The U18 Schools Cup second round kicked off this week, a round that is effectively the regional quarter final stage.
The tournament, as ever, is split into eight regions. Each region eventually yields a regional champion, and those eight sides are then drawn in the National quarter final stage.
There is a long way to go yet though, and the standard of competition in this second round was immense, and looks set to be so again after half term when the third round begins, with a huge number of sides in the draw that will really fancy their chances of reaching the national stages.
Below we run through what has been happening in the second round and look ahead to round three, the regional semis, breaking it down region by region.
U18 Schools Cup Draw/Results:
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 13-0 Cheadle Hulme
Manchester GS 17-15 Wilmslow HS
King’s Macclesfield 16-22 Wirral GS
Round 3
Lancaster RGS v QEGS Wakefield
Manchester GS v Wirral GS
Lancaster RGS were the first side through in North A with last week’s 32-0 win at Stonyhurst College. On Wednesday they found out their opponents for the third round, QEGS Wakefield, one of the tournament’s most legendary and successful sides. QEGS won 13-0 over a strong Cheadle Hulme side to secure their spot. On the other side Manchester Grammar won a tight one at Wilmslow High School to make their way through, 17-15, they will be hosting a Wirral Grammar School side that are really enjoying their rugby this year, and progressed with a 22-16 victory at King’s Macclesfield.
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 43-10 Durham
East Durham 7-61 Barnard Castle
St Peter’s, York v BYE
Woodhouse Grove 34-21 Pocklington
Round 3
RGS Newcastle v Barnard Castle
St Peter’s, York v Woodhouse Grove
North B is arguably the most stacked region in the entire tournament. Four outstanding sides with great history. The first regional semi sees two of the most legendary sides of this tournament face each other, RGS Newcastle will host after the St Joseph’s Festival champions beat Durham 43-10, their second win over Durham this year. They will be welcoming Barnard Castle, a side playing some sensational rugby at the moment, who won their second round game 61-7 at East Durham. St Peter’s York host the other semi final, they had a second bye, and they will be hosting Woodhouse Grove, the 2018 Plate winners, who won a thriller against Pocklington, 34-21.
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 51-5 Ellesmere College
Old Swinford v Bromsgrove (Wednesday 16th)
Mount St Mary’s 17-3 Loughborough GS
Solihull v Warwick (Wednesday 16th)
Round 3
Lymm HS v Old Swinford Hospital/Bromsgrove
Mount St Mary’s v Solihull/Warwick
Midlands A still has some way to go before the third round fixtures are known, but it will be worth the wait, next week sees two of the most recent champions in action as Bromsgrove travel to Old Swinford Hospital, and Warwick travel to Solihull. Lymm High School will be awaiting the winner of the Old Swinford Hospital v Bromsgrove game, they enjoyed a stunning 51-5 victory over Ellesmere College in round 2. Mount St Mary’s College will be the other hosts, their 17-3 victory over Loughborough Grammar School will see them keeping a beady eye on the Solihull v Warwick game.
Midlands B
Round 1
Northampton SfB 45-12 Stowe
Oundle v BYE
Bedford Modern 0-50 Samuel Whitbread Academy
BYE 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 51-3 Oundle
Samuel Whitbread v Bye
Felsted v Bye
St Joseph’s College w/d Norwich
Round3
Northampton SfB v Samuel Whitbread
Felsted v Norwich
Midlands B was one of the quieter rounds of the week, with only one game taking place. It was on Tuesday, where former finalists Northampton School for Boys were in absolutely stunning form against Oundle for a 51-3 victory. They will host last year’s Vase champions next round, Samuel Whitbread, who had a bye in this second round. Felsted will host the other regional semi, they too had a bye, and they will be hosting a Norwich side that they have already beaten this year. Norwich were due to travel to St Joseph’s on Thursday, but disappointingly their hosts pulled out, giving Norwich the bye.
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 16th)
Emanuel 8-25 Wimbledon College
John Fisher 40-5 City of London Freemen’s
Round 3
Mill Hill v KCS Wimbledon/St Clement Danes
Wimbledon College v John Fisher
London & South East A has one game remaining to be played, KCS Wimbledon v St Clement Danes, which will be played on Wednesday. The reward for the winners is a trip to Mill Hill, who sealed their place with a 28-26 victory over UCS last week. Wimbledon College will host the other regional semi final after they won 25-8 at Emanuel on Wednesday, keeping their dreams of a second Wimbledon derby alive. They will be hosting John Fisher in that game, who were in brilliant form on Wednesday for a 40-5 victory at home to City of London Freemen’s.
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 (TBA)
Whitgift 65-8 Trinity
Ravens Wood 55-12 Judd
Simon Langton 40-0 Sevenoaks
Round 3
Campion/Seevic v Whitgift
Ravens Wood v Simon Langton
The second round in London & South East B kicked off on Tuesday with a fantastic 40-0 victory for Simon Langton over Sevenoaks. Their reward is a trip to Ravens Wood in the regional semi final, a side that was equally impressive en route to a 55-12 defeat of The Judd. Lurking in this section are the reigning champions, Whitgift, who sealed their progress with another dominant victory to back up their 78-0 first round victory. This time beating local rivals Trinity 65-8. They must wait to find out where they travel for their third round tie though, Campion v Seevic is yet to be played.
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 34-14 QEH
Taunton 50-0 King’s College, Taunton
Ivybridge Community College 25-14 Colston’s
Round 3
Sir Thomas Rich’s v Sherborne
Taunton v Ivybridge Community College
Sir Thomas Rich’s enjoyed a second round bye but will have a stiff challenge on their hands in the third round, with unbeaten Sherborne making the trip after a strong 34-14 victory over QEH on Wednesday. On the other side of the draw Taunton School progressed in stunning fashion, beating local rivals King’s College Taunton 50-0. They already knew who they would be hosting in the next round, Ivybridge College. The Devon side had beaten Colston’s, the most dominant side in the competition’s history, 25-14 on Tuesday.
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 13-15 Abingdon
RGS High Wycombe w/o The Crypt
Lord Wandsworth College 7-60 Seaford College
Canford v Bye
Round 3
Abindgon v RGS High Wycombe
Seaford College v Canford
South West B was another that was a little thin on the ground in terms of games, with only one officially being played. That was a tight and tense game at Dauntsey’s, where Abingdon came through, 15-13. They will be hosting former winners RGS High Wycombe in the third round, who had a walkover after The Crypt pulled out. On the other side of the draw Canford had a bye. They will be travelling to Seaford College in all likelihood, they were due to play Lord Wandsworth College but after a 60-7 victory over the same opponent a couple of weeks ago, it looks as though that result is being used.
