State of play at Lymm High

If any confirmation was needed that the game is flourishing in the state sector, you need look no further than Lymm High School.

Teams from the north Cheshire school have reached the fourth round of the Under 18 and Under 15 Cups and believe they can go further and the First XV, led by North hooker Adam Bray, is among a select band throughout the country who are unbeaten this season.

They claimed a prize scalp in the second round when they won 21-10 at Manchester Grammar School. A game with attitude this one since players from both sides know each other well from local club rugby. Fly half Joe Knowles was the hero, scoring three tries and converting them himself. The last round was more clear cut - a thumping 57-7 victory at Bikenhead. They will be on the road again, probably on Wednesday, but take the shorter trip to Winstanley College in St Helens.

Lymm are no strangers to Daily Mail success. They beat Wallington to lift the 2000 Vase and the current Under 18 team, still a young one, is built largely around the 2003 Under 15 Cup semi-finalists.

But the school's progress since they won the Vase is underlined by their ability to compete in the later rounds and the quality of Lymm's teams throughout the age groups. The only defeats suffered by any team this season involved the Under 15s, who were hit by injuries to four key players. But American centre Taylor Welch and back rower Stephen Taylor should be back for their fourth round meeting with Sandbach, a team they have beaten already this season.

'There's a real buzz about the place,' said head coach Len Davies. 'But we are looking no further than the game against Winstanley. They beat Calday Grange in the last round and they're no mugs. But we have a good side and if they are confident in their ability, there is no reason why we can't reach the last 32. We've only achieved that once before.'

DAILY MAIL U18 CUP - 4th rnd line-up: Dame Allan's or QEHS Hexham v Barnard Castle; Hymer's v St Peter's, York or Leeds GS; Runshaw College v Lancaster RGS; Bolton v St Ambrose; Keswick v Ullswater CC; RGS Newcastle v Durham; Prince Henry's, Otley v Bradford GS; Winstanley College v Lymm HS; Lawrence Sheriff v RGS Worcester; Stowe v Wymondham College; Adams GS v Wyggeston & QE College; Welbeck College v Wrekin; Northampton School for Boys v KES Birmingham; Old Swinford v Lady Manners; Oakham v Gresham's; Leicester GS or Solihull v KES Five Ways; St Brendan's v Downside; Pangbourne or Claires Court v RGS High Wycombe; Filton College v Colston's; Torquay GS v Truro College; West Buckland v Exeter College; Monmouth v St Peter's, Gloucester; Aylesbury GS v Shiplake; Bishop Wordsworth v King Alfred's or St Barts; St Paul's, Barnes v SE Essex 6th Form College; Gravesend GS or Eltham College v London Leisure; Whitgift v St Benedict's, Ealing; Epsom College v Brighton College; Churcher's v Tiffin; John Fisher v Dartford GS; King's Rochester v Campion; Richard Hale v London Oratory.

DAILY MAIL U15 CUP - 4th round line-up: Reigate GS v KCS Wimbledon; St
Benedict's, Ealing v Saffron walden; Dartford GS v John Fisher; Hurstierpoint v Beths GS; St Joseph's, Ipswich v Judd; City of London Freemans v KE VI Southampton; Coopers & Coburn v St Paul's, barnes; Wimbledon College v Whitgift; Abingdon v Wellington college; Millfield v West Buckland;Marlborough College v Bishop Wordsworth; Sheldon v Wellington School; St Peter's, Gloucester v Churchdown; Colston's v Plymouth College; RGS High Wycombe v Reading Blue Coat; Purbeck or Sherborne v Ivybridge; KES Birmingham v Chosen Hill; King's Grantham v Norwich; Bedford or tring v Hitchin Boys; Old Swinford v Bromsgrove; Mount St Mary's v Linton; Adams GS v Bishop of Hereford Bluecoat; Loughborough GS v Kineton HS; Lawrence Sheriff v wellingborough; St ambrose v Wirral GS or Fairfield HS; Hutton GS v Lancaster RGS; QEGS Wakefield or Woodhouse Grove v St Peter's, York; Keswick v RGS Newcastle; Durham v Barnard castle; South Hunsley v Bradford GS; Stonyhurst v Merchant Taylors; Lymm HS v Sandbach.