This Tuesday NextGenXV will Live Stream the U18 Schools Cup Quarter Final between Trinity and Berkhamsted, in what promises to be a Schools Rugby classic.
The two go head to head in the last of the four quarter finals to see who will be joining Barnard Castle, Kirkham Grammar School, and Sherborne in the U18 Schools Cup Semi Finals. It all kicks off at 2pm at Trinity School and you will be able to watch it all live on our YouTube channel or below in this article.
The two sides have been utterly magnificent this season Trinity have gone unbeaten since the start of October, an eight game run that has seen them take on some of the best in the business and on this Cup run they have hit some incredible heights. In Round 3 they knocked out a mighty Epsom College side with a superb 35-16 victory, but the crowning glory of this run, indeed of their season as a whole was their stunning 22-10 victory over local rivals Whitgift, the reigning champions, three times winners of the competition and finalists in 2020 before it was cancelled due to Covid. In that one result Trinity’s quietly impressive season quickly became loud.
In Berkhamsted though they face an opponent of real quality who also have the added bonus of having huge momentum. On Saturday they defeated Dulwich College 24-3 to claim the Daily Mail Trophy title, a stunning achievement and only the fifth side ever to do so. They are unbeaten across all competitions, and only a draw with Harrow means they do not have a perfect thirteen victories from thirteen. Their performances this year have been incredible, and their Cup run exceptional especially with a strong third round win over Seaford College at StoneX stadium before a brilliant 4th round performance away at Monmouth, who have been incredibly strong this year.
The two have only once met in recent history, and it was in this competition back in 2014. Trinity won that one 27-12 and will hope that bodes well for them.
It should be no surprise that these two are performing well so far though, the players in both sides had superb seasons pre-covid. Trinity’s 2019 U16s, this years U6th, had an unbeaten season, winning all thirteen of their fixtures, the year before they had another brilliant season, winning the U15 Schools Plate. Their 2019 U15s, this year’s L6th, had an incredible year too. They won sixteen of their seventeen games, their only defeat being a dramatic late one against harrow in the U15 Schools Cup.
This is where the evenness between the two really shines through because that equivalent group at Berkhamsted also only lost to Harrow in the Cup in 2019. In a parallel world, Tuesday’s game could have easily been a repeat of the 2019 U15 final.
It all sets up for an extraordinary fixture on Tuesday, Berkhamsted will arrive pumped full of confidence. Winning the Daily Mail Trophy is an extraordinary achievement and the prospect of a league/cup double this year is tantalising. It’s a short turnaround though, Saturday-Tuesday, bodies will be sore and doubtless some will be missing, and Trinity are a fantastic side too. Like Berkhamsted they are riding the crest of a wave, unbeaten since early October and absolutely flying.
It is going to be blockbuster stuff on Tuesday afternoon and you can watch it all on NextGenXV!
