Storm Bert somewhat savaged the weekend’s schools rugby action, with swatches of cancellations and postponements caused by a mix of waterlogged pitches, frozen and snowed over pitches, and unplayable pitches.
However there was still plenty of play, and among it some of the great action of this superb schools rugby season. Some of the best around flexed their muscles, and plenty put in some of their greatest performances of the season in incredibly testing conditions all around.
Ten to Watch
Despite the weather, the bulk of our Ten to Watch managed to go ahead, however three games were lost to the storm, Durham v Barnard Castle on Friday night, and Saturday’s games between Ellesmere College and Sandbach, and King’s Worcester’s trip to Old Swinford Hospital.
The NextGenXV live cameras were at Clifton College for one of the great school games of this, or indeed any, season. They hosted Irish giants Blackrock College, arguably the most recognisable name in schools rugby. The Dublin side put in a brilliant first half display, full of intensity, structure, and quality to take a 24-0 lead. A try just before the break gave Clifton College hope, and after they scored again early in the second half having just denied the visitors a score of their own, the momentum shifted. Clifton game surging back, with the heavy wind behind them and incredibly took a 26-24 lead. It was a stunning comeback, a show of quality and guts that looked as though it would be enough. Blackrock simply do not stop coming though, and they kept at it, kept believing, and into the face of the storm they engineered field position for a penalty in the most of dramatic of circumstances. Fly half Paddy Clancy stood nervelessly over it, landing the kick for the most dramatic of victories, 27-26. You can re-live the whole extraordinary game below.
That was far from the only comeback though, on Friday night Whitgift found themselves 14-0 now against Northampton School for Boys, but the Croydon side have been in utterly exceptional for since the half term break and they showed it once again on Friday evening in the cold to come storming back for another outstanding victory, 50-21. They are looking utterly formidable.
Brighton College also came from behind, on Saturday they trailed St Joseph’s College 17-5 at the break, but an outstanding second half saw them turn it around for a brilliant 33-24 victory, maintaining their unbeaten record since the half term break.
Also outstanding since half term are Bromsgrove, they have been utterly dominant since the break. So it says something of Millfield’s performance in the teeth of Storm Bert that they controlled matters for a superb 31-11 victory. The Somerset side have been superb this season, and their game against Sedbergh on the 4thDecember is set to be one of the great games of the season.
One of the most hotly anticipated games was Berkhamsted v Stamford, Berkhamsted have been exceptional, unbeaten outside of the St Joseph’s Festival, while Stamford went through the first half of the season unbeaten but had a tricky stretch over the last fortnight. A fantastic game broke out, but it was the home side, Berkhamsted, that came out on top, maintaining their outstanding form with a 32-24 victory.
Since half term, Trinity have been playing fantastic rugby, running Hampton close and beating Hurstpierpoint College. On Saturday though the level was up another notch, hosting one of the best in the country, Harrow. They were outstanding again, running the reigning Cup champions close, but Harrow are not one of the best in the country for nothing, they find a way, and on Saturday they managed to do so once again, earning a tight 24-21 victory. With Berkhamsted and a Cup quarter final with Whitgift left to come this season, Harrow’s season is set for a massive crescendo against two of the form sides in the country.
Also in peak form since the break are Abingdon, and they backed up last week’s victory over Eton College with a fantastic performance in Surrey against RGS Guildford. At half time RGS led 7-0 with the wind behind them, but it wasn’t to be enough as a lead as Abingdon came flying out with the storm behind them to win 28-7.
Ten to Watch Results
Berkhamsted 32-24 Stamford
Brighton College 33-24 St Joseph’s College
Clifton College 26-27 Blackrock College (Live on NextGenXV)
Durham v Barnard Castle – Cancelled
Ellesmere College v Sandbach – Cancelled
Millfield 31-11 Bromsgrove
Old Swinford Hospital v King’s Worcester – Cancelled
RGS Guildford 7-28 Abingdon
Trinity 21-24 Harrow
Whitgift 50-21 Northampton School for Boys
Friday 22nd November
Friday saw plenty of rugby manage to go ahead, with the storm yet to fully bear its teeth. There were some exceptional performances, not least in the West Anglia Schools League, where St Albans put in a magnificent display for a 54-12 victory over Bishop’s Stortford High School.
Not too far away, UCS were on song too, with a 26-15 victory over Latymer Upper, while in Kent Cranbrook were victorious away at Simon Langton Grammar, 24-10.
One of the performances of the day was from Eastbourne College, who were outstanding en route to a 48-7 victory over Worthing College. Over in Reading, The Oratory were perhaps even more impressive on their way to a 53-8 victory over The Downs, meanwhile St Joseph’s won 15-5 against Luckley House. Over in Devon, Plymouth College won 21-7 against Caerleon Comprehensive.
In the North West, St Ambrose College were outstanding at Lymm High School, winning 38-0, while in the North East it was Dame Allan’s impressive, putting in a fantastic performance for a 45-19 victory over Newcastle School for Boys.
Friday Results
Caerleon Comprehensive 7-21 Plymouth College
Dame Allan’s 45-19 Newcastle School for Boys
Eastbourne College 48-7 Worthing College
Lymm High 0-38 St Ambrose College
Simon Langton Grammar 10-24 Cranbrook
St Albans 54-12 Bishop’s Stortford High
St Joseph’s College Reading 15-5 Luckley House
The Oratory 53-8 The Downs
UCS 26-15 Latymer Upper
Saturday 23rd November
Saturday’s fixture list was utterly decimated by the storm, but what did go ahead was extraordinary, and nowhere more so than at Dulwich College, where they ended the exceptional unbeaten season of RGS High Wycombe in a tight epic in the rain, Dulwich winning 15-10, their best result of the campaign and a huge one in the context of the overall schools rugby season.
Not too far away there was another cracker as St Benedict’s travelled to John Fisher. Both sides threw everything at it, but it was St Benedict’s that emerged victorious, winning 20-17. Things were tight in so many areas, Wimbledon College were at Wallington Country Grammar and won 5-0, while Richard Hale won a fantastic contest at Watford Grammar, 22-17.
The South East was where the bulk of the action took place, where the storm was weakest. Like their neighbours Wimbledon College, KCS Wimbledon won a tight one away from home 10-0 at Emanuel, while Skinners’ were 26-15 victors at Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar. London Oratory were in a tight one too, 12-5 at home to Aylesbury Grammar.
Tonbridge travelled to St Paul’s and an incredibly tight contest took over, with Tonbridge just taking the victory 15-10. Tonbridge are building a strong run of form in tight games at the moment. Campion are in brilliant for at the moment and they showed it against with a fantastic 24-0 victory at St George’s Harpenden, they are looking exceptional. So too were St George’s Weybridge, who were outstanding against a young Tiffin side, winning 45-0.
In Sussex, Seaford College made it back to back victories with a brilliant 41-8 victory over St John’s Leatherhead, Seaford showing real form ahead of a massive game against Clifton College coming up soon. Over in Surrey, meanwhile, Reed’s won an incredibly tight game against Merchant Taylors’ 19-17, a fantastic contest. Meanwhile in Kent, Gravesend Grammar were on song against Essex’s Brentwood, 28-10.
East Anglia saw good action, in Suffolk Ipswich won a sensational game at Finborough, both sides performing brilliantly at times as Ipswich took it 28-23. Meanwhile Wisbech Grammar won a similarly good game at Culford, 22-20. Over in Cambridge, The Leys were outstanding, winning 45-12 against Norwich, they are in stunning form at the moment.
The further West you went, the less rugby there was, but there was still some brilliant stuff. Not least in Oxford, where St Edward’s won an epic contest against Bedford Modern 32-27, an exceptional game and a brilliant bit of momentum for Teddies. In the South West, Waminster were brilliant at Stonar for a 48-14 victory, while in the West Midlands Solihull secured an excellent 17-0 victory over RGS Worcester. There was a fantastic game at KES Stratford took, with Wellingborough just edging it 15-14.
Rugby in the North of England was almost completely lost to the weather, but one game went ahead, Sedbergh v King’s Macclesfield. Sedbergh were riding high after their dramatic late midweek victory over Wellington College, see highlights below, and despite the atrocious conditions they rode the wave of that high, almost literally given the weather, for a brilliant 38-13 victory. They are an outstanding team, a good effort from King’s Macclesfield though, particularly in such trying conditions.
Saturday Results
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar 15-26 Skinners’
Culford 20-22 Wisbech Grammar
Dulwich College 15-10 RGS High Wycombe
Emanuel 0-10 KCS Wimbledon
Finborough 23-28 Ipswich
Gravesend Grammar 28-10 Brentwood
John Fisher 17-20 St Benedict’s
KES Stratford 14-15 Wellingborough
London Oratory 12-5 Aylesbury Grammar
Reed’s 19-17 Merchant Taylors’
Seaford College 41-8 St John’s, Leatherhead
Sedbergh 38-13 King’s Macclesfield
Solihull 17-0 RGS Worcester
St Edward’s, Oxford 32-27 Bedford Modern
St George’s Harpenden 0-24 Campion
St Paul’s 10-15 Tonbridge
Stonar 14-48 Warminster
The Leys 45-12 Norwich
Tiffin 0-45 St George’s Weybridge
Wallington County Grammar 0-5 Wimbledon College
Watford Grammar 17-22 Richard Hale
Still to Come:
Eltham College v St Olave’s Grammar
Trinity 3rd XV v The Cedars
