The Schools Cup second round took place this week, with all but three fixtures in the round now completed, giving us 29 of the last 32 teams left in the tournament.
The tournament now takes a break until after half term, bar those final three games to be tidied up, with round three taking place on the week of Wednesday 7th November.
Some huge names have made it through, but some legends of the schools Cup have been knocked out too, not least last year’s finalists, QEGS Wakefield, who found themselves in a brute of a section.
North A
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| Ripley St Thomas 6-67 Lancaster RGS | Lancaster RGS 8-5 Stonyhurst | Lancaster RGS v Wilsmlow HS |
| Netherhall w/d Stonyhurst College | ||
| Wilmslow High School 59-5 Rydal Penrhos | Wilmslow HS 26-5 St Ambrose College | |
| Cheadle Hulme 0-22 St Ambrose College | ||
| Sir John Deane’s 0-63 Wirral GS | Wirral GS 50-7 Calday Grange GS | Wirral GS v Lymm HS |
| Calday Grange GS 25-24 Manchester GS | ||
| Lymm HS 63-12 Merchant Taylors’, Crosby | Lymm HS 60-26 Altrincham GS | |
| Altrincham GS 24-0 St Mary’s College |
Last week Lancaster RGS beat Stonyhurst College 8-5 to book their third round place, they now know that they will face Wilmslow High School after they enjoyed an excellent 26-5 victory over St Ambrose College on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile in a Wirral derby Wirral Grammar School were in stunning form against Calday Grange Grammar, winning 50-7 to secure a home 3rd round tie against Lymm High School, who were in equally good form, beating Altrincham Grammar 60-26. Leaving us with to outstanding third round ties.
North B
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| East Durham College 0-50 RGS Newcastle | RGS Newcastle 36-0 Barnard Castle | RGS Newcastle v St Peter’s |
| Barnard Castle School 50-0 Yarm School | ||
| Hartlepool College 10-45 Durham | Durham 3-10 St Peter’s | |
| St Peter’s, York w/o Carmel College | ||
| Bradford GS 49-5 Stockport GS | Bradford GS 3-38 King’s Macclesfield | King’s Macclesfield v Woodhouse Grove |
| Ermysted’s GS 0-61 King’s Macclesfield | ||
| QEGS Wakefield 50-0 Hymers College | QEGS 0-48 Woodhouse Grove | |
| Rodillian Academy w/d Woodhouse Grove |
In this brutal section we saw some of the biggest headlines of the round, not least the outstanding Woodhouse Grove beating last year’s finalists, QEGS Wakefield, by a stunning 48-0 margin away from home. Surely they are among the favourites this year. It sets them up for an away third round tie against King’s Macclesfield, who secured their place last week with a 38-3 victory over Bradford Grammar.
RGS Newcastle also booked their third round slot on Wednesday, beating Schools Cup legends Barnard Castle in fine fashion, 36-0. They now host St Peter’s York, who beat another former finalist, Durham, 10-3 on Wednesday afternoon.
Midlands A
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| Gresham’s 30-19 Langley | Gresham’s 10-32 Norwich | Norwich v Felsted |
| St Joseph’s College 22-22 Norwich | ||
| Felsted w/o Royal Hospital School | Felsted 29-14 New Hall | |
| New Hall 73-0 Saffron Walden | ||
| Bedford Modern 10-50 The Perse | The Perse 19-17 The Leys | The Perse v Rugby |
| Oundle 12-29 The Leys | ||
| Northampton School for Boys v Bye | Northampton School for Boys 33-44 Rugby | |
| Rugby 23-19 Bloxham |
Midlands A saw a good chunk of action take place on Tuesday, not least with Norwich winning 32-10 at Gresham’s. They now face Felsted in Round 3 after Felsted beat New Hall 29-14 on Wednesday, making for a very interesting 3rd round tie after Norwich stunned Felsted on the opening weekend of the season.
There was a big Cambridge derby on Tuesday too, The Perse just edging a tight one against The Leys 19-17 to set up a home tie against one of the form teams in the country, Rugby School, who won a thriller against Northampton School for Boys on Wednesday, 44-33.
Midlands B
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| KES Birmingham 49-14 Sandbach | KES Birmingham 0-50 Bromsgrove | Bromsgrove v Warwick |
| KES Camp Hill 5-79 Bromsgrove | ||
| Solihull 16-10 RGS Worcester | Solihull 0-55 Warwick | |
| Warwick 53-0 Old Swinford Hospital | ||
| Uppingham 47-0 Loughborough GS | Uppingham 26-14 Stamford | Uppingham v |
| Stamford v Bye | ||
| Mount St Mary’s 50-5 Trent College | Mount St Mary’s v Nottingham HS | |
| Hill House 7-47 Nottingham HS |
The first incomplete section of the competition, with the result of Mount St Mary’s v Nottingham High School still to come in. What is known though is that the winner will travel to Uppingham, who beat local rivals Stamford 26-14 last weekend.
At the top of the draw we are left with a mouthwatering tie between the two most recent champions, Bromsgrove (2015 and 2016) and Warwick (2017 and 2018). Both enjoyed thumping wins over decent opposition in midweek, Bromsgrove beating KES Birmingham 50-0 and Warwick beating Solihull 55-0. Their third round tie will surely be the game of the round.
London & South East A
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| Campion 39-12 Seevic | Campion v Bye | Campion v UCS |
| Bye v Bye | ||
| Haberdashers’ 26-31 UCS | UCS 22-22 Dr Challoner’s Grammar | |
| Dr Challoner’s Grammar v Bye | ||
| SJ Williamson’s 19-70 Eltham College | Eltham College 27-18 Trinity | Eltham College v |
| Trinity 17-12 Skinners’ | ||
| Langley Park w/d Judd | Judd v Whitgift | |
| Whitgift 57-7 Colfe’s |
There is one game still to come in this section, with Judd hosting 2010 and 2011 winners, and last year’s semi finalists, Whitgift on the 17th October. The winner will travel to in form Eltham College, who beat Trinity 27-18 on Wednesday to book their spot in the third round.
In the top half of the draw a second round bye sent Campion sailing through to a home third round tie, where they will face UCS after a thrilling 22-22 draw against Dr Challoner’s, which saw them progress on account of scoring more tries. A heartbreaking way to go out for Dr Challoner’s, but a game of brilliant drama.
London & South East B
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| Richard Collyer 73-3 Sussex Downs | Richard Collyer 13-50 Seaford College | Seaford College v Caterham |
| Christ’s Hospital 17-66 Seaford | ||
| Lord Wandsworth 10-36 Churcher’s | Churcher’s College 15-47 Caterham | |
| George Abott 7-50 Caterham | ||
| Emanuel 10-21 Wimbledon College | Wimbledon College 15-14 John Fisher | Wimbledon College v KCS Wimbledon |
| John Fisher 67-21 London Oratory | ||
| KCS Wimbledon w/o Howard OE | KCS Wimbledon v Bye | |
| Bye v Bye |
A mouthwatering third round tie has been set up in London & South East B, a Wimbledon derby between Wimbledon College and KCS Wimbledon. The two met on Saturday, with Wimbledon College edging a very tight and exciting game, so this one will be full of tension against, no doubt. Wimbledon College arrived in the third round thanks to a tight 15-14 win over John Fisher, while KCS are yet to play a game in anger after a walkover followed by a bye.
In the top half of the draw we have two sides that have powered their way to the third round, Seaford College, who beat Richard Collyer 50-13, to add to a 73-3 opening round win, hosting Caterham, who beat Churcher’s College 47-15 after a 50-7 first round victory. A brilliant third round tie to come, no doubt.
South West A
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| Ivybridge CC 50-0 Truro School | Ivybridge 40-19 King’s College, Taunton | Ivybridge v Richard Huish |
| King’s College, Taunton 36-15 Exeter | ||
| Richard Huish College 41-40 Taunton | Richard Huish v Bye | |
| Bye v Bye | ||
| Canford v Bye | Canford 11-23 Portsmouth GS | Portsmouth GS v Bishop Wordsworth’s |
| KES So’ton 5-59 Portsmouth GS | ||
| Bishop Wordsworth’s 25-7 Sherborne | Bishop Wordsworth’s v Bye | |
| Bye v Bye |
Ivybridge Community College are looking good in South West A, beating a good King’s College Taunton side 40-19, to add to a 50-0 win over Truro in round one. It sends them to the third round, where they face a Richard Huish side that arrived by virtue of a second round bye.
On Tuesday meanwhile, Portsmouth Grammar School put in an excellent performance for a 23-11 win at Canford. They will now host 2017 finalists Bishop Wordsworth’s in round 3, who enjoyed a second bye after their first round win over Sherborne.
South West B
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| Bye v Bye | Bye v Sir Thomas Rich’s | Sir Thomas Rich’s v |
| Sir Thomas Rich’s 42-12 St Peter’s | ||
| Abingdon 0-46 Dean Close | Dean Close v RGS High Wycombe | |
| RGS High Wycombe v Bye | ||
| Corsham w/d Cokethorpe | Cokethorpe w/d Marlborough College | Marlborough College v Downside |
| Marlborough College v Bye | ||
| Weston College 12-37 Downside | Downside 26-14 Colston’s | |
| Colston’s v Bye |
Sir Thomas Rich’s will host their third round tie after a second round bye, but must wait for the result of Dean Close’s fixture against RGS High Wycombe to come in before they know their opponent.
Marlborough College meanwhile will host the other third round tie after Cokethrope withdrew from their second round fixture. Marlborough will host Downside, whose outstanding form continued on Wednesday as they beat Colston’s, the most successful side in Schools Cup history, 26-14.
Images via Phil Brantingham
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