Wednesday sees a huge game take place as Gordon’s host St Joseph’s College in the final LIVE game of 2023 here on NextGenXV, kicking off at 3.30pm.
It will be a rare meeting between a top ACE side and a top school, and every second of the game will be available here on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded video below.
It will be the first meeting between the two since their first ever fixture back in 2015, when Gordon’s, then without ACE status, were drawn in St Joseph’s group at the St Joseph’s Festival.
St Joseph’s won that day, a comfortable 31-0 victory, but it will be a different story on Wednesday with these two expected to be incredibly evenly matched.
Gordon’s have had their best ever ACE season, finishing in third place overall with a 27-20 victory over Beechen Cliff in the 3rd place pay off. Perhaps more impressive though is that they are the only side this season to have beaten the ACE champions Hartpury College.
Not only did they get the better of Hartpury College, they also drew with the other finalists, Truro College, 43-43, this Gordon’s side is the elite of the ACE offering.
St Joseph’s College are up there in the schools rugby stakes too, having perhaps their best season since the days of Lewis Ludlam and co a decade ago. Only Finborough and the unbeaten Brighton College have go the better of them this season in full-length games, while they had their best performance in years at their Festival in October, winning the Plate competition for a 5th place finish overall.
So both sides should arrive with real confidence, but both should also arrive full of excitement ahead of this final game before the Christmas break.
Having both had such brilliant seasons, this is an opportunity for both to celebrate that and to enjoy themselves on the field. In a wider context though it is a rare opportunity to compare ACE and schools rugby. So often that opportunity is denied, often for reasons that are mistaken, it is a huge credit to both of these sides that they are taking the chance and having a go.
For fans of the school game it is incredibly special, a unique opportunity, and the sort of game that could create a real crescendo to what has been an utterly magnificent term of schools rugby.
Gordon’s v St Joseph’s College, ACE v Schools, High-Flyer v High Flyer, it’s due to be an absolute classic with which to sign off the live coverage of 2023.
Gordon’s v St Joseph’s College – LIVE on NextGenXV, Wednesday 13th December, 3.30pm KO
