With half term over, the school rugby season is back in full flow and with that come more NextGenXV Schools Rugby Live Streams!
This Saturday live streaming returns with the Dorset derby, Bryanston vs Canford, and you will be able to watch every second of that schools rugby 1st XV fixture live here on NextGenXV either by heading to our YouTube channel, TikTok, or on the embedded link below.
Indications are that it should be an absolutely superb occasion and a top game of school rugby, Bryanston host this game having had one of their best starts to the season in years, winning 7 out of 7 in the first half of term for an unbeaten record that includes victories over Dean Close, Downside, Wellington School, and plenty of others.
Scott Hobson’s team are also through to Round 4 of the U18 Schools Vase, where they will face Ivybridge Community College on Thursday 10th November.
Coming to visit are a Canford side that has had a strong first half of term too. Peter Short’s side are playing on a slightly trickier circuit than Bryanston, and yet Canford, who have former England number 8 Tony Diprose as their Director of Sport, have won four of their eight games.
Victories have come over Hurstpierpoint College, Bishop Wordsworth’s (twice), and, particularly impressive, against Blundell’s. They also finished up in 8th place, of 16, at the Merchiston Castle Festival over half term.
Bryanston held the upper hand in this fixture through the late 2000s and early 2010s, with the likes of Henry Pyrgos, Huw Bennett, Ollie Devoto, Charlie Ewels, Tom Woolstencroft, Max Clark, Rory Jennings, and Will Skuse picking up the mantle left in the early 90s by Phil de Glanville.
However since a 10-10 draw in 2015 Canford have held the upper hand, the school that produced former England 7s star Ben Gollings has won four of the last five encounters, including the two most recent fixtures, a 16-6 victory in 2019 and a 31-17 victory last year.
Looking ahead to this year the sense is that this should be a good fixture, Bryanston’s unbeaten record versus Canford’s 50/50 record on a trickier circuit suggests a roughly even game, while the current U6ths results in their younger years certainly adds to that. They were unable to meet as U16s due to Covid, but as U15s in 2019 Canford won 3-0, and as U14s the year before it was a 5-5 draw.
Canford may have cause for optimism through their U17 group, who enjoyed strong victories over Bryanston as U16s in 2021 and as U14s in 2019, but Bryanston’s confidence through their 7/7 start to the season should be strong too.
All in all, it looks set to be a superb game of rugby!
