Wednesday sees the 2022/23 U18 Schools Cup Quarter Finals get underway as Marlborough College and Blundell’s go head to head in a 2.15pm kick off.
The NextGenXV live streaming cameras will head to Wiltshire to take in this huge contest, with both sides looking to build a path towards a first ever U18 Schools Cup final appearance. The game will be available to watch live on our YouTube Channel, our TikTok Channel, and embedded below.
The two sides have enjoyed strong seasons, both inside and outside of the Cup, Marlborough College seven of their twelve fixtures, and having a run in the St Joseph’s Festival that saw them draw with Kirkham Grammar School and defeat Trinity on Day 1, two of the strongest teams in the country. The rigours of the competition cost them on Day 2, but already they had shown the ability that has taken them to this Quarter Final.
Blundell’s have also played twelve games and have secured a highly impressive nine victories from those, including some genuinely extraordinary performances against Taunton and Bristol Grammar, as well as truly dominant victories in Rounds 1 and 2 of the Cup. In September they appeared in a NextGenXV live stream at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium where they held out brilliantly for a 23-19 victory against Haileybury.
On paper then results suggest a slight edge for Blundell’s, however dive a little deeper and the fixture looks wide open all over again. The sides have two common opponents, Cheltenham College and Canford. Blundell’s have lost narrowly to both, by 4 points to Canford and 6 to Cheltenham, Marlborough, in contrast, drew with Cheltenham and have beaten Canford twice, once by ten points in the regular season and once in some style in Round 2 of the Cup.
This Marlborough side also has big game experience, back in 2020 as U15s they shared the U15 Plate title (the final was lost to Covid) with Rugby, and that is this year’s U6th group. However Blundell’s have ingrained know-how in the school, during the time that the Champions Trophy existed, 2014 to 2019, they were regulars in the latter stages and reached the 2017 final.
Choosing between the two is a near impossible task, both have real qualities. Blundell’s arrive in slightly better form having won their last four in a row, in contrast Marlborough have lost two of their last three with Clifton and Cranleigh putting in some mighty performances. On the other hand, Clifton are one of the best 3 teams in the country this year and Cranleigh are playing some glorious rugby to finish the term off and Marlborough had an eye on this game.
It really is impossible to tell and that’s what makes these games so special. It’s a chance at creating wonderful memories, of playing against a side that you normally wouldn’t, these two do not usually meet each other on their circuits.
Do come and join us at 2.15pm on Wednesday!
Cup Runs to Date:
Marlborough College:
R1: 25-3 v Abingdon
R2: 48-14 v Canford
R3: 49-29 at Seaford
Blundell’s
R1: 60-5 v Richard Huish
R2: 63-13 v King’s College, Taunton
R3: 31-14 at Sir Thomas Rich’s
