2020 U18 Schools Cup Semi Final Previews

1b8e987f-4aa1-404f-8dfb-82db20b98444
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Global Schools Challenge(1)

After a week of semi finals across the U18 and U15 Schools Cup, Plate, Vase, and Bowl tournaments, the flagship semi finals of the RFU National Schools competitions take place this weekend, the two U18 Schools Cup semi finals.

 

For the first time in recent memory the semi finals are not being held at a neutral venue, since 2014 they had been held at Saracens’ Allianz Park, prior to that they were hosted at Broadstreet RFC. This year though RFU funding cuts have necessitated the semi finals to be held at the home school for each fixture.

 

What this also means is that unlike in recent years the semi finals will not be on the same day. On Saturday at 2.30pm Sherborne will host the reigning champions, Whitgift, then on Sunday at 2pm Northampton School for Boys host last year’s runners up, Warwick.

 

Regardless though, these are two huge occasions. Expectations are of crowds moving beyond hundreds and into thousands as these four teams aim to make their way to the biggest date on the schools rugby calendar, the Schools Cup Final at Twickenham Stadium on Thursday 19th March.

 

The funding cuts have meant that the usual RFU live streaming for the semi finals has been lost, however CheersMate Productions have stepped into the breach and will be live streaming both semi finals, which you can see below.

 

Some of the very best schools rugby players in the country will be on show over the two games, playing for four magnificent sides with a long history across these competitions. We are in for a simply spectacular weekend.

 

U18 Schools Cup Semi Finals Previews:

 

Sherborne v Whitgift – Saturday, 2.30pm

 

Results so far:

 

Sherborne (South West A)

QF: 26-8 v KCS Wimbledon

Rd4: 53-0 v Taunton

Rd3: 44-10 at Sir Thomas Rich’s

Rd2: 34-14 v QEH

Rd1: 45-3 v Downside

 

Whitgift (London & South East B)

QF: 45-31 at Abingdon

Rd4: 56-6 v Simon Langton Grammar

Rd3: 30-7 at Seevic College

Rd2: 65-8 v Trinity

Rd1: 78-0 v St Olave’s Grammar

 

Tournament History:

 

Sherborne – 2019 U18 Plate Finalists, 2015 U15 Vase Winners, 2013 U18 Cup QFs.

 

Whitgift – 2019 U18 Cup Winners, 2011 U18 Cup Winners, 2010 U18 Cup Winners, 2018 U15 Cup Winners, 2003 U15 Cup Winners, 1999 U15 Cup Winners, 1997 u15 Cup Finalists.

 

Live Stream:

Wednesday 1st April 2009. That is that last time that there was an U18 Schools Cup winner that did not win back to back titles, the year that Truro College beat St Peter’s Gloucester to lift the famous trophy. That is the eleven years of precedent that build part of the context to this huge semi final on Saturday as Whitgift head to Sherborne in a bid to give themselves a chance to retain the title that they won last year, eleven years of precedent that they started back in 2010 with their back to back titles before Dulwich College won three in a row starting in 2012, Bromsgrove’s back to back titles in 2015 and 2016, and most recently Warwick’s in 2017 and 2018.

Whitgift’s form this year is certainly good enough, only Sedbergh, Wellington College, and Millfield have beaten them. Arguably the three biggest names in all of schoolboy rugby. Whitgift have been relentless, not least in this competition. Throughout the regional stage of this U18 Schools Cup Whitgift only conceded two tries, winning 78-0, 65-8, 30-7, and then 56-6 in the regional final against Simon Langton Grammar School. Their quarter final was a slightly different affair at Abingdon School, the Oxfordshire side managing to threaten the Whitgift defence significantly to score 31 points, however that attacking verve that had served Whitgift through the rest of the tournament remained as they scored 45 points of their own. This is a side and a school that knows how to do it in this tournament, if they do complete a remarkable second double they will become the second most successful U18 side in this competition ever.

That is the sort of weight of history and quality that comes heading to Sherborne on Saturday and yet this Sherborne side has every reason to feel positive. This is a team on the rise, last year they were in the Schools Plate final, missing out to Bloxham, now they have a chance of a Schools Cup final, they are building and building. Already they have made history, this is their greatest ever run in this competition, a quarter final back in 2013 was the furthest they had ever been before – now they have a shot at a final, they will not want to let that slip. Their record this season speaks for itself, only Millfield and Clifton College have got the better of them, two of the best around. In this tournament they have been an unstoppable force, first beating Downside 45-3, then QEH, forty past Sir Thomas Rich’s, and then the signature result of their campaign as they beat Taunton School 53-0 in the regional final. They were flying in their quarter final too, 26-8 v KCS Wimbledon. This is a team that ought to be bouncing with confidence.

 

Whitgift have been there and done it before, and they have had plenty of game time since Christmas, perhaps that gives them an edge. However this is a quality Sherborne side, and with the semi final on home territory with a bumper crowd expected then anyone counting any chickens one way or another is playing a brave game. It is going to be an utterly spectacular occasion.

[poll id=”630″]

Northampton School for Boys v Warwick – Sunday, 2pm

 

Results so far:

 

Northampton School for Boys (Midlands B)

QF: 22-15 at RGS Newcastle

Rd4: 34-12 v Felsted

Rd3: 36-7 v Samuel Whitbread

Rd2: 51-3 v Oundle

Rd1: 45-12 v Stowe

 

Warwick (Midlands A)

QF: 14-8 v QEGS Wakefield

Rd4: 13-12 at Bromsgrove

Rd3: 13-10 at Mount St Mary’s

Rd2: 19-9 at Solihull

Rd1: 24-5 v Bloxham

 

Tournament History:

 

Northampton School for Boys – 2013 U18 Cup Finalists, 2019 U15 Cup Finalists, 2016 U18 Vase Winners.

Semis 2018. 2019 regional – Rugby.

 

Warwick – 2018 U18 Cup Winners, 2017 U18 Cup Winners, 2007 U18 Cup Winners, 2019 U18 Cup Finalists, 2014 U18 Cup Finalists, 2014 U15 Cup Winners, 2013 U15 Cup Winners, 2017 U15 Cup Finalists, 2015 U15 Cup Finalists.

 

Live Stream:

These two schools and sets of players are no strangers to big knockout games of rugby, just look at the Tournament History section in this piece for both. Across U18 and U15 level there has been a team from at least one of this sides in action at Twickenham Stadium on Schools Cup and Vase finals day since 2013. Seven years, and it’s guaranteed to be eight. It is truly remarkable. What Warwick have done in that period boggles the mind, two U18 Cup titles, two at U15 level, and two losing finals in each age group on top of that, to add to an U18 title from back in 2007. Victory on Sunday would send them to a fourth final in a row, a feat achieved by only one other school – the great Colston’s sides of the 90s. Schools rugby history is all over this semi final.

Northampton School for Boys are expecting between 1,500 and 2,000 people on the touchline on Sunday. Those a remarkable numbers for a school touchline. You can be certain that Warwick will travel too, they always travel in numbers and in full voice. NSB’s support will be loud too though, and little wonder. They know they have an outstanding team, going up to a brilliant RGS Newcastle side in their quarter final and winning 22-15 proved just that. The rugby mind of Northampton Saints’ Ethan Grayson will be vital, up against England U18 colleagues Fin Smith and Jack Forsythe. Grayson and Smith lining up at 10 against each other is a mouth watering prospect.

Each side has had challenging routes here, NSB have had to see off Stowe, Oundle, Felsted, and Vase champions Samuel Whitbread ahead of that quarter final up at RGS Newcastle. Through that regional phase though, they relatively breezed through and in the regular season only the brilliant Wellington College and Sir Thomas Rich’s got the better of them. They go into this is red hot form. In contrast, Warwick had to fight and scrap through just about every single game on their route here. A 24-5 Round 1 victory over Bloxham was their simplest and Bloxham have since gone onto the Plate final. They then had a ten point margin over Solihill, three points over Mount St Mary’s College, and then met their old rivals Bromsgrove in the regional finals, a side they played a lost to twice outside of the Cup. In this key knockout game though, Warwick got the win at the death by a solitary point, 13-12. What followed that though was a quarter final against a side that have seemingly been inextricably linked to them in this competition over the last decade, QEGS Wakefield. Again it was tight, but again Warwick just edged it, 14-8.

 

It makes things fascinating ahead of Sunday’s encounter. NSB probably have the edge in terms of their record this year, yet Warwick’s sheer tenacity and drive through this tournament in the tight games especially is likely to be absolutely vital in a semi final that will surely be incredibly tense. What we can say with certainty is that we are in for an epic contest, and that whoever wins it is going to take something very very special.

[poll id=”631″]

SHARING IS CARING!
Back to top

HOME

GLOBAL SCHOOLS CHALLENGE

SCHOOLS PROFILES

RESULTS

SUBMIT A SCORE

RANKINGS

COMPETITIONS

PLAYER PROFILES

INTERNATIONALS

CONTACT

Facebook Youtube Twitter Instagram