After a set of fantastic quarter finals, the four sides that will head to Allianz Park in March for the semi finals are now confirmed.
Whitgift are the reigning champions and their title defence remains on after they made it through to the semis. Joining them in the semi finals are the side they beat in last year’s final, Warwick, who are now just a game away from four finals in a row. Northampton School for Boys are also through, East Midlands side aiming to return to the final for the first time since 2013, meanwhile last year’s U18 Plate finalists, Sherborne, complete this year’s set of semi finalists.
U18 Schools Cup Semi Finals Draw (Wednesday 4th March, Allianz Park):
Northampton School for Boys (Midlands B) v Warwick (Midlands A)
Sherborne (South West A) v Whitgift (London & South East B)
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Quarter Final Roundups
RGS Newcastle 15-22 Northampton School for Boys
It was a red hot atmosphere in the North East with the entire 6th form given the afternoon to watch the game. Both sides arrived with impressive reputations and a huge amount of talent in their ranks. It was the visitors that got off to the better start, perhaps inspired to perform in the face of the vast home support, taking a 12-3 lead at the break though to tries, one converted, to a solitary penalty from RGS, who did have a chance early on to take the lead. The home side rallied early in the second half, skipper Phil Brantingham scoring to close it to 12-10, however NSB responded immediately to stretch out their lead with a converted try followed by a penalty. RGS did score again, but NSB’s excellent defence was able to hold out to take them through to the semi finals, where they will believe they have every chance of a return to Twickenham, such has been the quality of their performances this season.
Warwick 14-8 QEGS Wakefield
For those who have taken an interest in schools rugby in the last four or five years, Warwick v QEGS Wakefield is almost the symbolic game of this competition. Time and time again the two have been drawn together at both U18 and U15 level, and on Wednesday they faced each other in this quarter final. As ever between these two giants of the competition, a tight game ensued, Warwick led just 5-3 at the half. QEGS did score in the second half but reliable work from the tee kept Warwick in front for a 14-8 victory and a place in the semi finals. Should they beat NSB in their semi final it would take them to their fourth final in a row, a feat achieved previously only by Colston’s and Dulwich College.
What a performance from @WarwickRugby 1stXV today. The U11s and U10s loved being part of the pre match build up. pic.twitter.com/Q5Bbo1RX2J
— WJS-Sport (@WJS_Sport) December 4, 2019
Sherborne 26-8 KCS Wimbledon
A season on from reaching the Schools Plate final, Sherborne are now into the Schools Cup semi finals after a superb 26-8 victory over KCS Wimbledon. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this quarter final victory was that it was by far and away Sherborne’s toughest contest in this Cup run, and yet in the end they still emerged as comfortable winners. That is not to knock KCS though, who put up a real fight and made Sherborne work hard for victory, in the end though it was the Dorset side’s ability to be utterly clinical with their chances that made the real difference. It is fitting reward for some superb play this season from Sherborne, however they will have to step up a level again for the semi final, where their opponents will be the reigning champions, Whitgift. Their form so far though suggests that they are as well placed as anyone to lay down a real challenge to Whitgift’s title defence.
Abingdon 31-45 Whitgift
Quarter finals are normally tight, tense, low scoring affairs, but on Wednesday in Oxfordshire that theory was blown out of the water as Abingdon and Whitgift shared a stunning 76 points. The game was full of attacking endeavor, almost the antithesis of the usual quarter final style of game but all the better for it. Abingdon could scarcely have done more, but ultimately the defending champions were in sublime try-scoring form. Little wonder, they have been outstanding all year, breezing through the London & South East B section, while elsewhere only three absolute elite sides, Sedbergh, Wellington College, and Millfield, have got the better of them. They now head to the semi finals against Sherborne where victory would give them a chance to emulate their great sides of 2010 and 2011 by winning back to back titles. Should they do it, a fourth title would make them the second most successful sides in Schools Cup history, moving them clear of Dulwich College and Warwick, three titles behind Colston’s.
Quarter Final Results:
RGS Newcastle (North B) 15-22 Northampton School for Boys (Midlands B)
Warwick (Midlands A) 14-8 QEGS Wakefield (North A)
Sherborne (South West A) 26-8 KCS Wimbledon (London & South East A)
Abingdon (South West B) 31-45 Whitgift (London & South East B)
U18 Schools Cup Regional 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 17-20 QEGS Wakefield
Manchester GS 23-26 Wirral GS
Round 4
QEGS Wakefield 35-7 Wirral GS
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 19-17 Barnard Castle
St Peter’s, York 26-27 Woodhouse Grove
Round 4
RGS Newcastle 34-7 Woodhouse Grove
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 17-26 Bromsgrove
Mount St Mary’s 17-3 Loughborough GS
Solihull 9-19 Warwick
Round 3
Lymm HS 0-13 Bromsgrove
Mount St Mary’s 10-13 Warwick
Round 4
Bromsgrove 12-13 Warwick
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 36-7 Samuel Whitbread
Felsted 30-26 Norwich
Round 4
Northampton School for Boys 34-12 Felsted
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 w/o St Clement Danes
Emanuel 8-25 Wimbledon College
John Fisher 40-5 City of London Freemen’s
Round 3
Mill Hill 12-22 KCS Wimbledon
Wimbledon College 17-22 John Fisher
Round 4
KCS Wimbledon 32-15 John Fisher
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 14-19 Seevic College
Whitgift 65-8 Trinity
Ravens Wood 55-12 Judd
Simon Langton 40-0 Sevenoaks
Round 3
Seevic College 7-30 Whitgift
Ravens Wood 18-26 Simon Langton
Round 4
Whitgift 56-6 Simon Langton
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 10-44 Sherborne
Taunton 48-7 Ivybridge Community College
Round 4
Sherborne 53-0 Taunton
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 24-23 RGS High Wycombe
Seaford College 5-41 Canford
Round 4
Abingdon 27-21 Canford
