The weather came in this weekend and decimated the schools rugby fixture list. From the busiest weekend on the calendar, it became the quietest.
However while a huge amount of fixtures were lost, those that remained gave us entertainment beyond belief as the theme of this utterly brilliant season continued – total unpredictability.
Ten to Watch
That was in evidence in our Ten to Watch, which had quickly become Four to Watch after six games were cancelled. Tonbridge were the latest to stun the schools rugby world, coming off the back of a tricky run that included defeat to a Radley College side that they had comfortably beaten earlier in the season, the Kent side travelled to one of the form sides in the country at present, Wellington College. A good contest was expected, but Tonbridge confounded the last few weeks of comparative form for a gritty, well-contested, and memorable 17-14 victory.
That was Wellington’s last game of the season, Tonbridge have one remaining – against Seaford College, who on Saturday travelled to a Cranleigh side that was riding high on confidence after a brilliant victory over Hampton last week. Seaford had confidence of their own though after that epic victory at Millfield a fortnight ago. That confidence saw both sides throw everything at this contest in the freezing cold and in they end they simply could not be separated after the most tensions ridden of games, finishing off at 16-16. With one more game to come each, the excitement from these two is far from over.
Harrow took to the field for the last time in a block fixture this season, hosting Mill Hill, who arrived having only lost to Oakham all season – and even that was in a shortened fixture. However Harrow had an unbeaten record to protect, and are looking at a treble of Daily Mail Trophy, NextGenXV Table, and Continental Tyres School Cup, to add to last year’s Daily Mail Trophy and Rosslyn Park National School 7s titles. As they have done all season, Harrow got the job done, Mill Hill showed the best of themselves and as Harrow rotated in the second half term chipped back to keep the score tight, 29-21, but in the end the story was Harrow and this remarkable unbeaten season. Attention now turns to that Continental Tyres Schools Cup quarter final on Thursday with Ipswich, which will be LIVE here on NextGenXV with everything on the line. A remarkable group.
The weekend’s live game was the Acton Cup, Rugby School v Cheltenham College, the oldest school fixture around – and so called after the Acton brothers moved from Rugby to Cheltenham and introduced the game to their new school, resulting in that first fixture in 1844. It was a fitting final school fixture of year at Rugby School, celebrating 200 years of Rugby Football, and it was a game to match as well. Expectation was that it would be close, and so it proved in an absolute epic (which you can relieve below) in the freezing cold as both sides threw everything at it. They could barely be separated, but Rugby School edged it 14-8 to retain the Acton Cup with their fourth victory of the season. Now attention turns to Saturday’s final encounter, a first of its kind as the Barbarians set up an U18 team for the first time and head to Rugby School for both a Boys XV and Girls XV fixture, both of which will be LIVE here on NextGenXV.
Ten to Watch Results
Cranleigh 16-16 Seaford College
Harrow 29-21 Mill Hill
Rugby 14-8 Cheltenham College – LIVE on NextGenXV
Wellington College 14-17 Tonbridge
Denstone College v Kirkham GS, Monmouth v Millfield, NSB v Sir Thomas Rich’s, St Peter’s York v Woodhouse Grove, Stowe v Oakham, and Whitgift v Epsom College all Cancelled.
Around the Grounds
Friday
There was just the one game on a bitterly cold Friday night but it was a bit of a classic as Chatham & Clarendon beat St Lawrence College 19-14 at Thanet Wanderers, a game that fed us perfectly into the meat of the weekend on Saturday.
Friday Results
Chatham & Clarendon 19-14 St Lawrence College – at Thanet Wanderers
Saturday
Unpredictability might be the theme of the season, but one thing that has been predictable is the continued brilliance of Brighton College. On Saturday they travelled to RGS Guildford for their final game of a remarkable season that saw them arrive unbeaten. RGS have the ability to threaten that, but Brighton College were in no mood to let the record slip at the last, earning a brilliant 29-3 victory to complete the unbeaten season – an utterly remarkable record. Even more remarkable though is that their 2nd XV and 3rd XV also went unbeaten, and their 4th XV only lost one. An incredible season-long display of depth, quality, and determination. It is one of the great feats in all of schools rugby.
Another side heading into the weekend unbeaten were Eton College, who had been so remarkably consistent all season. However with just one more game to go, Trinity ended the run with arguably their finest display of the season as they secured a 21-14 victory to send them into next week’s derby game with a real spring in their step.
Saturday also had a couple of Triangulars, and in there was some wonderful rugby within them. Clifton College hosted Blundell’s and Taunton School, and it was Blundell’s that came out on top, earning a 21-0 victory over Taunton, who also went down 10-5 to Clifton College, and then taking on the hosts and earning a statement 10-0 victory. Clifton College’s 2nd XV had something to shout about though, they host King’s College Taunton’s 1st XV and earned a 19-14 victory.
Over at Christ’s Hospital, Eastbourne College and Hurstpierpoint College send 2nd XVs, with the hosts beating both in tight games, 15-12 and 19-15 respectively, to come out on top. Elsewhere, Hurstpierpoint College and Eastbourne College met at 1st XV level and played out a remarkable game where points were plentiful. It was this outstanding Hurstpierpoint College side that came out on top though, maybe their best in a generation, winning 50-21.
There was a brilliant result in Sussex for Worth as well, who hosted a Churcher’s College side that has been pretty relentless all season, and took a brilliant 12-5 victory against them.
Elsewhere there were some epics, not least in Oxfordshire where Abingdon hosted Marlborough College in an utterly extraordinary game of rugby. The two could barely be separated as they played some great rugby, but it as the visitors that just edged it, 28-26. Things were even tighter in Somerset, where King’s Bruton and Downside shared a 26-26 draw, an absolute thriller of a game, meanwhile over in Kent things were tight at King’s Canterbury too, Simon Langton Grammar just edging the game 20-18.
Elsewhere in Kent, The Judd continue to quietly impress, picking up a 33-18 victory at home to Maidstone Grammar. Across in Surrey Gordon’s were in brilliant form in a stunning 40-0 victory over Royal Alexandra & Albert, while in Wiltshire there was another strong performance from Kingswood as they travelled to Bishop Wordsworth’s and returned home with a 14-0 victory. Canford meanwhile hosted a Sherborne side that has been playing some great rugby of late, but the hosts were in brilliant form themselves, earning a 32-13 victory.
Across in Dorset Dauntsey’s welcomed Bristol Grammar School and once again showed the quality that they have all season, securing a strong 31-10 victory. Meanwhile over in Gloucestershire, King’s Gloucesterdid similarly, backing up the praise they have received with a 34-8 victory over RGS Worcester.
Back in Oxford, St Edward’s continued their recent good form with an excellent 27-7 victory over Malvern College, they really have had some big moments this season. Reading saw a good derby between Pangbourne College and visitors The Oratory, with the away side earning an impressive 26-7 victory.
London saw St Paul’s continue where they left off last week, in winning form, earning a close 17-14 victory over a hugely spirited Dulwich College side in a really strong game of rugby. Meanwhile in West London St Benedict’s were on fire, putting in a stunning display for a 53-17 victory over Tiffin.
Hertfordshire meanwhile saw Haileybury and Bedford meet for the second time this season, and like in the Cup game that was their first meeting, Haileybury came out on top with a fantastic 32-12 victory. St Albans also earned victory on Saturday as they hosted Merchant Taylors’, and though they were without their three England stars, they still found a path to a 26-15 victory, an impressive effort – as has been the case all season.
Just the one game went ahead in Scotland, a crucial Scottish Schools Shield semi final ahead on Wednesday’s Cup and Shield finals. Dollar Academy hosted Kelvinside Academy and it was the hosts that sealed the win, 34-12, to reach Wednesday’s final against Dundee High School.
Saturday Results
Abingdon 26-28 Marlborough College
Bishop Wordsworth’s 0-14 Kingswood
Canford 32-13 Sherborne
Christ’s Hospital Triangular: Christ’s Hospital
Clifton College Triangular: Blundell’s
Clifton College 2nd XV 19-14 King’s College, Taunton
Dauntsey’s 31-10 Bristol GS
Dollar Academy 34-12 Kelvinside Academy (Shield SF)
Eton College 14-21 Trinity
Gordon’s 40-0 Royal Alexandra & Albert
Haileybury 32-12 Bedford
Hurstpierpoint College 50-21 Eastbourne College
King’s Bruton 26-26 Downside
King’s Canterbury 18-20 Simon Langton GS
King’s Gloucester 34-8 RGS Worcester
Pangbourne College 7-26 The Oratory
RGS Guildford 3-29 Brighton College
St Albans 26-15 Merchant Taylors’
St Benedict’s 53-17 Tiffin
St Edward’s, Oxford 27-7 Malvern College
St Paul’s 17-14 Dulwich College
The Judd 33-18 Maidstone Grammar
Worth 12-5 Churcher’s College
Still to Come:
KCS Wimbledon v St John’s, Leatherhead
