This Saturday Wellington College host Clifton College in a 2pm Kick Off that promises to be an absolutely vital game for both sides.
The game will be broadcast LIVE here on NextGenXV, and will be available on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded link below.
The two are among the very best in the country, indeed Clifton College are pushing to be considered as the best in the country. Wellington College are not far off that status either, and victory would certainly thrust them back into that conversation.
Clifton College have been outstanding this season winning six of their seven games so far including victories over Millfield, Hartpury College, and, last weekend, Sedbergh. They are outstanding. They also have an ability to dig deep and stay in games, as shown in dramatic late victories over Llandovery College and, especially, Millfield. Indeed viewers of that game against Millfield (see below), were privileged to witness one of the great school games of the last decade.
Their only defeat was another cracker, 41-31 at Harrow, this season’s current pace-setters. It is that game though that makes this game at Wellington College so compelling. That was Clifton’s first game of the season, and their only other away trip so far. They have been unstoppable in Clifton, but how will they fare on the road?
Wellington College will be keen to pounce on that chink in the armoury. They have had some huge moments this season and then some tough ones, but closer inspection tells you of a side punching high. They were disappointed with their opening day at the St Joseph’s Festival, but they hit back to win every game on the second day despite missing all of their London South Central stars.
Outside of St Jo’s they have been hitting big heights, with victories over Rugby School with a leavers XV, Hampton, Dulwich College, Northampton School for Boys, and, in swashbuckling style, against Whitgift (see below). Some of their rugby has been sublime.
Defeats have been against the best around, Ipswich, Harrow, and Millfield, all by seven points or fewer. They are right in the mix – indeed they probably gave Harrow their toughest test, and against Millfield they led right up to the closing stages (see below). How they would love, on Bigside, to turn one of those close ones against the best around into a victory.
Recent history is on Clifton’s side though, after a Wellington College win in 2019 Clifton have won the last two, a dramatic late Sam Worsley drop goal securing victory on Bigside in 2021 before a stunning 43-12 performance at Clifton last year.
Dig deeper though and the pendulum starts to swing the other way. Last year Wellington College’s U16s, this year’s L6th group, won 35-21 – denying Clifton an unbeaten season in the process, the same Wellington College U16 group that won 26-10 as U15s and also claimed the U15 Schools Cup title that year.
Clifton’s U16s won 13-0 in 2021, the current U6th group, which suggests roughly that heading into this game the Clifton College senior players just hold an advantage but the Wellington College junior players just hold an advantage of their own.
All of which boils down to suggest that we could be in for an absolute classic on Saturday afternoon – do tune in!
Wellington College v Clifton College – Saturday, 2pm KO – LIVE on NextGenXV
