It was another glorious weekend of schools rugby as we saw some outstanding performances right across the country, certain games saw a level of play that would not have looked out of place in the upper echelons of the adult game.
Three weeks in and the patterns for the season are starting to emerge and, above all, those patterns are starting to tell us that we are in for a stunning season. With the St Joseph’s Festival groups coming out over the weekend too, recent results have only served to heighten the tension and excitement ahead of that.
Ten to Watch
Berkhamsted 27-5 Bromsgrove
Denstone College 17-21 Ipswich (at Leicester Forrest RFC) – LIVE STREAMED
Dulwich College 5-12 Brighton College
Hampton 41-15 RGS High Wycombe
Harrow 27-11 Whitgift
RGS Guildford 19-14 KCS Wimbledon
Seaford College 17-27 Wellington College
St John’s, Leatherhead 17-19 Epsom College
Stowe 52-8 Bloxham – Schools Cup
Woodhouse Grove 5-38 Sedbergh (at Wharfedale RUFC)
Our roundup of the weekend begins, as ever, with our Ten to Watch, and what a glorious set of fixtures they turned out to be. The action began on Friday night and our cameras were at Leicester Forrest RFC, where Denstone College and Ipswich went head to head in an absolute classic. Our readers expected a tight game just going Denstone’s way, and at 17-7 ahead at the break they looked spot one. However Ipswich came absolutely roaring back in the second ahlf and a late Lucas Nisbett-Hadaway try gave them the lead. U16 full back Edoardo Todaro added the extras to take them more than a penalty clear at 21-17, and then turned poached as with Denstone College charging at the line in the final play, he stepped up for the crucial turnover. It was a stunning game, played at an extraordinary, and the feeling afterwards was that these were two outstanding teams. You can watch the game back below:
Also on Friday was a massive game at Wharfedale RFC as Woodhouse Grove hosted Sedbergh. 81% of readers expected a Sedbergh win and they were duly proved right as the men in brown sealed another impressive victory, 38-5. However Woodhouse Grove gave a great account of themselves, becoming the first side to keep Sedbergh below 40 this season. Sedbergh meanwhile go marching on.
Saturday was a day of outstanding performances, and one side that continue to look like on of the most impressive in the entire country are Harrow, who hosted Whitgift on Saturday. A delayed kick off due to traffic could have thrown the hosts, but they were not to be stopped as they defeated a strong side by an impressive 27-11 margin, as expected by 82% of readers.
That was the percentage that also expected a Wellington College victory away at Seaford College after Wellington had edged out Whitgift in that classic last week. So it proved to be but Seaford made Wellington work incredibly hard for their 27-17 victory on Saturday. A strong performance from both.
There was a strong performance from reigning Daily Mail Trophy champions Berkhamsted too, who back up last week’s victory with an outstanding 27-5 victory over Bromsgrove. 80% had though Berkhamsted would do it, but they were exceptional en route to doing so. Perhaps even better were Hampton, whose start to the season has been mightily impressive, with Brighton College, Seaford College, Campion, and now RGS High Wycombe all beaten. On Saturday 78% thought Hampton would do the job, and so it proved, but what few would have predicted was the nature of the victory as they charged to a 41-15 triumph. Keep an eye on Hampton, they are looking good.
So too are Stowe who have shrugged off that opening day defeat to Stamford and have been flying ever since. Just 55% of readers expected them to win in their encounter at home to Bloxham on Saturday, a game that also doubled up as a Schools Cup fixture, but Stowe showed every ounce of their outstanding quality to storm to a 52-8 victory and a place in the second round of the Cup. A brilliant effort.
The rest of Saturday’s games in the Ten to Watch were all incredibly tight. Most notably of all in the South West London derby between St John’s Leatherhead and Epsom College, where the two could barley be separated. NextGenXV readers clearly know a thing or two though because they had Epsom as narrow winners and so it proved, 19-17.
RGS Guildford had beaten Epsom College on the opening weekend and are riding a real wave, but they had to work oh so hard on Saturday to keep that momentum going as KCS Wimbledon came to town. It was a tight game with the potential to swing either way, but RGS came out on top and keep their unbeaten start going with a 19-14 victory.
Another close one was at Dulwich College, where they hosted an injury-ridden Brighton College. 68% expected a Brighton College victory, and they duly delivered on that with a 12-5 victory in a game that struggled to truly get going. With both sides looking for a strong showing at the St Joseph’s Festival they will likely be trying to rest up as much as possible after such a physical start to the season.
Remaining Fixtures
Friday
St Peter’s, Gloucester 0-67 Monmouth (at Old Cryptians)
St Joseph’s College 54-24 New Hall (at Ipswich RFC)
Trinity 44-7 Langley Park
Friday saw some great performances outside of out Ten to Watch, Monmouth perhaps most of all with a stunning 67-0 victory over St Peter’s Gloucester at Old Cryptians. Trinity School were outstanding too in a 44-7 victory over Langley Park, the reigning Schools Cup champions have started the season off in style ahead of this week’s first round of the Cup defence and their St Joseph’s Festival debut in a few weeks. Speaking of St Joseph’s College, they were also in action on Friday night, hosting New Hall at Ipswich RFC in a game that turned out to be an absolute try-fest, with both sides scoring plenty but St Joseph’s finding their way over the more regularly, winning 54-24.
Saturday
Bedford Modern 21-30 Stamford
Bradford Grammar 57-7 Pocklington
Campion 41-17 Emanuel
Cardinal Vaughan 42-0 St Richard Reynolds
Churcher’s College 33-0 Portsmouth Grammar
Dame Allan’s 31-0 Austin Friars
Durham 40-0 Newcastle School for Boys
Eltham College 7-35 Maidstone Grammar
Finborough 31-17 Northampton School for Boys
Giggleswick 20-26 AKS Lytham
Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby 21-43 Newcastle-Under Lyme
KES Stratford 17-32 King’s Gloucester
King’s Canterbury 31-7 Cranbrook
King’s College, Taunton 42-14 Wellington
King’s Rochester 29-3 Ashford
King’s Worcester 23-28 Sir Thomas Rich’s
Kingswood 24-14 Malvern College
Langley 31-17 Culford
Latymer Upper 22-24 Cedars
Lord Wandsworth College 7-35 St George’s College, Weybridge
Loughborough Grammar 48-0 Bishop Vesey’s Grammar
Magdalen College 29-29 St Edward’s, Oxford
Manchester Grammar 36-22 Bolton
Merchant Taylors’, Crosby 7-56 King’s Macclesfield
Mill Hill 15-15 St George’s, Harpenden
Monkton Combe 39-0 Wycliffe College
Mount Kelly 12-17 Exeter
Norwich 50-3 Bishop’s Stortford College
QEGS Wakefield 18-7 St Peter’s, York
QEH 17-14 Taunton
Reigate Grammar 27-13 Caterham
RGS Colchester 22-5 Royal Hospital School
RGS Newcastle 45-14 Grammar School at Leeds
RGS Worcester 10-14 Pate’s Grammar
Richard Hale 39-15 Coopers’ Coborn
Skinners’ 14-28 Hurstpierpoint College
Solihull 56-3 Leicester Grammar
Stewart’s Melville 36-12 Dollar Academy
Strathallan 12-14 Edinburgh Academy
St Anselm’s College 24-27 Wirral Grammar
St Benedict’s 12-66 St Albans
St Olave’s Grammar 3-43 Gravesend Grammar
St Paul’s 16-12 Reading Blue Coat
St Peter’s, York 3rd XV 0-45 Scarborough College
The Crypt 15-7 Bristol Grammar
The Judd 59-7 Ravens Wood
Tiffin 24-19 Halliford
UCS 52-21 QES Barnet
Wallington County Grammar 27-19 Dartford Grammar
Watford Grammar 12-8 Haberdashers’
Wimbledon College 0-43 John Fisher
Wisbech Grammar 10-13 King’s Ely
Saturday was slightly quieter than it sometimes has been thanks to so many independent schools having exeat or leave weekends, but there was still plenty going on and some amazing games of rugby. One such game was Stamford’s 30-21 victory at Bedford Modern. We had highlighted it in the buildup as one to watch, to see if Bedford Modern’s early season promise would continue. Though they were defeated, it certainly did continue, running that Stamford side close is an outstanding effort. Stamford are a very strong side and continue to appear so.
There were so many great games, but it is draws that so often stand out and there were a couple this weekend, most thrillingly of all in an Oxford derby as Magdalen College and St Edward’s held each other to a 29-29 draw. There was excitement in Hertfordshire too as Mill Hill and St George’s Harpenden finished all square at 15-15.
Another that really stood out in terms of being close was St Paul’s 16-12 victory over Reading Blue Coat, a victory for St Paul’s but an outstanding performance from Reading Blue Coat to run such a big name so close.
One of the most exciting close games was surely Sir Thomas Rich’s 28-23 victory at King’s Worcester, a brilliant game and a great result for Tommies against a side that have been performing really well. King’s Worcester’s rivals RGS Worcester were also on the wrong side of a close one, going down 14-10 to Pate’s Grammar. The South West was notable for close games over the weekend, QEH winning by three points against Taunton, 17-14, and Exeter School winning 17-12 at Mount Kelly.
King’s College Taunton meanwhile found the going easier, beating Wellington School 42-14, while Monkton Combe were on fire in a 39-0 victory over Wycliffe College. Kingswood put in a top shift for a 24-14 victory over Malvern College, and things were close at The Crypt as they edged out Bristol Grammar 15-7.
Along the way back to the east, Churcher’s College enjoyed a superb 33-0 victory over Portsmouth Grammar, and it was a similar story for St George’s College, Weybridge at Lord Wandsworth College, 35-7.
In the South East there were some true standout performances, and among them The Judd continuing to impress at every turn with a stunning 59-7 victory over Ravens Wood. Not to be outdone, ahead of their midweek Schools Cup clash, John Fisher were also in brilliant form as they sealed a 43-0 victory at Wimbledon College.
There really were some brilliant performances, Gravesend Grammar winning 43-3 at St Olave’s and UCS 52-21 at home against QES Barnet, plus Cardinal Vaughan’s 42-0 performance over St Richard Reynolds and Campion’s excellent 41-17 effort over Emanuel. However the performance of the day in the area surely belongs to St Albans who continue to display their rapid rise as a rugby force with a stunning 66-12 victory at last year’s third place finishers in the Daily Mail Trophy, St Benedict’s.
Reigate Grammar continue to impress, they won their big local derby with Caterham by a good 27-13 margin, meanwhile Wallington County Grammar will be happy with their 27-19 effort over Dartford Grammar, as will Maidstone Grammar with a really impressive 35-7 victory at Eltham College.
Hurstpierpoint College were impressive en route to a 28-14 victory against a Skinners’ side that has been outstanding so far this season. There were impressive victories for King’s Canterbury, 31-7 v Cranbrook, and King’s Rochester, 29-3 v Ashford, too.
Tiffin and Halliford had a tight one, ending 24-19 in Tiffin’s favour, while Cedars won an even closer one at Latymer Upper, 24-22. It was tight at Watford Grammar too as they won 12-8 v Haberdashers’.
In Hertfordshire Richard Hale’s brilliant start to the season continued with a fantastic 39-15 victory over Coopers’ Coborn, but it was to the east where the result that should have made everyone in schools rugby sit up and take note occurred. Northampton School for Boys, who had beaten Ipswich and lost to Denstone by a point, travelled to Finborough as favourites given their exploits. It is a Finborough side that many are expecting impressive things from this season, but what unfolded was more impressive that most would have imaged as they put in an epic performance to beat NSB 31-17, setting them up very nicely for their Schools Cup tie against Ipswich next week – that game has now just become unmissable.
Elsewhere in the area, RGS Colchester enjoyed a good 22-5 victory over Royal Hospital School and there were some really impressive performances in Norfolk, not least a stunning 50-3 victory for Norwich over Bishop’s Stortford College. Langley impressed too, beating Culford 31-17, while King’s Ely won a really tight one at Wisbech Grammar, 13-10.
The Midlands saw Loughborough Grammar in flying form against Bishop Vesey’s Grammar, 48-0, while KES Stratford hosted an inspired King’s Gloucester side, who won 32-17. However the story in the West of the Midlands at the moment is surely Solihull, who are averaging over 61 points a game at the moment. They were rampant once again as they defeated Leicester Grammar 56-3. Newcastle Under Lyme meanwhile enjoyed a free-flowing game at Abraham Darby, winning 43-21.
In the North West King’s Macclesfield are looking sensational, they earned a brilliant 56-7 victory at Merchant Taylors’, while Manchester Grammar won an exciting won at home to Bolton, 36-22. Things were really tight at St Anselm’s College though, where Wirral Grammar emerged victorious in a nail-biter, 27-24
Travelling across the Pennines were AKS Lytham, who won a tight one at Giggleswick, 26-20. Things were tight for long periods at QEGS Wakefield too, where they earned an 18-7 victory over the visiting St Peter’s York, whose 3rd XV were defeated 45-0 by Scarborough College 1stXV. The side everyone is talking about in Yorkshire at the moment though are Bradford Grammar, whose brilliant start to the season continued with a superb 57-7 victory over Pocklington.
Travelling from Yorkshire to the North East were Grammar School at Leeds, but they met an RGS Newcastle side that was playing some glorious rugby en route to a 45-14 victory. They will now be eyeing up that Schools Cup tie against Barnard Castle with real glee. Durham were also in sensational form as they sealed a fantastic 40-0 victory over Newcastle School for Boys, and it was a good day for Dame Allan’s too, they secured an impressive 31-0 victory over Austin Friars.
In Scotland things were fairly quiet, Edinburgh Academy winning a really tense game at Strathallan, 14-12, while Stewart’s Melville were impressive for a 36-12 defeat of Dollar Academy.
Sunday
Woodbridge RUFC 17-29 Framlingham College
There was also a rare Sunday fixture as Framlingham College took on club side Woodbridge RUFC, securing a confidence boosting 29-17 victory to take into their next encounter vs Langley in the Schools Vase.
Still to Come:
Lymm High v Wilmslow High (Friday)
Cheadle Hulme v Sandbach
Pangbourne College v Aylesbury Grammar
Sir Joseph Williamson’s v Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar
St Ambrose College v Stockport Grammar
Yarm v St Andrews Scots, Argentina
