Campion make sure it's a state occasion

The team spirit which had carried them to late one-point victories in thequarter and semi-finals to Saturday, when they put it all together from thefirst whistle, had been forged as little first years and hardened on a tourof Australia and New Zealand last summer where they got the taste forknocking back bigger opposition.

'When we first came into the school, the firsts lost a Daily Mailsemi-final and we made it our ambition to win the cup,' said MichaelWhitehead, a playmaker who looks to Jonny Wilkinson as his example andshowed the same coolness and presence of mind on the big stage to bring thebest out of his teammates. He can also kick a bit.

The fly half put over atouchline conversion in the swirling winds of Twickenham and iced theCampion cake with a second half drop goal to complete the scoring at 18-0.

Prop Dan Vincent had given Campion an early lift by barrelling over afterfive minutes but Durham, although pressured into too many mistakes fortheir liking, came back strongly by half time and Campion had to surviveseven minutes of injury time with the opposition in their 22.

The destinyof the cup was effectively settled a minute into the second half when, as aresult of a typical John Ruxton charge, Campion then attacked on a widefront for Andrew McDarby to unload in the tackle and send winger AdrianLunan over.

When Whitehead's conversion sailed over, Durham, one sensed,knew the game was up.

John Fisher from Purley, unbeaten and scorers of more than 1,000 pointsthis season, had high hopes of furthering the state cause even further inthe Under 15 final but there has been a certain inevitability about EpsomCollege's rollercoaster ride to Twickenham in their debut season.

Theyreally had had the magic Cup dust sprinkled on them.

The match lived up to its billing, with both teams sustaining anunbelievable level of skill and commitment before Epsom, reorganising afterthe loss of key flanker Sam Francis with a shoulder injury, emerged 17-12winners after their early 10-0 lead had been wiped out by Fisher beforehalf time.

Like Campion, good, organised defence was a major factor.The Under 18 Vase final had launched one of the best of Twickenham'sSchools Days. King Henry VIII, Coventry, David Duckham's old school,watched Stowe put down four scoring passes in the first half, took controland then held off Stowe's late onslaught to win 14-5.

The game may not havereached the heights of the other two but contained the individualperformance of the day from King Henry's fly half James Whittingham.

Inthis case, substitute Stuart Barnes for Jonny Wilkinson and you get aflavour of the panache and sheer cheek showed by Master Whittingham.

DAILY MAIL UNDER 18 CUP FINAL:
Campion, Hornchurch 18 (Tries: Vincent,Lunan. Con: Whitehaed, Pen: Whitehaed. Dg: Whitehead)
Durham 0 .
Ht: 5-0.

DAILY MAIL UNDER 15 CUP FINAL:
Epsom College 17 (Tries: Cama, King. Cons:Laidler 2. Pen: Laidler)
John Fisher, Purley 12 (Tries: Williams,Coughlan. Con: Pratt).
Ht: 10-12.

DAILY MAIL UNDER 18 VASE FINAL:
King Henry VIII, Coventry 14 (Tries: Craig,Whittingham. Cons: Whittingham 2)
Stowe 5 (Try: Riley).
Ht: 7-0.