Thursday sees Cheltenham College and Sir Thomas Rich’s go head to head at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium.
NextGenXV will be live streaming the game, which is in support of the Cirencester Housing for Young People Charity, and you will be able to watch the 7.30pm kick off live on NextGenXV on our YouTube channel, on TikTok, and through the embedded link below.
https://youtu.be/oMChcsNZWco
Throughout the evening funds will be raised for the CHYP charity, with supports young homeless people in the area between 16 and 25 years of age; you can find out more at www.cirencesterhousingforyoungpeople.com
Both sides have produced a number of players for Gloucester in recent times, and there could be a good few more on the field on Thursday night as they run out at the home of the Gallagher Premiership side in what is going to be a very special night.
It should be a fantastic game too, both sides are enjoying strong seasons and games between these two always seem to produce classic encounters.
Cheltenham College have won the last three of these games, but they have always been withing a score, 17-12 in 2018, 17-14 in 2019, and last year an absolute classic; 25-22.
Even as younger sides these games have been close, Sir Thomas Rich’s won the U16 encounter between the two last year, 22-15, while the two age-groups that make up this year’s 1st XVs also met at U14 level, Cheltenham winning the game between the two now U6ths 5-0 in 2018, while Tommies won the game between the two now L6ths in 2019, 29-5.
This season Cheltenham College have won four of their seven games to date, and only Monmouth and Millfield have beaten them, two of the best sides around – and both of those were tight games. Victories have come over Bloxham, Abingdon, Teddies Oxford, and Blundell’s, while there was also a tight 7-7 draw with a strong Marlborough College side.
Tommies have played a couple more games than Cheltenham due to their participation in the U18 Schools Cup. King’s Worcester, Dean Close, Bloxham, Bristol Grammar, and Pate’s Grammar have all been beaten, so too Monmouth and Sherborne in the Cup – two dominant performances. Defeats have come to Bromsgrove and then in the most recent round of the Cup, Blundell’s.
What all of that tells us is that these are two well matched sides. Against their three common opponents the results are interesting, against Bloxham both had similar victories, against Blundell’s Cheltenham enjoyed victory and Tommies lost, while against Monmouth Cheltenham lost a tight one and Tommies had a strong victory.
What does it all tell us? That Thursday night is going to be an absolutely mouth-watering encounter!
