Warwick School crowned NatWest Schools Cup champions
WARWICK School scored four tries as they secured a 27-5 triumph over Bishop Wordsworth’s to seal the NatWest U18 Schools Cup at Twickenham.
Warwick's win left their Salisbury-based opponents having to make do with the runners-up tag again, following on from the 1991 team who lost the very first under-18 final, 4-3, to King Edward VI of Stratford.
For Warwick, it was a second under-18 title, following success in 2007, and it also atoned for their under-15 team losing out 25-12 to Wellington earlier in the day.
Warwick certainly won the initial tussle on the pitch. Their sheer greater weight and tighter game-plan paid dividends in an opening which brought two tries and a lead of 12-0.
Bishop Wordsworth’s all-out attack left them stranded in their own half and they also lost a player to injury which meant a hasty rejig.
Warwick’s heavier scrum set up the first try for flanker Kevin Curran who strolled over after No 8 Tom Fawcett had picked up from a disintegrated opposing scrum.
For Warwick’s second try it was almost the ultimate team score as at one stage some 14 players joined a rolling maul which had fairly raced into the 22.
The group effort ended when referee Chris Ridley awarded a penalty try which Will Tanner converted for a 12-0 lead.
Bishop Wordsworth’s did have a brief rally before Warwick’s enveloping pack engineered a third try, hooker Kyriakos Grammatopolous scoring before Tanner converted.
Tanner followed up by adding a penalty from 40 metres to complete an almost perfect opening for Warwick which gave them a 22-0 lead and one hand firmly on the Cup.
The only negative for Warwick was a yellow card for No 8 Fawcett which had come just before the third try.
His loss, eventually, helped give Bishop Wordsworth’s some momentum which resulted in a try at the corner for wing Chris Nichols following the first concerted attack his team had mounted inspired by scrum-half Finley Lloyd-Gilmour and captain Cadan Murley.
At 22-5 down, Bishop Wordsworth’s needed a good start to the second half but they continued to meet a Warwick wall.
Though Tanner missed kickable penalty by his accurate standards, Warwick increased their lead when full-back Nick David skipped through some tired tacklers for his team’s fourth try 15 minutes from the end.
Warwick did go on to blot their report card by having a second player sin binned, wing Alex Green for a dangerous tackle, but the cup by then was theirs.
Warwick: Nick David; Will Tanner, James McSharry, Theo Spencer, Alex Green; Ben Harding, Sam Forster; Max Roberts, Kyriakos Grammatopoulos, Nick Rigby (capt), Will Fawcett, Ollie Richardson, Kieran Curran, Ollie Thorneywork, Tom Fawcett. Replacements: Will Scrivens, Chris David, Fred Lowe, Harry Hayward, Jamie Wood, Toby Adlington, Paolo Peschisolido
Tries: Curran, pen try, Grammatopoulos, David. Conversions: Tanner (2). Penalty goal: Tanner
MOM: Tom Fawcett
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Warwick School 12-25 Wellington College
WELLINGTON College ended their unbeaten domestic year by securing the NatWest Under-15 Schools Cup with a 25-12 victory over Warwick School at Twickenham.
The victory ended Warwick school's hopes of sealing the double in the U15 and U18 competitions.
A brace from Wellington captain Fin Baxter, was accompanied by a try from replacement wing George Morison and 10 points from the boot of full-back Max Thomas.
Warwick scored two tries from Jack Forsythe and Ethan Evan-Cook. Jack Aston kicked one conversion.
Warwick: Ethan Evan-Cook, Max Hayward, Harry Spencer, Tom Boorman, Ben Beresford, Finlay Smith, Jack Aston, Tom Durant, Matt Rigby, Tom Hales, Will Pugh, Dan May, Kai Nwangwa, Jack Forsythe (c), Will Banfield. Replacements: Will Dudley, James Parker, Giles King, Cameron Dunn, Will Mobberley, Tom Patrick, Kunwoo Ha
Tries: Forsythe, Evan-Cook. Conversion: Aston
