Trinity School, Croydon ran in five tries to record a convincing win over Brighton College on Saturday.
Trinity School, the current holders of the National U18 Cup, have made a strong start to the season, including a 50-point winning margin over Dulwich at their Cup fixture earlier in the week. Even without Connor Byrne and Josh Bellamy, absent from the side due to the clash with an England training camp, they presented a formidable challenge to a Brighton side that was hit by injury early this season. After starting the season with a win over Tonbridge, the Sussex school were without a number of starters for the Pete Bellenger memorial game under Friday night lights against Hampton, and the 1st XV squad had been further depleted by subsequent injuries: the ten or so players watching from the touchline will hopefully be available soon.
The home side kicked off in the early autumn sunshine, with a warm breeze coming off the sea, and after early exchanges of possession, Trinity established good field position after an attempted clearance kick had been charged down. When play was switched to the right, prop Kane Fleary forced his way over to score in the corner, scrum half Lucas Friday adding the conversion from the touchline.
Trinity made a safe clearance kick from the restart and recovered possession after a knock-on on halfway. They looked to move the ball through the hands and although that move broke down, Brighton were unable to regain possession. After Trinity had won a lineout through flanker William Peart-Smith the ensuing maul took play deep into the Brighton 22. That was finally stopped but Trinity maintained the pressure, winning a 5m scrum and switching play to the right, threatening another score, but the defence held firm and, although another clearance kick was charged down, the pressure was eventually relieved.
Brighton at last broke out of their half, winning a lineout on the right and moving the ball through the hands but the ball went into touch, and Trinity regained possession from the set piece, Friday putting up a box kick. That was well run back and after a further exchange of kicks, Brighton spotted the chance of a 50:22, finding touch in the left corner. With possession secured from the lineout, the maul was established but Trinity forced a turnover and were able to clear, though the respite was brief as a penalty was conceded. Second row James Davies looked to narrow the deficit with three points from the tee, but his kick went wide.
After Trinity’s clearance kick had been run back, Brighton continued to apply pressure, winning a lineout on the left and moving the ball through the hands on the right, but a handling error gave possession back to the visitors. Their clearance kick went directly into touch, giving Brighton another attacking lineout on the left, won by No 8 Jack Hewar. Again, the maul was set up, before play was switched to the backs and Trinity were penalised in midfield. The place-kicking duties were taken over by fly-half Seb McNamara, who had been fulfilling those duties for last year’s Brighton U15 side and is still an U16, but his kick from the tee was off target. Although Trinity’s subsequent clearance kick was secured by Davies who carried strongly in midfield, the ball went loose and was collected by Trinity left-wing Omar Leon who outpaced the defence to score in the right corner. Friday’s touchline conversion was again on target.
Half-time: Brighton College 0-19 Trinity School
The start of the second half saw Brighton forced back into their own half. After winning a defensive scrum they cleared to halfway, but Peart-Smith was again solid at the lineout and the resulting maul took play up to the 22 but, when the ball was switched to the backs, full-back Zack Nixon was unable to get away an offload, giving Brighton the throw-in at a lineout on the right. Possession was won – not without difficulty – and a box kick put up, which was powerfully run back by Trinity fly half and captain Fin Kennedy before being moved down the line where Peart-Smith and No 8 Joe Marvin combined, but a penalty was conceded. The kick from hand did not find touch and was run back by Trinity deep into the left corner where hooker Quinn Singh broke through tackles before offloading to flanker Ed Brown who crashed over on the left. For once Friday’s conversion attempt from out wide was unsuccessful.
Although Brighton soon regained possession from a scrum following the restart and moved the ball through the hands on the right, a forward pass gave the ball back to Trinity on halfway. Strong running on the right by outside centre Max Farrell put Leon into space but Brighton were able to escape with a goal-line drop-out. That was run back by Trinity and Brighton penalised, with Friday’s kick from hand giving his side an attacking lineout in the right corner. In an evident training ground move, that was thrown by Quinn to Marvin at the front and the No 8 passed it straight back to Quinn who ran in unopposed to score in the corner. Friday was back on song with a third touchline conversion.
When the restart was knocked on by Trinity, the home side used possession from the scrum to move the ball at pace on the left, Saunders and Horsbrugh combining effectively, but the move broke down just short of the line. There was an unfortunate lapse of discipline leading to a warning from the referee, but play came back for a knock-on giving Brighton the chance to move the ball from the resulting scrum. A handling error gave Trinity the chance to fly hack clear so relieving the pressure and, although Horsburgh threatened to break out with some elusive running on the right, a penalty gave Trinity good field position with an attacking line-out in the left corner, from which loose head prop David Bampoe forced his way over to score. One would not have wanted to bet against Friday being successful from out wide again, but the chance was lost when the ball was blown off the tee as he was starting his run-up.
Despite the increasing deficit on the scoreboard and mounting injuries reducing them to 14 players, Brighton had continued to seek to play some Rugby at every opportunity, and McNamara’s kicking helped them to clear their lines after Trinity had again taken play deep into the Brighton half. With time running out, a well-executed 50:22 then gave Brighton an attacking lineout on the right and good hands saw the ball moved quickly to the left, where a deliberate knock-on gave Brighton the chance to continue the move from a quickly taken tapped penalty. The ball came to West who cut through to score close to the posts, McNamara adding the extras as the Referee blew up for the end of the game.
The scoreboard would indicate a comfortable victory for Trinity but this was an entertaining and well-contested game. A Brighton squad including a number of players more used to 2nd XV games (and even a couple of 3rd XV players) maintained a positive approach and showed good skills against a side that, even without a couple of their stars, would severely test many schools’ 1st XVs. The wider squad will have a chance to regroup in their local Derby against Hurstpierpoint before heading to St Joe’s where they narrowly lost in last year’s final to Millfield. Trinity will also be at St Joe’s, as befits their status as current National Champions, where they will be in the same group as Kirkham GS, but must also face a short trip down the road to Whitgift for the second round of the Cup.
Full-time: Brighton College 7-31 Trinity School
By Peter Crawshaw
Teams:
Brighton College: Barkshire, Miller Cole, Sagar, James Davies, Noah Faulkner-Weale, George Williams, Archie Kane, Jack Hewer, Webb, Seb McNamara, West, Harry Streak, Tom Saunders, Billy Horsbrugh, H Williams
Replacements: McKitterick, Skinner, McGuinness, Hellewell
Trinity School: David Bampoe, Quinn Singh, Kane Fleary, Oliver German, Oscar Sweeney, Edward Brown, William Peart-Smith, Joe Marvin, Lucas Friday, Finlay Kennedy (Capt), Omar Leon, Max Beadle, Max Farrell, Oliver Wilcox, Zack Nixon
Replacements: Temi Asanbe, Jacob Brome, Roma Matebalavu, Samson Goldschmied
