The 2018/19 U18 Schools Cup got off to a flying start this week, with all bar two of the first round games taking place.
It left us with almost all of the second round fixtures confirmed, and even a few of the sides that will be in the third round confirmed thanks to the odd second round bye.
Some big names were in action, not least back to back champions Warwick, last year’s finalists, QEGS Wakefield, and former champions such as Bromsgrove and Whitgift.
North A
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Ripley St Thomas 6-67 Lancaster RGS | Lancaster RGS v Stonyhurst |
| Netherhall w/d Stonyhurst College | |
| Wilmslow High School 59-5 Rydal Penrhos | Wilmslow HS v |
| Cheadle Hulme v St Ambrose College | |
| Sir John Deane’s 0-63 Wirral Grammar School | Wirral GS v Calday Grange GS |
| Calday Grange Grammar 25-24 Manchester Grammar | |
| Lymm High School 63-12 Merchant Taylors’, Crosby | Lymm HS v Altrincham GS |
| Altrincham Grammar 24-0 St Mary’s College, Crosby |
Lancaster RGS have had some sparkling early season form and they carried that into the first round of the Cup, taking a 67-7 win at Ripley St Thomas. It sets up a hugely exciting second round game against Stonyhurst College, who had a walkover against Netherhall.
Wilmslow High School are perennial high-flyers in the Cup and are off to a flyer again, beating Rydal Penrhos 59-5. They will face either Cheadle Hulme or St Ambrose College, who meet on Wednesday. There is a guaranteed Wirral derby in the second round after a huge win for Wirral Grammar over Sir John Deane’s, and a thrilling 25-24 victory for Calday Grange Grammar over Manchester Grammar.
Lymm High School were also on form, 63-12 over Merchant Taylors’, and they will now face Altrincham Grammar, who were 24-0 winners over St Mary’s College.
North B
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| East Durham College 0-50 RGS Newcastle | RGS Newcastle v Barnard Castle |
| Barnard Castle 50-0 Yarm | |
| Hartlepool 6th form College 10-45 Durham | Durham v St Peter’s |
| St Peter’s, York w/o Carmel College | |
| Bradford Grammar 49-5 Stockport Grammar | Bradford GS v King’s Macclesfield |
| Ermysted’s Grammar 0-61 King’s Macclesfield | |
| QEGS Wakefield 50-0 Hymers College | QEGS Wakefield v Woodhouse Grove |
| Rodillian Academy w/d Woodhouse Grove |
There is a classic Schools Cup clash right at the top of the draw in North B as RGS Newcastle and Barnard Castle both secured 50 points wins to set up their second round game, both sides are serial competitors in this competition.
The loaded games just keep on coming too, a big win for Durham sets up an almighty clash against St Peter’s York, who enjoyed a walkover, and below them former champions Bradford Grammar will host a top side in the form of King’s Macclesfield after both enjoyed strong wins.
As if those were not tough enough, there is a belter at the foot of the section, last year’s finalists QEGS Wakefield enjoyed a 50-0 win over Hymers College to set up a second round game against unbeaten high flyers Woodhouse Grove, who have actually already beaten QEGS. North B could well be the most loaded section of the entire draw.
Midlands A
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Gresham’s 30-19 Langley | Gresham’s v Norwich |
| St Joseph’s College 22-22 Norwich | |
| Felsted w/o Royal Hospital School | Felsted v New Hall |
| New Hall 73-0 Saffron Walden | |
| Bedford Modern 10-50 The Perse | The Perse v The Leys |
| Oundle 12-29 The Leys | |
| Northampton School for Boys v Bye | Northampton School for Boys v Rugby |
| Rugby 23-19 Bloxham |
The action in Midlands A started last weekend as St Joseph’s and Norwich played out a thrilling 22-22 draw, with Norwich progressing as the away side. This week they discovered that Gresham’s will be their opponents, after they beat the Schools Vase champions 30-19.
The ever-consistent Felsted are into the second round, they face New Hall who absolutely flew through their opening game, 73-0. There was a bit of a surprise in the bottom half of the section as Oundle fell to the highly in form The Leys, 29-12, they will face Cambridge rivals The Perse, who beat Bedford Modern 50-10.
Northampton School for Boys, the former finalists, enjoyed a bye and they discovered that their second round opponents will be the founders of the game, Rugby, who beat Bloxham 23-19 in one of the top contests of the entire round. Keep an eye out for Bloxham in the Plate, they must be among the favourites there now.
Midlands B
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| KES Birmingham 49-14 Sandbach | KES Birmingham v Bromsgrove |
| KES Camp Hill 5-79 Bromsgrove | |
| Solihull 16-10 RGS Worcester | Solihull v Warwick |
| Warwick 53-0 Old Swinford Hospital | |
| Uppingham 47-0 Loughborough Grammar | Uppingham v Stamford |
| Stamford v Bye | |
| Mount St Mary’s College 50-5 Trent College | Mount St Mary’s v Nottingham HS |
| Hill House 7-47 Nottingham High School |
Former back to back champions Bromsgrove are safely through to the second round after a 79-5 win at Camp Hill, they will face KES Birmingham in Round 2 after they won 49-14 at home to Sandbach.
It could potentially set up a clash of champions in round 3 after Warwick breezed into round 2 with a 53-0 win over former finalists Old Swinford Hospital on Wednesday. There is work to do yet though, for Warwick must travel to a very good Solihull side in round 2 after their 16-10 win over RGS Worcester.
Uppingham were on song for a 47-0 win over Loughborough Grammar in round one, they will face their local rivals Stamford in round 2 after they had the joy of a bye in the opening round. Mount St Mary’s, meanwhile, host Nottingham High School after both enjoyed highly impressive first round results.
London & South East A
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Campion 39-12 Seevic | Campion v Bye |
| Bye v Bye | |
| Haberdashers’ 26-31 UCS | UCS v Dr Challoner’s Grammar |
| Dr Challoner’s Grammar v Bye | |
| Sir Joseph Williamson’s 19-70 Eltham College | Eltham College v Trinity |
| Trinity 17-12 Skinners’ | |
| Langley Park w/d Judd | Judd v Whitgift |
| Whitgift 57-7 Colfe’s |
London & South East A sees our first confirmed third round side after a first round 39-12 win over Seevic sends Campion straight to the third thanks to a second round bye.
Awaiting them will be either UCS or Dr Challoner’s after UCS beat Haberdashers’ 31-26 to set up the second round tie, with Dr Challoner’s having enjoyed a first round bye.
Eltham College produced one of the performances of the round with a brilliant 70-19 win over St Joseph Williamson’s, they will host Trinity in the next round after they dug incredibly deep for a 17-12 win over Skinners’.
Former back to back champions Whitgift are safely through to the second round thanks to a 57-7 win over Colfe’s, they now travel to Judd, who have enjoyed some superb performances in the Schools Cup in the last few years.
London & South East B
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Richard Collyer 3-73 Sussex Downs College | Sussex Downs v Seaford College |
| Christ’s Hospital 17-66 Seaford College | |
| Lord Wandsworth College 10-36 Churcher’s College | Churcher’s College v Caterham |
| George Abott 7-50 Caterham | |
| Emanuel 10-21 Wimbledon College | Wimbledon College v John Fisher |
| John Fisher 67-21 London Oratory | |
| KCS Wimbledon v Howard of Effingham | v Bye |
| Bye v Bye |
Sussex Downs College were on fire at Richard Collyer for a 73-3 victory, sending them into the second round to meet a very good Seaford College side who were 66-17 victors at Christ’s Hospital and are surely one of the favourites in the section.
So too could be the in form Caterham, who put fifty past George Abott to sett up a second round tie at Churcher’s Colleg after their 36-10 win at Lord Wandsworth. Below them Wimbledon College and John Fisher will meet after Wimbledon secured a tight win at Emanuel, and John Fisher opened the taps at London Oratory.
KCS Wimbledon v Howard of Effingham will take place on Tuesday, and the winner will head straight to the third thanks to a second round bye.
South West A
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Ivybridge Community College 50-0 Truro School | Ivybridge v King’s College, Taunton |
| King’s College, Taunton 36-15 Exeter School | |
| Richard Huish College 41-40 Taunton School | Richard Huish v Bye |
| Bye v Bye | |
| Canford v Bye | Canford v Portsmouth GS |
| KES Southampton 5-59 Portsmouth Grammar | |
| Bishop Wordsworth’s 25-7 Sherborne | Bishop Wordsworth’s v Bye |
| Bye v Bye |
Only two games will take place in round 2 in South West A thanks to plenty of byes in the section.
Ivybridge Community College will face King’s College Taunton in round two at the top, Ivybridge were 50-0 winners over Truro, while King’s won 36-15 at home to Exeter. The winner will take on Richard Huish, who beat Taunton School in a thriller, 41-40 to seal a spot straight in the third round thanks to a second round bye. Almost certainly the game of the round.
Canford had a first round bye and will now face Portsmouth Grammar in the second round after their brilliant 59-5 victory at KES Southampton. Bishop Wordsworth’s, the 2017 finalists, meanwhile are straight into the third round after a very good 25-7 win over Sherborne is followed by a bye in round 2.
South West B
| Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Bye v Bye | Bye v Sir Thomas Rich’s |
| Sir Thomas Rich’s 42-12 St Peter’s, Gloucester | |
| Abingdon 0-46 Dean Close | Dean Close v RGS High Wycombe |
| RGS High Wycombe v Bye | |
| Corsham w/d Cokethorpe | Cokethorpe v Marlborough College |
| Marlborough College v Bye | |
| Weston College 12-37 Downside | Downside v Colston’s |
| Colston’s v Bye |
A superb 42-12 win over former champions St Peter’s Gloucester send Sir Thomas Rich’s straight to the third round thanks to a second bye. Awaiting them will be either Dean Close or RGS High Wycombe. Dean Close reach the second round after a simply outstanding 46-0 win at Abingdon, while RGS High Wycombe had a first round bye.
Cokethorpe and Marlborough College will meet in the second round at the top of the latter half of the section, while rounding off South West B will be Downside v Colston’s, the most successful side in Schools Cup history. Colston’s had a first round bye, while Downside had an impressive 37-12 victory at Weston College.
