Under 15s semi-final preview

It's the stuff of cup legend ... rugby league team takes up union in an effort to play more rugby, wins county cup then decides to have a go at national cup.

Result? Outwood Grange, from the rugby league heartland nearWakefield, head for Castlecroft, the Wolverhampton home of the schoolboy rugby union game in England to face St Paul's in the Daily Mail Under 15 Cup semi-finals on Saturday.

They are just one game away from an appearance at Twickenham in the final on Sunday, March 24. To add a little more piquancy, St Paul's, one of England's most famous schools on the banks of the Thames, is a founder member of the Rugby Union. Wakefield, of course, were one of the original rebels, who broke away in 1895 and founded the Rugby League.Even so, it will also be St Paul's first semi-final but they are unbeaten in 23 matches this season and determined not to be added to such Outwood Grange scalps as Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Wakefield, Durham and Bedford who discovered the Yorkshire lads were able to cover theirtechnical flaws with good footballing ability, pace and will to win.

The only Yorkshire name on the cup is Bradford Grammar, who won in 1990, but there is the prospect of an all-Yorkshire final since St Peter's, York take on Millfield in the other semi-final. St Peter's are unbeaten and have scored 721 points and conceded a miserly six tries in 51 points. Millfield lost two of their opening three games against RGS High Wycombe and Colston's but have not been beaten since.

They carry no real stars, but do have a team to be reckoned with as their 10-8 quarter-final win at fancied Whitgift showed. This was one of the highest quality fields for the Under 15 Cup and it has been a major achievement by these schools to reach this stage. Not one ofthem has had an easy route to the last four.

DAILY MAIL UNDER 15 CUP SEMI-FINALS
(Castlecroft Stadium, Wolverhampton,Saturday March 9)

Outwood Grange v St Paul's, Barnes (ko 11am)
Millfield v St Peter's, York (ko 1pm)