Plymouth or Stowe handed blessing of home tie with champions Whitgift

By Jim Hooley for MailOnline Updated: 12:37 EST, 28 January 2011


Champions Whitgift were the team their last eight rivals wanted to avoid, but at least Plymouth College will have home advantage in the Daily Mail RBS U18 Cup quarter-finals. 

Plymouth, unbeaten but showing some ring rust after playing little competitive rugby since Christmas, edged past Stowe 21-17 this afternoon, inspired by scrum half George Stephenson who scored a vital try and made one for England fly half Henry Slade. 

Stowe's pack were magnificent again and fly half Ben Roe's kicking were excellent but Stephenson's moment of magic put Plymouth in the quarter-finals for the first time. 

The first, after he had taken a quick tap penalty set up Slade for an early try which he converted.

Roe replied with a penalty but Stowe suffered a hammer blow when Josh Tolan intercepted and score Plymouth's second try from 70m to give them a 14-3 half time lead. 

Stowe came out firing after half time and closed to within a score when their left winger scored and Roe converted.

The Plymouth nerves were jangling but Stephenson, who also scores runs for fun for Devon, calmed them with a massive try, breaking off the base of a scrum and finding a way through Stowe's back row to reach the line.

Slade, who had an iffy day with the boot, missing two penalties and a drop goal attempt, slotted his third conversion. Stowe battled on and got another converted try but two scores proved beyond them.

St Joseph's, Ipswich, one of the teams of the season and in the quarter-finals for the first time, have the home draw they prayed for and will entertain Oakham, who, inspired by England centre Charlie Walker, are enjoying their best Cup run since back-to-back Twickenham triumphs in 2002-3. 

St Peter's, Gloucester have surprised a few opponents and themselves this season, getting better and better but they have habit of being slow burners. They have vital home advantage too but will face a tough task to reach the semi-finals at Broadstreet on March 5 after Old Swinford Hospital dumped Warwick out on Thursday.

Old Swinford have only lost once since mid September and that was 15-12 at Kirkham.

The northern challenge could come from Yorkshire, Lancashire or Cheshire. Wilmslow will play their delayed seventh round home game against Lancaster RGS on Friday, January 28, while QEGS, Wakefield face Merchant Taylor's, Crosby on Saturday.

All quarter-finals will be played on or around Wednesday, February 7. 

The U18 Vase was hard hit by the December snows and is a round behind so the draw is a case of 'either ors', except for St George's, Weybridge, who earned an 8-8 draw at Coopers and Coburn today and go through on the away rule.  

CUP DRAWS:

U18 CUP - Qtr-finals: 1, St Joseph's, Ipswich v Oakham; 2, St Peter's, Gloucester v Old Swinford Hospital; 3, Wilmslow HS or Lancaster RGS v QEGS Wakefield or Merchant Taylor's, Crosby; 3, Plymouth College or Stowe v Whitgift. (Winners of Match 1 play winners of Match 2 in semi-finals and winners of Match 3 face 3 winners of Match v 4.)

U18 VASE - 1, Solihull or Worksop College v Cockermouth or Rydal Penrhos; 2, Woodhouse Grove or Calday Grange v Hereford Cathedral School Cathedral or King Edward's, Birmingham or Richard Hale; 3, Sir Thomas Rich, Gloucester or Dr Challoners, Amersham v St George's, Weybridge; 4, Norwich or Eltham College or Ravenswood v Lord William's, Thame or Bodmin College. (Winners of 1 v 2 and 3 v 4 in semis).

U15 CUP - 1, St Ambrose, Altrincham v Truro School; 2, Whitgift v Woodhouse Grove; 3, The Perse, Cambridge v Warwick; 4, RGS High Wycombe v John Fisher, Purley. (Winners of 1 v winners of 2 and 3 v 4 in semis).

U15 VASE - 1, King's, Grantham or Harrogate GS v Bury College or Denstone College; 2, Leicester GS v Beaufort; 3, Rodborough v Clevedon CC or Penair; 4, Campion or Saffron Walden v BETHS. (Winners of match 1 v winners of 2 and 3 v 4 in semis).


Comments (0)

Share what you think

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now