Schools Rugby: Midweek Roundup | Tight games dominate the week

Midweek Roundup 2nd December

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It has been a relatively quiet midweek of school rugby as teams gear up for the final week of the term, though there has still been some absolutely fantastic rugby.

 

There have been some huge fixtures too, from Schools Vase and Bowl regional finals, to county cup semi finals and final, and even a brilliant game at the Cardiff Arms Park.

 

This time of year is such a special time in schools rugby, with players pulling on the shirt for the last time in many cases, or in their last ever home game. For others it’s a time where the biggest game of the season come, huge knockout ties and big derbies. Managing that blend of competition and enjoyment was one of the themes talked about in this week’s NextGenXV Podcast, where the topic of what makes a great school coach was one of the key talking points.

 

 

With that in mind, we would love you to get in touch with your thoughts on the greatest school coach of the last decade or so as we look to debate that topic next week.

 

Midweek Roundup

 

Tuesday

 

Bishop’s Stortford College 17-22 Bishop’s Stortford High

Marling 19-5 Monmouth 2nd XV

Royal Latin 5-24 Aylesbury Grammar

 

The pick of Tuesday’s fixture was surely the Bishop’s Stortford derby, and what a game it turned out to be with just five points separating the two sides. Bishop’s Stortford College were the hosts, but it was Bishop’s Stortford High School that claimed the bragging right, winning 22-17. Elsewhere, Aylesbury Grammar had a good performance against Royal Latin, winning 24-5, while Marling were on song against Monmouth’s 2ndXV, winning 19-5.

 

Wednesday

 

Ashville Harrogate 22-22 Harrogate Grammar 2nd XV

Cardinal Vaughan 33-28 Grey Court

Cathedral School, Llandaff 17-10 Wycliffe College – at Cardiff Arms Park

Cheltenham Bournside 5-50 Pate’s Grammar

Christ College 60-7 Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg

City of Oxford College 0-50 Samuel Whitbread Academy

Coopers’ Coborn 13-6 Tiffin (Schools Bowl)

Culford 13-15 King’s Ely

Dr Challoner’s Grammar 28-17 Magdalen College

Durham 20-10 Mount St Mary’s College (Schools Vase)

Forest 28-0 Burnham Grammar

Glasgow High 17-10 Kelvinside Academy (Scottish Schools Plate SF)

Gosforth Academy 14-17 Dame Allan’s (County Cup SF)

Haberdashers’ Elstree 15-10 QES Barnet

Halliford 31-30 Claire’s Court

Hayes 38-24 Roebucks Rugby Academy

Henley College 17-24 Ipswich 2nd XV

Holyport 38-19 Reading

Hymers College 34-3 Scarborough College

KES Five Ways 28-20 Leicester Grammar (Schools Bowl)

King’s Grantham 22-25 Nottingham High

King’s Macclesfield 26-3 Wirral Grammar – County Cup Final at Wilmslow RFC

London Oratory 26-0 UCS

Manchester Grammar 24-24 Rishworth

Newcastle-Under-Lyme 67-5 Haberdashers’ Adams U17

Old Swinford Hospital 62-18 Ivybridge Community College (Schools Vase)

Orelans Park 32-7 St Richard Reynolds

Piggot 19-17 Windsor Boys (County Cup SF)

Plymouth College 27-27 Callywith College

Ravens Wood 35-22 Langley Park

Shrewsbury 15-10 Wrekin College

Sir Thomas Rich’s 2nd XV 14-17 St Peter’s Gloucester

St Edward’s, Cheltenham 10-29 Balcarras

St Joseph’s College 7-50 Whitgift – at Colchester RFC

The Oratory 19-7 Cokethorpe

Tunbridge Wells Grammar 24-7 Trinity Sevenoaks

Warwick 37-26 Solihull

Wellingborough 0-22 Bedford Modern

 

Wednesday had some massive games, not least two U18 Schools Vase Regional Finals. Durham have been in great form lately but they were hosting the reigning champions, Mount St Mary’s College. It was a big start, but the home side were up to it and claimed a 20-10 victory to move into the quarter finals.

 

Old Swinford Hospital, the former Cup finalists, were meanwhile in swashbuckling form against an Ivybridge Community College side that is used to going deep in these knockout competitions. There was nothing that they could do about this excellent Old Swinford Hospital side though, who stormed to the quarter finals with a 62-18 victory.

 

Over in the U18 Schools Bowl, Coopers’ Coborn reached the quarter finals with a 13-6 victory over Tiffin, while KES Five Ways also progressed after an superb game against Leicester Grammar, 28-20.

 

There was plenty of County Cup action on Wednesday too, and in the Cheshire County Cup King’s Macclesfield continued their outstanding season to claim the Cup, beating a really impressive Wirral Grammar side 26-3. Wirral did little wrong, but this season King’s Macclesfield are simply formidable.

 

There were a couple of County Cup semi finals too, and what thrillers they were. Dame Allan’s edgingGosforth Academy 17-14, and Piggot beating Windsor Boys by an even tighter margin, 19-17.

 

In Scotland there was Schools Plate semi final action, and another really tight game as Glasgow High School booked their place in next week’s final with a 17-10 victory over Kelvinside Academy.

 

 

Over in Wales there was a massive game at the Cardiff Arms Park as Cathedral School Llandaff and Wycliffe College went head to head in their Classic Clash. It was a game worthy of the venue, tight and exciting, and just going the way of the Welsh side, 17-10. Christ College Brecon were also in action on Wednesday, and in superb form, beating Bro Morgannwg by a stunning 60-7 margin.

 

Over in England Colchester RFC played host to St Joseph’s College against Whitgift. St Joseph’s felt the full force of a wounded Whitgift after late defeat to Haileybury over the weekend and the Croydon side responded to that defeat in stunning fashion, Whitgift sealing a 50-7 victory.

 

Elsewhere, there was a thriller between Warwick and Solihull, two sides that have played some great rugby at times this season. Warwick took victory, 37-26. Bedford Modern have also had some really wonderful moments this year, and had another on Wednesday in a 22-0 defeat of Wellingborough.

 

In the North West there was a thrilling draw between Manchester Grammar and Rishworth, 24-24, while further South Newcastle-Under-Lyme were flying for a 67-5 victory over Haberdashers’ Adams. Yorkshire meanwhile saw another epic draw, the Harrogate derby between Ashville College and Harrogate Grammar U17 ending 22-22. Hymers College meanwhile won 34-3 against Scarborough College, and there was a thriller in Lincolnshire as Nottingham High School just edged out King’s Grantham 25-22.

 

In the West of England, Shrewsbury just edged out Wrekin College 15-10, while in Oxford Samuel Whitbread were in stunning form against City of Oxford College for a 50-0 away win. Magdalen College were on the road but it was their hosts Dr Challoner’s Grammar that claimed victory, 28-17. In Henley Ipswich 2nd XV were enjoying themselves in a great game with Henley College, winning 24-17, while in Reading The Oratory were on song for a 19-7 victory over Cokethorpe. Over in the East of England, King’s Ely won a tight one at Culford, 15-13.

 

London and its surrounds had some epic games on Wednesday, none more so perhaps than a thrilling 31-30 victory for Halliford over Claire’s Court. Almost as close was Cardinal Vaughan’s 33-28 victory over Grey Court, while Hayes were on the right side of a high-scoring game against Roebucks Rugby Academy, 38-24.

 

Haberdashers’ Elstree won 15-10 against QES Barnet, while Holyport were 38-19 victors against Reading, London Oratory meanwhile enjoyed a top performance against UCS, 26-0. It was similar for Forest School, who won 28-0 against Burnham Grammar, while Orleans Park won 32-7 against St Richard Reynolds.

 

Ravens Wood won a cracking game against Langley Park, 35-22, while deeper into Kent Tunbridge Wells Grammar won 24-7 against Trinity Sevenoaks.

 

The South West saw an amazing 27-27 draw between Plymouth College and Callywith College, and things were close at Sir Thomas Rich’s as their 2nd XV hosted St Peter’s Gloucester, who claimed a 17-14 victory. Balcarras enjoyed a 29-10 victory at St Edward’s Cheltenham, and having even more fun in Cheltenham were Pate’s Grammar, who beat Cheltenham Bournside 50-5.

 

Thursday

 

Dulwich College 4th XV 0-68 Kingsdale

 

Thursday did not have a lot of action, though Kingsdale did travel to Dulwich College for a 68-0 victory against the home side’s 4th XV.

 

Still to Come:

 

Bishop Thomas Grant v Graveney

Cedars v Ewell Castle

Felsted 2nd XV v Woodbridge – Tuesday

KES Lichfield v Queen Mary’s Grammar

Llandovery College v Coleg Gwent

Merchant Taylors’ v Ripley St Thomas (County Plate SF)

Queen’s College, Taunton v Stover – Thursday

Sir Henry Floyd Grammar v Tring

SHARING IS CARING!
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