Cup joy floweth over for Warwick School

Two penalties from Will Stride 
and a converted try from Josh Grimes gave the under-13s a 13-5 half-time lead at home to Wellington College to put them in command of their tie.

However, with the wind behind them in the second period, Wellington came back into the game and two tries, one converted, put them into a 17-13 lead.

There were just three minutes left on the clock when Warwick prop Nick Rigby made a 30-metre break to put his side within touching distance of the visitors’ line.

From the resulting scrum, Grimes crashed over from close range for his second try of the game.

The kick was missed but Warwick saw out the closing seconds to set up a semi-final tie which will take place at Coventry-based Broadstreet RFC on Saturday March 9.

There was even less between the teams at under-18 level with Warwick going through at Wilmslow High School by virtue of being the away team after their tie had ended level.

Warwick were quickly out of the blocks and sustained possession was rewarded when a committed kick and chase from the back line resulted in fly-half Henry Stride scoring the game’s opening try.

Josh Hickman slotted over the conversion to give Warwick a deserved seven-point lead.

Wilmslow started to make inroads into the game as the half wore on, but solid defence from Warwick quickly extinguished any real threat from the hosts and there was no further addition to the scoring before the interval.

The second half started brightly for Warwick with Andy Rusher almost increasing his side’s lead after a quickly taken penalty, only for the scrum-half be held up on the line and then knock on.

Indiscipline from the Warwick team allowed Wilmslow to gain a foothold in the game and they went over from close range for a converted try to square the tie.

With a strong wind at the backs, Wilmslow were able to employ a kicking game to keep Warwick penned back and they took the lead for the first time with a penalty as the game moved into the final quarter.

Faced with an exit, Warwick responded with hooker Joe Blake to the fore.

The hosts repeatedly infringed as the pressure mounted and Hickman was afforded two attempts to level the scores, duly converting the second penalty.

With the score at 10-10 and knowing they would progress as the away team, Warwick dug in with their trademark resolute defence keeping Wilmslow at bay and ensuring a last-four tie at Broadstreet on March 2.