Just when you though the season might be at peak excitement and peak unpredictability, along comes yet another weekend that blows your socks off.
With the St Joseph’s Festival, Merchiston Festival, and some unbelievable standalone fixtures coming up this weekend, not to mention the Schools Cup in midweek, the appetite has well and truly be whetted by the weekend’s action.
There were some stunning games of rugby, not least in our Live Streamed game between Wellington College and Millfield in Round 3 of The Schools Championship, which turned out to be arguably the game of the season so far – check out the highlights below!
It was far from the only stunning game of rugby, but there were also some stunning performances in games where we might have expected a more even balance some sides were able to find a level of performance that was beyond expectation.
A glorious weekend all round.
Ten to Watch
Bedford 40-5 Dulwich College
Denstone College 52-12 Woodhouse Grove
Epsom College 17-29 Hampton
Ipswich 55-17 Seaford College
Kirkham Grammar 53-5 Northampton School for Boys
Marlborough College 24-26 Eton College
Stowe 38-19 Rugby
The Judd 31-17 RGS Guildford
Warwick 20-10 Stamford
Wellington College 28-31 Millfield (The Schools Championship)
We begin our look back at our Ten to Watch with that stunning game on Bigside in The Schools Championship, where Wellington College and Millfield put on one of the most exceptional games of school rugby that we have seen. Twice Millfield built leads with some sublime rugby, twice Wellington College came roaring back, from looking down and out they got to withing three points with the final play remaining but Millfield held on, skipper Ieuan Davies booted clear, and the most magnificent game was concluded with Millfield the victors. Oddly enough though, defeat was enough to put Wellington to the top of the table, thanks to both a losing bonus point and a try scoring bonus. Leaving them on six points with Sedbergh and Millfield behind on four, having played a game each, and Whitgift in fourth on two. The highlights of the game are above, but it is well worth watching the whole thing again below…as truly stunning game of rugby, and one that really whets the appetite ahead of the St Joseph’s Festival and the prospect of the two most recent champions going head to head there.
There was a similarly tight and tense game in Wiltshire as Marlborough College welcomed Eton College, two sides playing some great rugby at the moment. So it proved again on Saturday and they could barely be separated, splitting 50 points but Eton College just edging 26-24. For Eton the possibility of an unbeaten first half of term creeps closer, while for Marlborough College it was just the sort of stiff test that they will have wanted ahead of St Jo’s.
Kirkham Grammar School head to the St Joseph’s Festival in simply stunning form. They met Northampton School for Boys on Saturday and while Kirkham were favourites, NSB were expected to be a tough side for them to get past. However Kirkham laid down a marker, and a massive one at that, winning by a stunning margin that surely adds to the sense that they are one of the big favourites this weekend.
Also heading up to the St Joseph’s Festival are Denstone College, and they also laid down a big marker this weekend with a stunning 52-12 defeat of Woodhouse Grove. Denstone have looked powerful all season but this will have plenty sitting up and taking note ahead of a weekend at which we have already labelled them dark horses.
One of the sides we have said are likely to be title challengers are Hampton, who will head to the Festival with an unbeaten record if they beat KCS in the Cup on Wednesday. They travelled to Epsom College on Saturday and kept their remarkable unbeaten start going with a good 29-17 victory, despite the natural player management required with a Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday/Sunday schedule.
Of course the St Joseph’s Festival is not the only Festival this weekend, Merchiston Castle also host theirs and Bedford will arrive full of confidence after meeting Dulwich College ahead of their Dulwich’s trip to St Jo’s in what is the oldest continues schools rugby fixture. Bedford were in scintillating form, as they have been for much of the season, en route to a brilliant 40-5 victory.
Joining Bedford at the Merchiston Festival will be Ipswich and Seaford College, but it is Ipswich that will be heading there feeling full of confidence after a quite outstanding 55-17 victory on Saturday to bounce back from a difficult seven days or so in the build up. They will surely be among the favourites up in Scotland next week.
Of course many are not heading to Festivals this weekend but that does not mean that they were not pumping in exceptional performances on Saturday. Stowe continue to look utterly brilliant as they welcomed Rugby School and put on a show at their wonderful home ground for a 38-19 victory, their third on the spin.
The only side that has defeated Stowe this year is Stamford, and it is therefore a measure of where Warwickare at the moment that they claimed a 20-10 victory over Stamford on Saturday, a huge momentum builder ahead of their U18 Schools Cup game at Oakham on Wednesday.
One of the teams of the season has been The Judd, they are unbeaten and absolutely flying, including victories over Tonbridge and a Schools Cup second round tie next week. On Saturday they hosted another side having a year to remember, RGS Guildford. RGS were good, giving The Judd arguably their toughest game of the season, and yet The Judd march on, a 31-17 victory and a season that continues to get ever more special with each passing game.
Friday
Reading Blue Coat 34-6 Churcher’s College
St John’s, Leatherhead 10-50 Trinity (at Esher RFC)
Friday was a fairly quiet day relative to previous Friday’s this season, but Trinity were able to make plenty of noise with yet another statement victory ahead of the St Joseph’s Festival, where they will surely be one of the favourites. They were at Esher RFC to take on St John’s Leatherhead and put in a sensational performance to win 50-10, they are looking mighty. Reading Blue Coat are also having a wonderful season ad had a Friday to remember too as they met Churcher’s College and put in a great performance to win 34-6.
Saturday
Ampleforth College 7-45 Durham
Barnard Castle 62-12 Lancaster RGS (Schools Plate)
Bishop Wordsworth’s 18-19 Canford
Bloxham 41-12 Magdalen College
Bromsgrove 17-22 Monmouth
Bryanston 22-13 Warminster
Calday Grange Grammar 31-17 The Grange
Cardinal Vaughan 38-26 Wisbech Grammar
Cheltenham College 29-0 St Edward’s, Oxford
Christ College 50-0 Mount Kelly
Christ’s Hospital 12-0 King’s Canterbury
Clayesmore 26-52 KES Southampton
Clifton College 42-0 Bristol Grammar
Clifton High 33-12 Rendcombe College
Collegiate 33-26 KES Bath
Coopers’ Coborn 12-7 RGS Colchester
Dartford Grammar 0-33 Skinners’
Dean Close 6-12 Sir Thomas Rich’s
Downside 22-3 Wells Cathedral
Eastbourne College 75-12 Sevenoaks
Eltham College 12-5 Colfe’s (Schools Bowl)
Felsted 33-7 Oundle
Framlingham College 5-50 Norwich
Gordon’s 2nd XV 53-0 Latymer Upper
Grammar School at Leeds 0-23 Bradford Grammar
Gravesend Grammar 18-26 Brentwood
Gresham’s 67-5 Royal Hospital School
Haileybury 59-7 Reed’s
Hurstpierpoint College 6-31 Brighton College
John Fisher 31-32 Langley Park
KCS Wimbledon 10-38 Cranleigh
King’s Gloucester 21-21 Cathedral School, Llandaff
King’s Rochester 10-35 Duke of York’s Royal Military
Loretto 62-14 Glenalmond College
Maidstone Grammar 24-10 Sir Joseph Williamson’s
Malvern College 26-5 RGS Worcester
Manchester Grammar 12-17 Kirkham Grammar 2nd XV
Merchant Taylors’, Northwood 7-23 Mill Hill
Merchiston Triangular: George Heriot’s, Merchiston Castle, Peebles High – Merchiston Castle champions
Old Swinford Hospital 53-12 Solihull
Oswestry 10-14 St David’s College, Llandudno
Pangbourne College 22-42 Dauntsey’s
Portsmouth Grammar 46-3 Ryde
Prior Park College 33-21 QEH
Richard Hale 38-22 Bancroft’s
Robert Clack 0-50 St Joseph’s College 2nd XV
Sherborne 38-12 Abingdon
Shiplake College 33-7 UCS
St Albans 33-7 Campion
St Ambrose College 19-19 St Anselm’s College
St Columba’s College 14-28 QES Barnet
St George’s College, Weybridge 28-17 London Oratory
St George’s, Harpenden 10-7 Watford Grammar
St Lawrence College 19-24 Cranbrook
St Peter’s, York 12-52 Sedbergh
Taunton 0-0 Blundell’s
The Crypt 26-20 KES Stratford (at Old Cryptians)
The Leys 60-21 Bishop’s Stortford College
The Oratory 49-17 Aylesbury Grammar
The Perse 43-17 Bishop’s Stortford High
Tiffin 5-8 Wimbledon College
Tom Burrows Cup: At Silcoates – Dame Allan’s, champions
Tonbridge 22-14 Radley College
Trent College 50-0 Pocklington
Truro 41-15 Plymouth College
Uppingham 5-21 Bedford Modern
Wellingborough 5-20 Loughborough Grammar
West Buckland 7-19 Wellington School
Wirral Grammar 64-22 Cheadle Hulme
Worksop College 8-27 Nottingham High
Worth 15-15 Reigate Grammar (Schools Vase)
Wycliffe College 0-41 Kingswood
Saturday was, as ever a busy day and there were some performances and fixtures to match, not least a great game between Monmouth and Bromsgrove. Both teams pushed each other enormously, but it was the visitors, Monmouth, that claimed victory, 22-17. Things were even tighter at Bishop Wordsworth’s where Canford won 19-18 in a game that both will remember for a long time, and Canford are looking very handy at the moment.
One of the most extraordinary games of the weekend was at John Fisher, where they built up a strong 31-5 half time lead of Langley Park, only for the visitors to put together the most stunning run in the second half to clinch the game 32-31. Schools rugby at its absolute finest.
There were knockout games over the weekend too, and a tight one in the Schools Vase as Worth and Reigate Grammar held each other to a 15-15 draw. Meanwhile in the Schools Plate Barnard Castle booked their place in the North A regional final with a quite stunning 62-12 defeat of Lancaster RGS, they will now play QEGS Wakefield in that regional final, a clash of Cup legends. There was also Bowl action, Eltham College winning a tight one against Colfe’s, 12-5.
There was Cup action of a different sort at Silcoates as they hosted the annual Tom Burrows Cup. The field was strong, and the games close, but eventually it was to be Dame Allan’s that emerged victorious, Newcastle School for Boys pushing them all the way.
There was silverware at Ampleforth College too as Durham visited, playing for the Noel Shearing Cup. Played in the memory of Noel, and with his old Number 7 jersey present, Durham did him proud with a stunning 45-7 display.
Up at Merchiston Castle there were multiple teams in action as Merchiston prepared for this weekend’s Festival with a triangular. They hosted George Heriot’s and Peebles High, and will be feeling confident ahead of the Festival after ousting both. Norwich will be feeling confident ahead of the Festival too, after a quite outstanding 50-5 victory away at Framlingham College, and it will be a similar feeling of confidence for Collegiate too, they won a thriller at home to KES Bath, 33-26.
It will not be the same feeling of confidence for Uppingham though, they welcomed Bedford Modern to L1 and the visitors claimed a 21-5 victory, continuing a season that is proving to be one of Bedford Modern’s best for years. Also heading up to Merchiston are Wycliffe College, but like Uppingham they will be hoping for a change of fortunes north of the border after a 41-0 defeat to Kingswood on Saturday, a great performance from Kingswood.
St Joseph’s College were not in action ahead of their Festival this weekend, though their 2nd XV did beat Robert Clack 50-0, but two sides that are going met each other on Saturday, Hurstpierpoint College and Brighton College. Brighton College were finally back to something approaching full fitness and it showed with a strong 31-6 display away from home that is surely going to see they buoyed ahead of another trip to Suffolk where they have enjoyed so many strong weekends over the years.
One of the biggest non-Festival games this weekend, indeed probably of the whole season, is Sedbergh’s trip to Blackrock College. Sedbergh warmed up for that this weekend in the most extraordinary fashion, continuing their perfect start to the season with a superb 52-12 victory at St Peter’s, York.
Due to the Tom Burrows Cup, it was a slightly quieter weekend in the North of England in terms of fixture numbers, one side making noise though are Bradford Grammar, who continued their fine start to the season with a brilliant 23-0 victory over Grammar School at Leeds. North of the border Loretto were in sensational form, beating Glenalmond College 62-14, while over in the north West of England Kirkham Grammar showed their depth as their 2nd XV edged Manchester Grammar 17-12. Calday Grange Grammar meanwhile beat The Grange, 31-17.
Wirral Grammar were sensational, as they have been often, beating Cheadle Hulme 64-22, there was also a thrilling draw, St Ambrose College 19-19 St Anselm’s College. Over in Nottinghamshire Trent College were also spectacular, beating Pocklington 50-0, while neighbours Nottingham High won 27-8 at Worksop College. Loughborough Grammar were also on song, winning 20-5 at Wellingborough.
Futher East, Gresham’s were exceptional at home to Royal Hospital School, winning 67-5. In Cambridge The Leys were in similar form, beating Bishop’s Stortford College 60-21, while Bishop’s Stortford High were also in Cambridge, going down 43-17 to The Perse.
Felsted were flying, beating Oundle 33-7, while Coopers’ Coborn won 12-7 against RGS Colchester. Meanwhile in Hertfordshire there were some great performances, Haileybury stunnig Reed’s with another top performance, 59-7, while St Albans’ great form continues with a 33-7 defeat of Campion. St George’s Harpdenden meanwhile won a close one 10-7 against Watford Grammar, and QES Barnet beat St Columba’s College 28-14. Richard Hale, meanwhile, continue their exceptional first half of the season, they sealed a 38-22 victory over Bancroft’s.
In London KCS Wimbledon hosted Cranleigh, last year KCS took this one but Cranleigh got their revenge this year, winning 38-10 away from home. There was an away win for Brentwood at Gravesend Grammartoo, 26-18, and an impressive one for Skinners’ at Dartford Grammar, 33-0, while Mill Hill went to Merchant Taylors’ and claimed a 23-7 victory.
There was a really tight game at Tiffin, with Wimbledon College just edging that one 8-5, while Cardinal Vaughan welcomed Wisbech Grammar for their annual fixture a claimed an exciting 38-26 victory.
Deeper into the South East, Tonbridge look as though they are bang back in form as they won a cracking game against Radley College 22-14. Keep an eye on Tonbridge in the second half of term. Meanwhile Duke of York’s Royal Military went to King’s Rochester and claimed a 35-10 victory, with Cranbrook also on song on the road, winning 24-19 at St Lawrence College. Maidstone Grammar meanwhile won at home, beating Sir Joseph Williamson’s 24-10.
Eastbourne College are having what seems like one of their best seasons for a while and they underlined that point on Saturday with a quite stunning 75-12 defeat of Sevenoaks. Portsmouth Grammar were also on pretty striking form, beating Ryde 46-3.
Surrey saw St George’s College Weybridge and London Oratory go head to head, St George’s winning a good game 28-17. There was a good one at Christ’s Hospital too, the hosts defeating King’s Canterbury 12-0. Meanwhile Gordon’s non-ACE side had a blinder, beating Latymer Upper 53-0.
Sweeping around to head further West, The Oratory had a great Saturday with a superb 49-17 victory over Aylesbury Grammar, while Shiplake College were enjoying themselves too, beating UCS 33-7. Meanwhile Dauntsey’s headed to Pangbourne College and came home with an excellent 42-22 victory.
On the A303, Sherborne were in brilliant form against Abingdon winning 38-12 in a game that should fill them with confidence. Back in Oxfordshire, Bloxham were on song in a superb 41-12 defeat of Magdalen College, while further West Old Swinford Hopsital made a statement against a Solihull side that has been tearing up trees, winning 53-12.
Oswestry welcomed St David’s College from Wales, and the Welsh side just claimed a tight one, 14-10, meanwhile at Malvern College excitement continues to build ahead of Friday night’s Border Shield clash thanks to a 26-5 defeat of RGS Worcester.
On the West of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham College are putting together a very tidy season and that continued on Saturday with a fantastic 29-0 victory over St Edward’s, Oxford. The Crypt meanwhile won a really tight game at Old Cryptians against KES Stratford, 26-20, and things were incredibly closely fought at Dean Close, where Sir Thomas Rich’s just edged it 12-6. Not as tight as at King’s Gloucester though, where they were held to a 21-21 draw by Welsh visitors Cathedral School, Llandaff.
Over in Wales Christ College had a day to remember with a 50-0 defeat of Mount Kelly, while back across the border Clifton College showed all of their undoubted class for a brilliant 42-0 victory over Bristol Grammar. Neighbours Clifton High also had a good Saturday, beating Rendcombe College 33-12.
KES Southampton made the trip to Clayesmore and sealed victory in a really high scoring game, 52-26, while Bryanston secured a 22-13 victory over Warminster, and Downside were on form for a 22-3 victory at home to Wells Cathedral.
Right down in Cornwall, Truro School enjoyed a great performance for a 41-15 victory over Plymouth College ahead of their derby v Truro College next week, while back further North Wellington School won 19-7 at West Buckland, and Prior Park College are looking strong still as they won a thriller over QEH 33-21.
Still to Come:
Bolton v Giggleswick
Fulham Boys v Gunnersbury (at Grasshoppers RFC)
Hutton Grammar v Merchant Taylors’, Crosby
Lymm High v Stockport Grammar
Marr College v Glasgow High
St Dunstan’s College v St Olave’s Grammar
St Mary’s College v Birkenhead (Schools Bowl)
St Paul’s v RGS High Wycombe
Wilmslow High v Sandbach
