Wales U18 full-back Tom Bowen’s stunning late finish gave Clifton College a 43-41 Thursday night victory in a terrific game against Millfield as the new school rugby season burst into life.
Millfield skipper and hooker Henry Bonetti got the opening score as he drove over from a driving maul, and fly-half Owen Erasmus redeemed his missed conversion with a penalty for an 8-0 lead.
Archie Spokes’ carbon-copy of Bonetti’s try cut the gap to one point, but Millfield’s Will Stubbings finished a superb set of phases before Henry Sclater pounced on loose Clifton play and drove over from close range to open up a 27-7 lead.
Victor Worsnip and captain Ollie Russell crossed either side of half-time to give Clifton hope, with a penalty try cutting the gap back to one and Oscar Green wrestling his way over to put them into the lead for the first time.
And though Millfield got back in front thanks to another drive from Bonetti and a breakaway score for Evan Morris, Russell broke from a maul to cut the gap to three, before Bowen’s flying finish sealed an overtime victory.
Star man Spokes said: “We thought we were in the mud in the first-half, but we pulled it back. We fought to the end.”
Among the other big midweek action, Stamford held off a Haileybury fightback at StoneX Stadium to snatch a 24-19 victory in their ‘away’ fixture on Wednesday, while St. Edward’s beat Magdalen College 38-24 in the Oxford Derby on Friday.
In another derby, in the West Country, King’s, Gloucester beat St. Peter’s 21-7 to progress in the opening round of the National Vase, while QEGS Wakefield edged The Grammar School at Leeds 17-12 in the first match of the National Cup.
Hartpury College coasted past Truro and Penwith College 29-0 to stay top on a maximum 10 points after two rounds of the ACE South Group, while Gosforth beat Brooksby Melton College 24-7 to take a four-point lead in the North.
