Trinity School Croydon produced a strong second half performance, with forwards and backs combining effectively to dominate possession and territory against local rivals Whitgift School to win the London & South-East B Division Regional Final by a 22-10 score.
These two schools are based only a couple of miles apart and are both foundation schools within the John Whitgift Foundation. Despite that, they play on slightly different circuits and rarely meet at U18 level, with only one encounter in the past 10 years being a very one-sided win for Whitgift two years ago. With a strong performance in the previous round against Epsom College, the home side will have been cautiously confident, though the visitors have produced some good results including a win against otherwise unbeaten Harrow School and a narrow defeat at Millfield.
Sunny skies in the South-East earlier in the week had given way to heavy clouds but conditions were dry as Whitgift kicked off with a sizeable crowd on the touchlines. Trinity were penalised directly after the restart, enabling Whitgift to set up an attacking line-out on the left. Although possession was secured and a maul set up, a turnover allowed Trinity fly-half Conor Byrne to clear to touch and when Whitgift chose to kick for position Trinity full-back Josh Bellamy attempted a 50:22 kick in return, but that rolled into touch a metre short of the Whitgift 22.
The throw-in for Whitgift however proved irrelevant as they lost the lineout and Trinity hooker Ross Sinclair carried strongly deep into the left corner and forward pressure 5m out looked likely to produce the opening score for the home side, but the defence forced a penalty, cleared to touch by Whitgift fly-half Jamie Flatley. Although Trinity were soon back with an attacking lineout when Whitgift were themselves penalised, they too were unable to secure their own ball and after a strong carry by Whitgift prop Sebastian Rubio Pruda, another penalty conceded by Trinity allowed the visitors to clear, though they then lost Rubio Pruda to injury. Having already lost a player to injury during the warm-up, this left their bench depleted.
Once again after an attempted 50:22 kick by Bellamy had gone into touch just short of the Whitgift 22, Trinity were able to steal the ensuing line-out and driving through the forwards took play up to the Whitgift line. The defence were able to prevent the ball being grounded, giving Whitgift a goal-line drop-out., which was run back by Bellamy. Although the full-back was stopped, possession was retained and the ball moved to the right before being switched to the left where an overlap was created for second-row Pierce Cummins who scored in the corner. Bellamy’s touchline conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
The visitors had an immediate opportunity to reduce the deficit when Trinity were penalised at the restart but Fltaley’s long range kick from the tee fell just short of the bar. Both sides then struggled to put together multiple phases, Trinity conceding two further penalties, and it was the visitors who had the next scoring opportunity when Bellamy was tested by an excellent kick to the corner by Flatley and a knock-on gave Whitgift an attacking scrum deep inside the 22. With possession from the set-piece secured, the Whitgift forwards drove close to the line, but excellent defence prevented a score and won the put-in at a scrum.
Although Trinity secured the set-piece ball and Bellamy cleared to halfway, Whitgift came straight back, moving the ball through the hands on the left deep into the Trinity 22. Although the immediate threat was stopped, possession was retained and No 8 Seb Driscoll picked up and drove over from short range to score an equalising try. Flatley’s touchline conversion attempt was well struck but drifted just wide. Although Trinity were penalised at the restart, there was time for only one more play before the interval.
Half-time: Trinity School 5-5 Whitgift School
Trinity made a strong start to the second half, securing possession from the restart and kicking to the corner. The pattern of both sides struggling to secure their own line-out ball continued as Whitgift’s throw was judged to be not straight and Trinity opted for a line-out in the left corner. This time they won the set-piece and set up a driving maul with Sinclair carrying the ball at the back, and this made inexorable progress to the line, the hooker touching down. Bellamy’s touchline conversion was beautifully judged and added the extras.
Whitgift’s woes continued when the restart went straight out on the full and Trinity won possession from the resulting scrum and forced a penalty just inside the Whitgift half. Although the kick was probably at the limit of Bellany’s range. Trinity opted to try to extend their lead to a two-score margin, but the full-back’s kick from the tee fell short. Although Whitgift were able to clear to halfway, good hands by Trinity took play deep into the right corner, but they were penalised and Whitgift cleared to touch and were awarded a free kick from the resulting line-out. There seemed to be no immediate threat when the kick was fielded by Bellamy in his own half, but a piece of individual brilliance saw the full-back cut through the midfield defence and run through into the 22 where wing Roma Matebalavu picked up and dived over to score, Bellamy adding the conversion.
It looked as if the game was drifting away from the visitors, but Whitgift quickly showed that they were not finished. Winning a line-out on the left they set up a maul before moving the ball through the hands on the right, where flanker Max Hammond showed excellent pace to break through before finding full-back Ethan Fitzgerald who squeezed in at the corner. Although the difficult conversion attempt was unsuccessful, Whitgift were still in the game.
The change in momentum proved to be temporary when Whitgift’s clearance to touch went out on the full, giving Trinity an attacking line-out on the left. Although Whitgift were able to recover possession and clear, Trinity fly-half Conor Byrne ran back the kick and won a penalty on halfway. That was kicked to touch and a maul set up before the ball was moved through the hands to Matebalavu and although he was stopped, Whitgift were penalised, giving Trinity another line-out in the left corner. The immediate threat was averted when the throw-in was judged not straight and Whitgift were able to clear to touch, Trinity kept up the pressure, winning the line-out and setting up a maul before releasing Matebalavu on the right. Play was taken on by the forwards into the 22 and the defence was forced to concede a penalty. Again Bellamy was given the chance to stretch the lead and he was on target from the tee.
Whitgift were again chasing the game and they looked to move the ball through the hands, wing Barney Kember making ground on the left, but the ball went forward and Trinity recovered possession, forcing another penalty in midfield, Bellamy trying to take the three but again his long-range kick fell short and Flatley ran the ball out to midfield. Following an injury stoppage, Whitgift found themselves down to 14 men with uncontested scrums for the remaining five minutes. Despite that disadvantage, it was the visitors who had the best scoring opportunity as time ran out, winning a penalty that was kicked to the right corner. Although possession was won and a maul set up, the defence held firm and Trinity were awarded a scrum from which they were able to clear.
Trinity join Berkhamsted, Barnard Castle, Oakham, Bedford and Kirkham (plus the winners of the Harrow vs Hampton and Sherborne vs Canford games) in the U18 Cup quarter-final draw, with games due to be played before Christmas.
Full-time: Trinity School 22-10 Whitgift School
By Peter Crawshaw
Teams
Trinity School: Kane Fleary, Ross Sinclair, George Papa, Joe Connolley, Pierce Cummins, William Peart-Smith, Khalil Alleyne, Archie Pearson (Capt), Finlay Kennedy, Conor Byrne, Seun Ogunyemi, Bertie Little, Oliver Bailey, Roma Matebalavu, Joshua Bellamy
Replacements: David Bampo, Joe Marvin, Benedict Young, Sam Medcraft
Whitgift School: Lewis Chin-You, Ben Clark, Sebastian Rubio Prida, Jocelyn Heaver, Mikey Crump, Haydn Rees, Max Hammond, Seb Driscoll (Capt), Sebastian Pilkington, Jamie Flatley, Barney Kember, Sean Kerr, Edward Miller, Joshua Joubert, Ethan Fitzgerald
Replacements: Tobias Trafford, Struan Fotheringham
