An exciting round of Regional Finals games in the U18 Schools Plate this week was followed by the quarter final draw on Thursday.
The North and Midlands champions were drawn on one side of the draw, with the London & South East and South West champions on the other side, and those quarter finals are due to take place in the first week of December.
There are still four regional finals to be played though, three scheduled for next week and one postponed without a confirmed date yet for the rescheduling.
U18 Schools Plate Quarter Finals
Bradford Grammar/St Mary’s (North A) v King’s Worcester/Bloxham (Midlands A)
Both regional finals are yet to be played ahead of this quarter final, Bradford Grammar and St Mary’s College meet in the North A final on Wednesday. Bradford have been in stunning form but St Mary’s have impressed too and came through and incredibly tough and tense semi final against Merchant Taylors’. The winner will be facing the winner of King’s Worcester v Bloxham, the Midlands A final which pits the current Schools Bowl champions against the reigning Schools Plate champions. Bloxham’s defence so far has been impressive, as has their season as a whole, but an away tie at King’s Worcester is always a challenge. Whatever happens, it should be a quarter final to savour in a few weeks.
Grammar School at Leeds (North B) v Stowe (Midlands B)
Former Champions Trophy finalists Grammar School at Leeds won the North B region on Wednesday with a 43-0 away win at Hartlepool 6th form College that must leave them feeling confident ahead of this quarter final. Against them will be the Midlands B champions, Stowe, whose first game of this Plate competition was on Wednesday when they beat Bishop’s Stortford High School 38-31 in a bit of a thriller, a bye and a walkover had preceded that victory. These two will be fairly unfamiliar to one another, but both have had some excellent sides over the years and will be eager to add to that legacy. Victory in this quarter final would give them a huge chance to do just that.
Langley Park/Cardinal Newman (London & South East B) v Dean Close (South West A)
Langley Park and Cardinal Newman meet in the London & South East B regional final on Wednesday. Langley Park have been in great form in this competition, reaching the forty point mark in both games. Cardinal Newman, meanwhile, are yet to play in the competition, having had a bye followed by a walkover, they will need to be in smart form on Wednesday though. Whichever side wins that will need to be in peak form to host Dean Close too. The South West A champions are one of the strongest sides in this competition and sealed their quarter final berth on Thursday with a 45-5 defeat of Richard Huish. They will be seen as one of the favourites for this competition.
Bishop Wordsworth’s (South West B) v St George’s College, Weybridge/Reed’s (London & South East A)
Just a few years ago Bishop Wordsworth’s reached the Schools Cup final, with Harlequins’ Cadan Murley one of the stars. They now reach these quarter finals in the Plate after a good 24-19 victory at an impressive Reading Blue Coat in the South West B regional final on Wednesday. They are one of the top sides in the competition, but will be hosting another regardless of the outcome of the London & South East A regional final between St George’s College, Weybridge, and Reed’s. Those two local rivals were set to meet on Wednesday but that game was postponed, once the fresh date is announced though, we will be set for one of the top regional finals.
Elsewhere on Thursday the U18 Schools Cup, Vase, and Bowl quarter finals were also drawn and you can see those draws via the links below:
U18 Schools Plate QF Draw:
Bradford GS/St Mary’s (North A) v King’s Worcester/Bloxham (Midlands A)
Grammar School at Leeds (North B) v Stowe (Midlands B)
Langley Park/Cardinal Newman (London & South East B) v Dean Close (South West A)
Bishop Wordsworth’s (South West B) v St George’s College, Weybridge/Reed’s (London & South East A)
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 (Wednesday 27th)
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 0-43 Grammar School at Leeds
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)
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 38-31 Bishop’s Stortford HS
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 (Postponed)
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)
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 45-5 Richard Huish
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 19-24 Bishop Wordsworth’s
