The U18 Schools Plate regional finals will kick off this week and there are some incredibly strong sides involved in the competition.
The Plate consists of sides knocked out in the opening round of the Schools Cup, and the winners of this regional final stage will be put together and drawn for the quarter finals, the first national stage of the competition, building towards the final at Sixways Stadium.
U18 Schools Plate Fixtures/Results:
North A
Round 1
Stockport GS 34-35 Ermysted’s GS
Giggleswick 14-58 Bradford GS
Silcoates 5-60 Merchant Taylors’
Calday Grange GS 7-57 St Mary’s College
Round 2
Ermysted’s GS 0-47 Bradford GS
Merchant Taylors’ 12-14 St Mary’s College
Round 3
Bradford GS v St Mary’s College – TBA
As yet the North A final’s date is yet to be confirmed, in the semi finals St Mary’s College impressed at Merchant Taylors’, while Bradford Grammar were in stunning form, form that took them to victory against Cup regional finalists QEGS Wakefield on Saturday.
North B
Round 1
Dame Allan’s v BYE
Hartlepool 6th form College v BYE
Grammar School at Leeds v BYE
Prince Henry’s GS 0-50 Hymers College
Round 2
Dame Allan’s 7-26 Hartlepool 6th form College
Grammar School at Leeds 61-0 Hymers College
Round 4
Hartlepool 6th form College v Grammar School at Leeds (Wednesday)
Wednesday sees former Champions Trophy finalists Grammar School at Leeds head to Hartlepool 6th form College. On the surface it is a tall order for Hartlepool, but their form in this competition last round was excellent and they will be eager to repeat it.
Midlands A
Round 1
Sir John Dean’s v BYE
Wrekin College w/d King’s Worcester
Worksop College 31-15 Trent College
Bishop Vesey’s GS 11-30 Bloxham
Round 2
Sir John Dean’s 5-29 King’s Worcester
Worksop College 0-50 Bloxham
Round 3
King’s Worcester v Bloxham (Wednesday 27th November)
The champions are in action at Midlands A, Bloxham travelling to King’s Worcester. Bloxham have looked pretty unstoppable so far, but King’s Worcester are having a good season too. We have to wait a week for this one to get underway though.
Midlands B
Round 1
Stowe v BYE
Bedford Modern v BYE
Bishop Stortford’s HS v BYE
Royal Hospital School v BYE
Round 2
Stowe w/o Bedford Modern
Bishop’s Stortford HS 38-26 Royal Hospital
Round 3
Stowe v Bishop’s Stortford HS – TBA
There is no date set yet for this one, and rather oddly there has only been one game so far in Midlands B, Bishop’s Stortford’s 38-26 victory over Royal Hospital School in the last round, that aside it has been a section full of byes.
London & South East A
Round 1
Watford GS 31-30 St Benedict’s
St George’s College, Weybridge v BYE
Tiffin 52-5 Cobham International
Reed’s 43-15 Christ’s Hospital
Round 2
Watford GS 17-48 St George’s College, Weybridge
Tiffin 5-59 Reed’s
Round 3
St George’s College, Weybridge v Reed’s (Wednesday)
This could be the tie of the round as it is a massive local derby at St George’s Weybridge as they welcome Reed’s. Both have had some strong performances both inside and outside of this competition, but mix in the derby factor and the knockout factor in this one and it becomes utterly unpredictable.
London & South East B
Round 1
Eltham College 49-12 Colfe’s
St Olave’s GS 14-40 Langley Park
Richard Challoner v BYE
Cardinal Newman v BYE
Round 2
Eltham College 24-46 Langley Park
Richard Challoner w/d Cardinal Newman
Round 3
Langley Park v Cardinal Newman (Wednesday 27th November)
Next week sees Langley Park host Cardinal Newman in this regional final, Langley Park have had some really strong performances to get through to this stage, while rather surprisingly this will be Cardinal Newman’s first game after a bye followed by a walkover.
South West A
Round 1
Dean Close v BYE
Downside v BYE
Bridgwater & Taunton College 3-62 Richard Huish
BYE v BYE
Round 2
Dean Close w/o Downside
Richard Huish v BYE
Round 3
Dean Close v Richard Huish (Thursday)
Dean Close have been brilliant this year, indeed their first round Cup defeat is their only defeat of the season. However this will actually be their first knockout game since them, although Richard Huish have hardly played many either, they had an outstanding performance in the first round and then a bye in the regional semi final.
South West B
Round 1
Marlborough College 15-27 Reading Blue Coat
Pangbourne College 48-10 Dr Challoner’s GS
Portsmouth GS v Bye
Bishop Wordsworth’s v BYE
Round 2
Reading Blue Coat 22-0 Pangbourne College
Portsmouth GS 7-40 Bishop Wordsworth’s
Round 3
Reading Blue Coat v Bishop Wordsworth’s (Wednesday)
One of the best games of the round on paper as the former Schools Cup finalists, Bishop Wordsworth’s, travel to a Reading Blue Coat side that having been punching really high this year. It should be a cracking game of rugby, and the winner will have every chance of a strong run going forward.
Leave a Response