy a classic school fixture of the last decade or so on Saturday when they host John Fisher. It will be a tough game for Fisher though, whose results are not quite on the level of Dulwich so far this year.

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Dulwich’s opponents in next week’s Champions Trophy quarter final are Bromsgrove. They face a tricky warm up though, travelling to a good Sir Thomas Rich’s side on Saturday. The winner of that Dulwich v Bromsgrove fixture could well face St John’s Leatherhead, who beat Grammar School at Leeds on Thursday to guarantee their semi final spot. They have an exciting game on Saturday against their friends and rivals, Eastbourne College.

 

In Taunton there is an exciting looking derby game as Taunton School host King’s College Taunton, a fixture that always seems to generate plenty of excitement and good running rugby.

 

Friday

 

There is plenty of entertainment on Friday night too, with King William’s College hosting Liverpool College and ACS Cobham International facing Latymer Upper. Arguably the game of the evening though will be the big local contest between Bradford Grammar and Prince Henry’s Grammar.

 

As always, if you have any videos, photos, or reports from the week’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 Weekend Fixtures – Saturday 11th November (predictions in bold):

 

Focus On

 

Barnard Castle v QEGS Wakefield (Daily Mail Trophy)

Canford v Sherborne (Daily Mail Trophy)

Cheltenham College v Clifton College (Daily Mail Trophy)

Epsom College v Brighton College (Daily Mail Trophy)

Harrow v Eton College (Daily Mail Trophy)

St Peter’s, York v RGS Newcastle (Daily Mail Trophy)

Tonbridge v St Paul’s (Daily Mail Trophy)

Warwick v Bedford (Daily Mail Trophy)

Wellington College v Hampton (Daily Mail Trophy)

Whitgift v Haileybury (Daily Mail Trophy)

 

Saturday

 

Ashville College v Worksop College

Aylesbury GS v Magdalen College (Daily Mail Trophy)

Bablake v Bishop Vesey’s GS

Berkhamsted v Stamford (Daily Mail Trophy)

Bishop Wordsworth’s v Dauntsey’s

Calday Grange GS v Ellesmere College

Campion v Langley Park

Caterham v Sevenoaks

Cheadle Hulme v King’s Macclesfield

Colston’s v Kingswood (Daily Mail Trophy)

Cranbrook v Robert Clack

Cranleigh v RGS Guildford (Daily Mail Trophy)

Crypt v St Peter’s, Gloucester

Dean Close v Malvern College (Daily Mail Trophy)

Downside v Prior Park College

Duke of York’s RMS v St Lawrence College

Dulwich College v John Fisher (Daily Mail Trophy)

Edinburgh Academy v Stewart’s Melville

Emanuel v City of London Freemen’s

Giggleswick v Austin Friars

Glenalmond College v Fettes College

Glyn v Gunnersbury

Ipswich v Brentwood

Kelvinside Academy v Glasgow Academy

KES Birmingham v Princethorpe

KES Stratford v Pate’s GS

King’s Bruton v Monkton Combe

King’s Worcester v Bristol GS (Daily Mail Trophy)

Leicester GS v Northampton School for Boys

Leys v Royal Hospital School

Lord Wandsworth College v KES Southampton

Loretto v Robert Gordon’s College

Lymm HS v St Ambrose College (Daily Mail Trophy)

Maidstone GS v Chislehurst & Sidcup GS

Manchester GS v Wirral GS (Daily Mail Trophy)

Merchant Taylors’ v Bloxham

Merchiston Castle v George Watson’s (Scottish Cup QF)

Newcastle School for Boys v Dame Allan’s

New Hall v Felsted

Norwich v Gresham’s

Nottingham HS v Loughborough GS (Daily Mail Trophy)

Oakham v Oundle (Daily Mail Trophy)

Old Swinford Hospital v RGS Worcester (Daily Mail Trophy)

Pangbourne College v Churcher’s College

Plymouth College v West Bucklands

Reading Blue Coat v Claire’s Court

Pocklington v Hymers College (Daily Mail Trophy)

QEH v KES Bath

QES Barnet v St Albans

Queen’s College, Taunton v Wellington School

Radley College v Marlborough College (Daily Mail Trophy)

Reed’s v The Oratory (Daily Mail Trophy)

RGS Colchester v Bancroft’s

Richard Hale v Cooper’s Coborn

Rugby v Abingdon (Daily Mail Trophy)

Rydal Penrhos v Oswestry

Seaford College v Portsmouth GS (Daily Mail Trophy)

Sedbergh v RGS Lancaster (Daily Mail Trophy)

Shiplake College v Mill Hill

Silcoates v Crossley Heath

Sir Thomas Rich’s v Bromsgrove (Daily Mail Trophy)

Skinners’ v KCS Wimbledon (Daily Mail Trophy)

St Benedict’s v Wimbledon College (Daily Mail Trophy)

St Edward’s, Oxford v Monmouth (Daily Mail Trophy)

St George’s, Harpenden v St Columba’s College

St John’s, Leatherhead v Eastbourne College (Daily Mail Trophy)

St Joseph’s College v Langley

Stonyhurst College v Ampleforth College

Stowe v Kirkham GS

Strathallan v Dollar Academy

Taunton v King’s College, Taunton

Tiffin v London Oratory (Daily Mail Trophy)

Trent College v Uppingham (Daily Mail Trophy)

Trinity v Hurstpierpoint College (Daily Mail Trophy)

Truro v Exeter

Wallington CGS v St Dunstan’s College

Watford GS v Haberdashers’

Wellingborough v Ratcliffe College

Wilmslow GS v Merchant Taylors’

Windsor Boys’ v UCS

Wisbech GS v Wymondham College

Worth v Christ’s Hospital (Daily Mail Trophy)

Wrekin College v Hereford Cathedral School

Wycliffe College v St Edward’s, Cheltenham

Ysgol Bro Dinefwr v Christ College, Brecon

 

Friday

 

Bradford GS v Prince Henry’s GS

King William’s College v Liverpool College

Latymer Upper v ACS Cobham International

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