How the Continental Tyres Schools Vase and Bowl semi-finals took shape

By TOM JEFFREYS

A quite period gives us the chance to look back at some of the scintillating rugby played at school level at the back end of last year.

Running alongside the Continental Tyres School Cup and Plate competitions has been the Vase and the Bowl, the respective third and fourth rungs of national schools competition.

The Vase, comprised of schools that narrowly missed out on cup qualification, has a long history dating back to 1996, but is awash with less pedigreed schools in this year’s semi-finals.

The competition restarts in March with the four teams going national with the north/south split ending at the quarterfinal stage. Durham have the most national schools history, with the two times Cup runners up taking on Essex’s Felsted in a neutral venue, the latter having edged out St Ambrose’s College 22-20 in their quarterfinal.

The other semi-final will be between Devon‘s Ivybridge Community College and London’s notorious Mill Hill. Both teams clambered their way through the quarters with 19-14 victories, against Lord Wandsworth College and Ravens Wood respectively. The Vase semis are a once-in-a-generation opportunity for these teams; only three Vase winners in the past have gone onto win further silverware at school level. There is, therefore, a lot at stake.

This would suggest that there are no second chances, but for the round one losers in the Vase, there is in the form of the Bowl. Like the Plate, this second chance was formed in 2017 and for all seven champions so far, the Bowl has become a first ever piece of national silverware. Highlighting the unique opportunity the Bowl presents, just one of the Bowl quarterfinalists were knocked out by a team that managed to then reach the Vase quarters.

Another team will win an inaugural piece of national silverware in the Bowl this year too. In fact, none of the semi-finalists have ever played in a national final before. Arguable favourites Richard Hale of Herfordshire will play Loughborough Grammar; the former hasn’t lost since September 16^th.

The other semi-final will be between Taunton‘s Richard Huish and Portsmouth Grammar. The latter thumped London Oratory 54-19 in the quarters so have some ascendancy, but Richard Huish will have confidence from knocking out the 2020 Vase winners Sutton Valence.

For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.