Wellington in Daily Mail final

Published 9 Mar 2010 12:00 0 Comments

A SECOND half try from replacement wing Yemisi Belo and fly half Charlie Wicks' drop-goal ensured Crowthorne-based Wellington College's U15 team secured their place in this season's Daily Mail RBS U15 Schools Cup final at Twickenham.

Having seen off old adversary's Hampton School, 16-5, at Broadstreet RFC last Saturday they'll now face Cheshire's Wilmslow High School in the final on Wednesday, March 31st.

Wellington scored as early as the second minute of the match and led all the way to make their second final in three years.

"The boys played excellently," said Wellington's head coach Graham Pearson. "We were worried about Hampton but we went out with a clear game plan which the boys executed brilliantly."

In fact, Wellington blasted out of the blocks and were 5-0 up inside two minutes of the kick-off from a move that started almost on the halfway line.

Some swift hands saw the ball speed out to right-wing Tom Inglis who scored out wide after a mazy run.

Hampton, however, hit back soon after to tie the match at 5-5 with some concerted pick and drives up the left-hand touchline that finally yielded a try when skipper and number eight Alex Lundberg forced his way over.

But, almost immediately, Wellington replied with a fairly straight-forward 30 metre penalty from Wicks that ultimately led to his side leading 8-5 at the break.

"We thought we should have been a bit further ahead of them as we felt we had the edge on them, but I was certainly pleased," commented Pearson.

And Pearson couldn't have asked for a better start to the second half from his charges as they swiftly extended their lead.

Another well executed handling move had replacement left-wing Belo scorching over for Wellington's second unconverted try.

"It was boom-boom-boom along the line and when he catches the ball he can run like the wind," said Pearson.

Although Wicks missed the conversion the fly half's drop-goal in the closing stages of the match underlined Wellington's superiority to ensure the trip to Twickenham.

They now face Wilmslow High School who will be making their debut in a Daily Mail Schools Cup final at the home of English rugby.

"Wilmslow are a good side, a big side, very, very big and it'll be a good game," added Pearson.

* WELLINGTON College were also in action at the Windsor RFC Schoolboys Sevens tournament on Sunday, where they bowed out at the quarter-final stage.

The 2007 tournament winners were drawn in a tough group alongside Haileybury College, Radley College and Henley's second side, but they powered through to the last eight, finishing second in the pool.

Here they came up against a well-drilled Rugby School side, who brushed past them 21-7.

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