RGS looking sharp

13 April 2012

RGS High Wycombe's stylish Under 15s followed their First XV into thequarter-finals of the Daily Mail Cups and if you are looking for omens, thelast time that happened was in 1998 when the Bucks school became the firstto have two finalists at Twickenham.

A stunned St Peter's, Gloucester, swept aside 31-10 on the wide expanses atHigh Wycombe Rugby Club on Wednesday, would agree that there is no reasonwhy at least one RGS team should not make it again.

St Peter's arrived with animpressive reputation, having lost just one game since they came togetheras a group of players four years ago. But, on this day, they were outplayedin the loose, lost the tackle count and had little answer to the RGS backsin full flow.

'Perhaps it has been a bit easy for them on their circuit,' admitted StPeter's rugby guru Dave Pointon.

'They had never been under the constantpressure produced by RGS. But the game a great advert for rugby, the bestside won and RGS will take some stopping if they can keep supplying enoughball to their backs who are very clever and quick.'

RGS have been a very successful side coming through the earlier year groupstoo but teamwork rather than individuals becomes a bigger factor at Under15 level and early defeats by Millfield and Whitgift concentrated theirminds.

They can still blow a little hot and cold and there was a certainnervousness about them in the early stages against St Peter's, even thoughtheir captain Chris Record led by example with the first try after atrademark break through midfield which took him under the posts from 50metres.

The outside centre converted but St Peter's, kicking intelligently forposition, made pressure tell in their best spell with a penalty and then atry off a line-out when powerful centre Jack Adam crashed over via a post.The conversion put the visitors ahead 10-7 and we would see what RGS weremade of.

The pack upped their work rate and eventually quick ball from aruck, followed by quick hands, created an overlap which winger Phil Rogersexploited.

Record's fine conversion lifted RGS even more and they turnedaround 14-10 up but far from comfortable.

But they immediately found the groove again from the restart and only somefrantic defending kept them out in the first few minutes. A try was notlong in coming, Record's eye for a gap near half way laying thefoundations.

St Peter's managed to stop him on the 22 but RGS were quicklythere in numbers to retain possession and the ball again went wide forright wing Alex Groom to score.

Rogers then put the game beyond St Peter's with a classic winger's try,Record off-loading perfectly and the electric Rogers rounding his marker,skipping along the touchline and then veering inside the full back to scoreunder the posts.

The conversion posed no problems for Record to make thescore 26-10. The final flourish came from No 8 Toby Hunt, who capped a fineall round performance by striding through a tired St Peter's defence in thelast minute.

RGS, now two games away from emulating their predecessors in 1996-7-8,await the winners of the St Paul's v Wymondham College tie in January.

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