Schools Cup: U18 Schools Cup – Round 2 Preview & Predictions

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The Schools Cup returns this week with the second round of the tournament and some fantastic contests lined up.

 

This second round of games works out as the regional last 16 round. The tournament is split into eight regions, the winners of each of those regions being put into the national pot for the quarter final draw.

 

Therefore as we preview this second round, we take a look at the tournament region by region, including the full draw from the first round on for each region.  There is also Champions Trophy, Schools Plate, and Schools Vase action on this week and you can see our previews for the action in those competitions via the links below.

 

Champions Trophy Round 2 Preview

Schools Plate Round 1 Preview

Schools Vase Round 3 Preview

 

U18 Schools Cup Draw, Previews, & Predictions (in bold):

 

North A

 

Round 1

Stonyhurst College 55-15 Stockport GS

Lancaster RGS 50-0 Ermysted’s GS

Giggleswick 0-32 QEGS Wakefield

Cheadle Hulme 42-7 Bradford GS

Silcoates 3-52 Manchester GS

Wilmslow HS 26-16 Merchant Taylors’, Crosby

King’s Macclesfield 36-21 Calday Grange GS

Wirral GS 50-0 St Mary’s College

 

Round 2

Stonyhurst College 0-32 Lancaster RGS

QEGS Wakefield v Cheadle Hulme (Wednesday)

Manchester GS v Wilmslow HS (Wednesday)

King’s Macclesfield v Wirral GS (Wednesday)

 

North A has actually already kicked off after Lancaster RGS defeated Stonyhurst College 32-0 on Saturday. They will be facing either Cheadle Hulme or Schools Cup legends QEGS Wakefield in the third round. Those two meet at QEGS on Wednesday in what should be a great tie, QEGS have the Cup pedigree but Cheadle Hulme have been in top form this year. Also confirmed for Wednesday is Wirral Grammar School’s trip to King’s Macclesfield, a game that should be a cracker. Wirral are in great nick this year, while King’s are always a strong side in this competition. The winner will face either Manchester Grammar or Wilmslow High School, two sides that have both enjoyed strong Cup runs. Their game looks likely to happen on Wednesday.

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North B

 

Round 1

RGS Newcastle 64-13 Dame Allan’s

Durham v BYE

East Durham College 35-12 Hartlepool 6th form College

Barnard Castle w/o Carmel College

St Peter’s, York 24-22 Grammar School at Leeds

BYE v BYE

Woodhouse Grove 50-0 Prince Henry’s GS

Hymers College 12-40 Pocklington

 

Round 2

RGS Newcastle v Durham (Wednesday)

East Durham v Barnard Castle (Wednesday)

St Peter’s, York v BYE

Woodhouse Grove v Pocklington (Wednesday)

 

RGS Newcastle v Durham should be a fantastic contest on Wednesday. Both sides have fantastic history in this competition. They two have actually already met this season, in the first week, RGS winning that one at Kingston Park. It will take a big performance from Durham, RGS are formidable this year. So too are Barnard Castle, another Cup legend, who travel to East Durham and the winner of that game will face the winner of the RGS v Durham game. This North B section is utterly brutal, those first two games have enough stardust to excite anyone, yet below that there is another massive game, Woodhouse Grove v Pocklington, two teams that have enjoyed fantastic runs in these knockout competitions and whose form so far this year suggests a top game on Wednesday. The winner will face another giant of the region, St Peter’s York, who have a bye through to the next round. Do not be surprised if a side from this section reaches the semi finals.

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Midlands A

 

Round 1

Lymm HS v BYE

Sir John Dean’s 17-37 Ellesmere College

Wrekin College 0-40 Old Swinford Hospital

Bromsgrove 38-7 King’s Worcester

Mount St Mary’s College 42-17 Worksop College

Trent College 12-38 Loughborough GS

Bishop Vesey’s GS 17-23 Solihull

Warwick 24-5 Bloxham

 

Round 2

Lymm HS v Ellesmere College (Wednesday)

Old Swinford v Bromsgrove (Wednesday 16th)

Mount St Mary’s v Loughborough GS (Wednesday)

Solihull v Warwick (Wednesday 16th)

 

A couple of recent winners in the form of Warwick and Bromsgrove lurk in Midlands A, though we have to wait until Wednesday 16th to see them in action in this second round. This Wednesday though sees Lymm High School, who had an epic contest against Oundle a few years ago with Alex Mitchell facing up to the Curry twins, hosting Ellesmere College. The winner of that will then have to wait a week to see how 2015 and 2016 champions Bromsgrove get on against 2012 finalists, Old Swinford Hospital. This Wednesday also sees a strong Mount St Mary’s side host Loughborough Grammar. Both enjoyed superb opening round victories and should put on a show on Wednesday. The winners will then wait a week to see how 2017 and 2018 champions Warwick get on away at rivals Solihull on the 16th.

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Midlands B

 

Round 1

Northampton SfB 45-12 Stowe

Oundle v BYE

Bedford Modern 0-50 Samuel Whitbread Academy

Bishop’s Stortford College v BYE

Bishop’s Stortford HS 0-34 Felsted

BYE v BYE

Royal Hospital School 10-14 St Joseph’s College

Norwich v BYE

 

Round 2

Northampton SfB v Oundle (Tuesday)

Samuel Whitbread v Bishop’s Stortford College (Wednesday)

Felsted v Bye

St Joseph’s College v Norwich (Thursday)

 

Midlands B is an early starter as 2013 finalists, and regular national stage competitors, Northampton School for Boys host Oundle. It promises to be a superb game of rugby, with the winners set to face either the current Vase holders, Samuel Whitbread, or Bishop’s Stortford College, who look set to meet on Wednesday. Felsted, a fantastic Cup side, enjoy a bye to the third round so they will be keeping a beady eye on St Joseph’s College v Norwich on Thursday. Those two actually met a couple of weeks ago, Norwich winning 25-17, so expect a big reaction from St Jo’s, but plenty of confidence too from Norwich.

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London & South East A

 

Round 1

Watford GS 17-19 Mill Hill

UCS 29-15 St Benedict’s

KCS Wimbledon 26-19 St George’s College, Weybridge

St Clement Danes v BYE

Tiffin 5-43 Emanuel

Wimbledon College 40-0 ACS Cobham International

John Fisher 21-12 Reed’s

City of London Freemen’s 31-7 Christ’s Hospital

 

Round 2

Mill Hill 28-26 UCS

KCS Wimbledon v St Clement Danes (Wednesday)

Emanuel v Wimbledon College (Wednesday)

John Fisher v City of London Freemen’s (Wednesday)

 

Mill Hill have already progressed to the third round from London & South East A after a 28-26 victory over UCS, their second tight victory in the competition after a 19-17 victory over Watford Grammar in the opening round. They will face either KCS Wimbledon or St Clement Danes in the third round, those two look likely to meet on Wednesday. KCS’ local rivals Wimbledon College will be fired up for their game against Emanuel on Wednesday, they lost narrowly to KCS on Saturday and are determined to set up a chance to meet their rivals again in the regional final of this section, Emanuel will not roll over easily though. The winner will face the winner of Wednesday’s other game, John Fisher v City of London Freemen’s. John Fisher have a massive reputation but Freemen’s are playing really well this year, so keep an eye out on this one.

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London & South East B

 

Round 1

Campion 27-7 Eltham College

Seevic College 61-0 Colfe’s

Whitgift 78-0 St Olave’s GS

Trinity 15-10 Langley Park

Ravens Wood 50-0 Richard Challoner

Judd v BYE

Cardinal Newman 5-50 Simon Langton GS

Sevenoaks v BYE

 

Round 2

Campion v Seevic College (Wednesday)

Whitgift v Trinity (Wednesday)

Ravens Wood v Judd (Wednesday)

Simon Langton v Sevenoaks (Tuesday)

 

London & South East B contains the champions, Whitgift, won had a stunning 78-0 first round victory over St Olave’s to kick off their campaign. On Wednesday they face a real challenge in the form of their local rivals, Trinity. A massive game anyway, that local rivalry element will make it all the more so. For the winners, it will be either former champions Campion or Seevic College in the third round, those two also look set to meet on Wednesday. On the other sides of the draw Ravens Wood host Judd, for whom it is the first game of the tournament. Those two meet on Wednesday and will know the identity of their first opponent in advance as Simon Langton host Sevenoaks on Tuesday, another game that should be a really strong contest. Look out for Sevenoaks, they could cause a few sides a problem if they are on their game.

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South West A

 

Round 1

Dean Close 7-20 Sir Thomas Rich’s

BYE v BYE

Sherborne 45-3 Downside

QEH v BYE

Bridgwater & Taunton College 0-56 Taunton

King’s College, Taunton 28-12 Richard Huish

Ivybridge Community College v BYE

Colston’s v BYE

 

Round 2

Sir Thomas Rich’s v Bye

Sherborne v QEH (Wednesday)

Taunton v King’s College, Taunton (Wednesday)

Ivybridge Community College v Colston’s (Tuesday)

 

Sir Thomas Rich’s are already through thanks to a bye, and started off their campaign seriously well with a victory at Dean Close. They will face either Sherborne of QEH next round, they meet on Wednesday, and in Sherborne they could be facing one of the favourites for the tournament, such has been their electric start to this season. The section actually kicks off on Tuesday when the most successful side in Schools Cup history, Colston’s, travel to an Ivybridge Community College side that have been threatening for years to make a massive impact on this competition. The winners will then be eagerly watching Wednesday Taunton derby, Taunton School v King’s College Taunton, to see who they will face. That derby has the makings of a really epic Cup tie, with both sides having some strong performances this year.

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South West B

 

Round 1

Dauntsey’s 35-21 Marlborough College

Abingdon 45-5 Reading Blue Coat

Pangbourne College 10-47 RGS High Wycombe

Dr Challoner’s GS 7-12 The Crypt

Lord Wandsworth College 18-17 Portsmouth GS

Seaford College w/o East Sussex College

Canford 32-5 Bishop Wordsworth’s

BYE v BYE

 

Round 2

Dauntsey’s v Abingdon (Wednesday)

RGS High Wycombe v The Crypt (Wednesday)

Lord Wandsworth College v Seaford College

Canford v Bye

 

Canford are already through thanks to a bye and they are playing some wonderful rugby so far this year, they will be a match for anyone. They will either face Lord Wandsworth College or Seaford College, who look sensational too, however it could already be Seaford. Lord Wandsworth and Seaford met a couple of week’s ago with Seaford winning comfortably, so that result could potentially be used here. There are heavyweights in the top half of this draw too, Abingdon are in brilliant form so far this year but have a tricky trip to Dauntsey’s, most likely on Wednesday. The winner of that will either face Cup legends RGS High Wycombe, who have beaten Millfield this season, or The Crypt, that game also looks likely to take place on Wednesday.

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