Guildford make history in Daily Mail U15 Cup

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools

- Brendan Gallagher

GUILDFORD’S finest hour, and major claim to rugby fame, was winning the inaugural Daily Mail U15 Cup in 1988, the first national Fifteens competition of its kind in the country. Trailblazers in the truest sense.

In this first-ever year of national competition there was no template to follow and RGS Guildford had to do it the hard way. It was decided that 32 counties would be represented by 32 schools and, with Surrey a powerhouse in schools rugby, a separate knockout competition was held within the county to decide who carried their flag.

So before they even played in the competition proper RGS had to beat Royal Alexander & Albert (24-0), Caterham (28-0), City of London Freemen’s (24-0), Pierrepoint (28-0), Dulwich College (6-0) and, finally, John Fisher (14-4) to earn the right to proceed. No.8 Gerrard Jackson, a lynchpin in an unusually strong pack, scored three pushover tries against Fisher.

Then came the really serious stuff. Lance McCarthy kicked three penalties in a 9-6 win over Middlesex champions London Oratory before they defeated St Joseph’s Ipswich with Neil Kent, Winta Jarvis and Russell Hill scoring tries in a hard-earned win.

In the quarter-finals Guildford overcame Richard Hale, the Hertfordshire champions and in a high quality semi-final they defeated Rossall – undefeated at U15 level for four years – 8-4 with tries from Jackson and McCarthy. All of which set up a final against Wellington College, considered overwhelming favourites on account of their brilliant backs who had been carrying all before them.