Another weekend, another absolutely fantastic weekend of school rugby as teams across the country continue to produce some spectacular games and superb performances within those games.
It was not a weekend of marginal victories like the previous weekend, or at least not in as many cases, but it was a weekend of unbelievable intensity and drama, not least in a couple of our ‘Focus On’ fixtures.
Focus On
Berkhamsted and St Paul’s played out a top game of rugby, both have been having pretty strong seasons, however St Paul’s have just had a couple of tricky weeks and Berkhamsted added to that with an excellent 21-15 victory.
Bishop Wordsworth’s v Marlborough College always felt like it might be a really good game of rugby, and so it proved as these two sides shared plenty of points. We had hazarded a guess that form suggested Marlborough might nick it, however on the day it was an excellent performance form Bishop Wordsworth that proved decisive as they secured a 36-22 victory.
One of the result of the weekend was surely Blundell’s 37-5 victory over Bristol Grammar School. Blundell’s were the favourites but a really close game was expected, however the Devon side were in sensational form, perhaps capitalizing on Bristol’s midweek Champions Trophy exertions.
Bromsgrove picked up another victory this weekend, they faced Stowe and were favourites but absolutely justified that tag with an excellent and controlled 34-7 victory.
Dulwich College responded to last weekend’s heartbreaker against Whitgift with an excellent 22-0 victory at home to Tonbridge on Saturday, proving once again what an excellent outfit they really are.
Hampton have already enjoyed one spectacular last minute victory this season, and they enjoyed another on Saturday as a brilliant Cranleigh comeback saw the sides level at 17-17 at the death, only for Hampton score in the final play of the game for a sensational and dramatic 24-17 victory.
There was drama in Somerset too as Millfield and Whitgift played out a truly outstanding game of rugby. The lead changed hands five times over the course of the game and both sides gave absolutely everything in one of the finest examples of schools rugby that you will see. Whitgift were the side to come out on a top, an incredibly hard earned 34-28 victory that left both sides exhausted. In many ways though this was a celebration of schools rugby, with Millfield old boy Sir Gareth Edwards, arguably the greatest player of all time, the guest of honour at the game. A superb advert for the school game.
Saturday also saw some Schools Cup action as Seaford College hosted Wimbledon College. Both sides have been enjoying strong seasons, but Seaford showed their class and outstanding form for a quite brilliant 46-10 victory that sends them into the quarter finals where they will play the winner of the delayed South West B section, one of Sir Thomas Rich’s, Dean Close, or Marlborough College.
The back to back champions, Warwick, were also in Schools Cup action as they hosted an Uppingham side enjoying a good season. Ultimately Warwick simply had too much as they secured a 38-12 victory that sends them back to the quarter finals, where they will face a Rugby School side that is playing some stunning rugby and has lost just once all season.
Undoubtedly one of the most hotly anticipated games of the entire weekend was the battle of two unbeaten sides, and two of the best around, Woodhouse Grove v Sedbergh. Both sides are in the midst of an incredibly tough run of games, and a win here was crucial to their ambitions. This excellent Woodhouse Grove side gave absolutely everything that they had, however all season long there was been almost nothing that anyone can do to halt this outstanding Sedbergh juggernaught, and so it proved again as they secured a 35-7 victory. They now go on to Broadstreet RFC on Wednesday for another massive game, this time against Wellington College, which should be a classic.
Around the Grounds
There were fantastic performances all round the country on Saturday, among them an impressive 23-7 victory for RGS Guildford at Abingdon. Elsewhere there was another strong Aylesbury Grammar performance as they beat Watford Grammar 44-5.
Caterham showed their class for a 48-5 victory over worth, while there were tight wins for Campion, Bishop Vesey’s, and Plymouth College over Dartford Grammar, King’s Worcester, and Christ’s Hospital respectively. Manchester Grammar enjoyed a close 17-14 victory over Cheadle Hulme.
Portsmouth Grammar remain in strong form, a 22-5 victory over City of London Freemen’s, Eltham College also remain in stunning for, they beat Cranbrook 41-3, while Colston’s were 40-14 victors at The Crypt. Hymers College, meanwhile enjoyed a stunning performance, beating Birkdale 77-0.
Brighton College enjoyed another good win against John Fisher, 26-10, another fine game between there two who always seem to enjoy a cracking contest. The Judd were in good nick too, beating Langley Park 33-12.
Magdalen College are enjoying a really strong season, and that continued on Saturday with a 48-7 victory over KES Southampton, while Wisbech Grammar made it seven in a row with a 51-24 victory over Culford.
St Joseph’s College wanted to bounce back fast after defeat to Denstone College in midweek, and they did so well with 34-25 victory over Gresham’s. St John’s Leatherhead were in quite sensational form as they beat KCS Wimbledon 41-0, while Stamford kept their momentum going after last week’s brilliant win over Rugby with a 32-14 victory at St Albans.
There was a brilliant game in Oxford as The Oratory held off a brilliant St Edward’s fightback to hold on to a 17-16 victory in what was a fantastic contest and a brilliant game.
RGS Newcastle continue to impressive, beating Lancaster RGS 29-17 on Saturday, while Bishop’s Stortford High School enjoyed a 35-12 win at The Leys.
Norwich bounced back from that narrowest of defeats to Rugby with a superb 4-12 victory over Wymondham College. Meanwhile Reading Blue Coat enjoyed an impressively well contested 16-0 victory over St George’s College, Weybridge.
One of the tightest games of the weekend came at Solihull as they secured a one point victory over RGS High Wycombe, 28-27, in a superbly contested game of schools rugby.
Tom Burrow Cup
Meanwhile at Silcoates School, the Tom Burrow Cup took place. Held in memory of the former Silcoates pupil, the tournament has been moved from March to November, featuring Yarm, Altrincham Grammar, Austin Friars, Newcastle School for Boys, and the hosts, Silcoates.
Altrincham Grammar and Newcastle School for Boys reached the final, and it was Altrincham that took home the trophy, winning 14-5 at the end of a fantastic day of rugby.
A reminder that we welcome any photos, videos, and reports from your school’s games – the more the merrier! You can send them in to us via any of the methods below:
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Schools Rugby Weekend Results – Saturday 24th November:
Focus On
Berkhamsted 21-15 St Paul’s
Bishop Wordsworth’s 36-22 Marlborough College
Blundell’s 37-5 Bristol GS
Bromsgrove 34-7 Stowe
Dulwich College 22-0 Tonbridge
Hampton 24-17 Cranleigh
Millfield 28-34 Whitgift
Seaford College 46-10 Wimbledon College (Schools Cup)
Warwick 38-12 Uppingham (Schools Cup)
Woodhouse Grove 7-35 Sedbergh
Saturday
Abingdon 7-23 RGS Guildford
Ashville College 9-17 Bradford GS
Aylesbury GS 44-5 Watford GS
Bishop Vesey’s GS 15-13 King’s Worcester
Campion 17-12 Dartford GS
Caterham 48-5 Worth
Cheadle Hulme 14-17 Manchester GS
Christ’s College 10-12 Plymouth College
Christ’s Hospital 22-8 King’s Canterbury
Churcher’s College 15-10 Halliford
City of London Freemen’s 5-22 Portsmouth GS
Claires Court 7-17 Windsor Boys
Clifton HS 22-31 Bristol Cathedral
Coopers’ Coborn 14-12 Colfe’s
Crypt 14-40 Colston’s
Durham 21-8 Dame Allan’s
Eltham College 41-3 Cranbrook
Emanuel 20-6 Latymer Upper
Hymers College 77-0 Birkdale
Ipswich 10-17 RGS Colchester
John Fisher 10-26 Brighton College
Judd 33-12 Langley Park
KES Birmingham 33-12 Adams GS
KES Southampton 7-48 Magdalen College
Kingswood 19-44 King’s College, Taunton
Lancaster RGS 17-29 RGS Newcastle
Leicester GS 20-12 Northampton SfB
Leys 12-35 Bishop’s Stortford HS
Morrison’s Academy 14-44 Kelvinside Academy
Newcastle-Under-Lyme 26-32 Bablake
Norwich 41-12 Wymondham College
Nottingham HS 56-7 Bedford Modern
Princethorpe College 5-21 Loughborough GS
Reading Blue Coat 16-0 St George’s College, Weybridge
Reed’s 34-18 Trinity
Rendcomb College 24-17 St Edward’s, Cheltenham
RGS Worcester 37-12 KES Stratford
Rydal Penrhos 14-43 Shrewsbury
Solihull 28-27 RGS High Wycombe
Stewart’s Melville 0-10 Glasgow Academy
St Albans 14-32 Stamford
St Ambrose College 28-12 Merchant Taylors’
St Benedict’s 22-6 UCS
St Edward’s, Oxford 16-17 The Oratory
St George’s Harpenden 44-22 Haberdashers’
St John’s, Leatherhead 41-0 KCS Wimbledon
St Joseph’s College 34-25 Gresham’s
Tiffin 20-0 Coham International
Wellingborough 33-17 King Henry VIII, Coventry
Wilmslow HS 31-22 Calday Grange GS
Wisbech GS 51-24 Culford
Tom Burrow Cup:
Final: Altrincham Grammar 14-5 Newcastle School for Boys
Participants: Silcoates, Yarm, Austin Friars, Altrincham Grammar, & Newcastle School for Boys.
Still to Come:
Crossley Heath v Queen Ethelburga’s
Glasgow HS v Strathallan
Maidstone GS v St Olave’s GS
Shebbear College v Queen’s College, Taunton
St Peter’s, Gloucester v Kirkham GS
West Buckland v Wellington School
