On a weekend where most of the watching rugby public was focused on the Autumn Internationals, those keeping their eyes on the school game were served up a treat.
Some of the biggest sides in the country went head to head, and there were some brilliant derby games all over and thrilling head to heads.
Focus On
Our ten ‘Focus On’ games produced plenty of thrills, Canford’s impressive season continued with a 29-10 defeat of Sherborne.
Cletenham College are another side have a flying season, they are unbeaten and extended that superb run on Saturday with a 19-0 win over another very strong side, Clifton College.
Brighton College are another side in top form, winning the St Joseph’s Festival just before half term, backing it up with a top win last weekend and another on Saturday when they saw off Epsom College 36-19.
There was a massive clash between two of the most well-known schools in the country in north west London on Saturday as Harrow hosted Eton College. Harrow have been in stunning form this year and continued that with a dominant 42-7 win, however Eton’s try was a beauty, and well worth a watch if you have not seen it yet.
St Peter’s York were in equally strong form, bouncing back from a tough blow in the Cup in midweek when they were knocked out due to the away side rule, they were on fire for a 57-17 win over RGS Newcastle.
Things were much closer in Kent, where St Paul’s grabbed an important win in a tight game against Tonbridge. The South West Londoners secured a 10-7 win, one of their most impressive of the year in terms of opposition.
There was a massive game in the Midlands between Schools Cup champions Warwick and last year’s Champions Trophy finalists, Bedford. A good contest was expected, with Warwick the slight favourites, and that was how it panned out as a great game of rugby unfolded, with Warwick eventually claiming a comfortable 27-10 win.
Wellington College’s dominant season continued on Saturday with another impressively big win over a high class opponent, this time it was Hampton that were the victims, with Wellington eventually ending up with a 44-7 win.
There was a cracking contest in Croydon, where Whitgift beat Haileybury 10-7. It was a magnificent game, tight and tense, with Haileybury coming back from 10-0 down to make the contest a coin toss towards the end. You can see our report from the game here: Whitgift v Haileybury.
Around the Grounds
The only side that had beaten Stamford so far this season were Haileybury, but that record came perilously close to going in a thrilling contest at Berkhamsted. The two sides threw everything at it, proving inseparable as it finished up a 19-19 draw. Duke of York’s Royal Military School and St Lawrence College also drew, 17-17.
One side that have been playing particularly well are Kingswood, and they showed that again on Saturday with a 43-7 win against a Colston’s side that have been in decent form themselves. Dean Close were also flying, as they have been through most of the season, beating Malvern College 66-18.
Dulwich College picked up a crucial win ahead of Tuesday’s Champions Trophy game against Bromsgrove, beating John Fisher 20-11, while Bromsgrove also won, beating Sir Thomas Rich’s 22-18.
In Scotland George Watson’s won the battle of two of Scotland’s most famous schools as they emerged 19-7 winners in their Cup quarter final against Merchiston Castle.
Oakham deserve plenty of headlines after a storming 50-14 win over rivals Oundle, an outstanding performance. As was Kirkham Grammar School’s, they were once again in top form for their 58-9 win over Stowe.
Kirkham’s big rivals Sedbergh were in truly sensational form once again, this time it was the turn of RGS Lancaster to face the full might of the men in brown, who secured an enormously impressive 83-0 win.
There was a cracking game in Oxfordshire between Radley College and Marlborough College, Radley taking the prizes with a 31-19 win. Rugby were also in fine form, beating Abingdon by a commanding 29-5 scorelines.
Eastbourne College meanwhile grabbed one of their top results of the season to date with a 24-17 win away at Champions Trophy semi finalists, St John’s Leatherhead.
Friday
On Friday night Latymer Upper produced an excellent performance to beat ACS Cobham International 39-0, while earlier in the day Liverpool College bounced back from defeat last week to secure a 35-22 win at King William’s College.
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).
To see photos from the weekend’s action, please follow this link: Gallery – Saturday 11th November
Image via Simon Hipwell
Schools Rugby Weekend Fixtures – Saturday 11th November (predictions in bold):
Focus On
Barnard Castle v QEGS Wakefield (Daily Mail Trophy) – Still to come
Canford 29-10 Sherborne (Daily Mail Trophy)
Cheltenham College 19-0 Clifton College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Epsom College 19-36 Brighton College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Harrow 42-7 Eton College (Daily Mail Trophy)
St Peter’s, York 57-17 RGS Newcastle (Daily Mail Trophy)
Tonbridge 7-10 St Paul’s (Daily Mail Trophy)
Warwick 27-10 Bedford (Daily Mail Trophy)
Wellington College 44-7 Hampton (Daily Mail Trophy)
Whitgift 10-7 Haileybury (Daily Mail Trophy)
Saturday
Aylesbury GS 10-54 Magdalen College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Bablake 27-41 Bishop Vesey’s GS
Berkhamsted 19-19 Stamford (Daily Mail Trophy)
Campion 17-10 Langley Park
Caterham 35-0 Sevenoaks
Cheadle Hulme 7-33 King’s Macclesfield
Colston’s 7-43 Kingswood (Daily Mail Trophy)
Cranleigh 43-6 RGS Guildford (Daily Mail Trophy)
Crypt 7-18 St Peter’s, Gloucester
Dean Close 66-18 Malvern College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Downside 24-27 Prior Park College
Duke of York’s RMS 17-17 St Lawrence College
Dulwich College 20-11 John Fisher (Daily Mail Trophy)
Edinburgh Academy 13-22 Stewart’s Melville
Emanuel 10-20 City of London Freemen’s
Glenalmond College 24-27 Fettes College
Glyn 39-0 Gunnersbury
Ipswich 24-23 Brentwood
Kelvinside Academy 24-20 Glasgow Academy
KES Birmingham 29-10 Princethorpe
KES Stratford 5-38 Pate’s GS
King’s Bruton 15-8 Monkton Combe
King’s Worcester 10-33 Bristol GS (Daily Mail Trophy)
Leicester GS 7-62 Northampton School for Boys
Leys 26-17 Royal Hospital School
Lord Wandsworth College 7-14 KES Southampton
Loretto 21-36 Robert Gordon’s College
Lymm HS 10-18 St Ambrose College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Manchester GS 19-22 Wirral GS (Daily Mail Trophy)
Merchant Taylors’ 10-8 Bloxham
Merchiston Castle 7-10 George Watson’s (Scottish Cup QF)
Newcastle School for Boys 17-32 Dame Allan’s
Norwich 14-22 Gresham’s
Nottingham HS 0-44 Loughborough GS (Daily Mail Trophy)
Oakham 50-14 Oundle (Daily Mail Trophy)
Old Swinford Hospital 13-19 RGS Worcester (Daily Mail Trophy)
Pangbourne College 14-7 Churcher’s College
Plymouth College 50-0 West Bucklands
Pocklington 20-32 Hymers College (Daily Mail Trophy)
QEH 12-32 KES Bath
QES Barnet 24-14 St Albans
Queen’s College, Taunton 34-6 Wellington School
Radley College 31-19 Marlborough College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Reading Blue Coat 30-5 Claire’s Court
Reed’s 52-17 The Oratory (Daily Mail Trophy)
RGS Colchester 52-15 Bancroft’s
Richard Hale 8-7 Cooper’s Coborn
Rugby 29-5 Abingdon (Daily Mail Trophy)
Rydal Penrhos 32-10 Oswestry
Seaford College 26-14 Portsmouth GS (Daily Mail Trophy)
Sedbergh 83-0 RGS Lancaster (Daily Mail Trophy)
Shiplake College 41-14 Mill Hill
Silcoates 37-33 Crossley Heath
Sir Thomas Rich’s 18-22 Bromsgrove (Daily Mail Trophy)
Skinners’ 12-33 KCS Wimbledon (Daily Mail Trophy)
St Benedict’s 7-13 Wimbledon College (Daily Mail Trophy)
St Edward’s, Oxford 29-25 Monmouth (Daily Mail Trophy)
St John’s, Leatherhead 17-24 Eastbourne College (Daily Mail Trophy)
St Joseph’s College 7-8 Langley
Stonyhurst College 7-13 Ampleforth College
Stowe 9-58 Kirkham GS
Strathallan 5-17 Dollar Academy
Taunton 12-3 King’s College, Taunton
Tiffin 26-15 London Oratory (Daily Mail Trophy)
Trent College 34-20 Uppingham (Daily Mail Trophy)
Trinity 14-17 Hurstpierpoint College (Daily Mail Trophy)
Wallington CGS 41-6 St Dunstan’s College
Watford GS 17-0 Haberdashers’
Wellingborough 62-12 Ratcliffe College
Wilmslow GS 43-21 Merchant Taylors’
Windsor Boys’ 0-24 UCS
Wisbech GS 40-0 Wymondham College
Worth 19-7 Christ’s Hospital (Daily Mail Trophy)
Wrekin College 15-0 Hereford Cathedral School
Wycliffe College 26-0 St Edward’s, Cheltenham
Ysgol Bro Dinefwr 24-7 Christ College, Brecon
Friday
King William’s College 22-35 Liverpool College
Latymer Upper 39-0 ACS Cobham International
Still to Come:
Ashville College v Worksop College
Bishop Wordsworth’s v Dauntsey’s
Bradford GS v Prince Henry’s GS
Calday Grange GS v Ellesmere College
Cranbrook v Robert Clack
Giggleswick v Austin Friars
Maidstone GS v Chislehurst & Sidcup GS
Truro v Exeter
