March 16, 2008

Langley Park School for Boys from Beckenham in Kent will meet Calday Grange Grammar School from the Wirral in the final of the Daily Mail Under 15 Schools Vase at Twickenham on April 2.

The semi-finals were played today at a chilly, blustery Broadstreet RFC near Coventry and there could not have been a more dramatic conclusion to the opener.

Local state comprehensive The Woodlands School had levelled the scores 15-15 against Langley Park late in the match with a thrilling try by wing Tom Walker created and converted by fly half and captain Ben Palmer.

The teams were also locked together on tries scored and goals from tries, so the prize of a final appearance at Twickenham had to be decided by sudden death penalty shoot-out, beginning with one kick each from the middle of the 22 metre line.

Langley Park’s first choice kicker, fly half Ben Hollister, was off the field with a twisted knee, so replacement No.8 James Parkinson stepped up and landed a confident left-footed kick.

That left the pressure on Palmer – who had kicked beautifully out of hand for Woodlands during the regulation 60 minutes – needing to equalise but his right-footed kick went to the left of the posts to spark wild celebrations among the noisy Langley Park support.

Parkinson had practised his kicking alongside Hollister but only attempted goals in matches “once or twice” this season, according to Langley Park’s delighted coach, David Johnson.

“I asked the boys who the best kicker would be and James, who had been injured for our quarter-final, was the nomination, although the captain, Jacob Burr, put his hand up too.”

Palmer had kicked Woodlands into a 3-0 lead then the sides exchanged tries through centre Matt Hinkin for Langley Park – winners of the Under 15 Vase in 2006 – and Woodlands’ No 8 Owen Whittle, who plays for the Broadstreet club.

Hollister’s 25 metre penalty made it 8-8 at half-time, and with Langley Park’s forwards on top in the second half they appeared to be heading for victory with a well-worked try by full back Mark Longhurst.

An initial Langley Park line-out was fumbled but they regained possession and Hollister’s pass out of the tackle fed Hankin who sent Longhurst over, Hollister converting.

But with Hollister forced off and Langley Park reorganising, a clever chip to the left by Palmer prompted the flying Walker to get round his opposite number Dan Hamilton and score at the posts, Palmer converting.

The sudden-death finish was a cruel way for Woodlands to go out, but their coach, Paul Harrison, said: “This is the start of something big for Ben Palmer, he is something special.

“We are a state comprehensive, albeit in a strong rugby county, and to achieve what we have done, the boys can hold their heads high.”

** The second semi-final of the Daily Mail U15 Vase was more disjointed and less structured than the first but no less entertaining.

King’s College School Wimbledon were admirably ambitious in giving the ball some air but always fighting for territory against a well-drilled Calday Grange for whom fly half Alex Eagles ran and kicked intelligently.

Centre Will Powis kicked three first half penalties for KCS but Calday Grange led 12-9 at half-time after tries by pacy left wing Jake Collins and captain and centre Ben Sparke, with the first converted by Sparke off the bar.

A kick ahead and a slip in the KCS defence allowed right wing Matt Ross to score Calday Grange’s third try, converted by Sparke for a 19-9 lead.

Powis collected a fourth penalty for KCS but they were left with too much to do.

“As soon as I saw KCS running from their 22 when they had the wind behind them in the first half, I was over the moon,” said Calday Grange coach Paul Miller. ““Our defence was solid and our fly half put us in the right areas of the pitch.

“KCS went through the phases superbly in the second half but I believe our team is as good as the one which reached the semi-finals of the Under-15 Cup in 2003 when Whitgift with Danny Cipriani as captain knocked us out.”

KCS coach Jeremy Gibbon believed the match turned on “three or four key moments” which went against his side but paid tribute to their hard work.

“It was not the best match we have played but I was pleased how they kept going right to the end.”

** Calday Grange’s semi-final appearance caused them to postpone a planned trip for the team to Italy but their proud shirt sponsor – and 15-year-old loosehead prop – James Lynch, chipped in to fund most of the £1600 required to change the travel tickets.

When Lynch was dropped from the football team he used the £50 he had been given to buy boots to buy and do up a car for re-sale instead.

It went so well that the young entrepreneur has since bought and sold 70 cars worth up to £7000 each.

“We find the cars in auctions and the local newspapers,” said James, who has used his middle name to make the company title James Elliot Motors which appears on the Calday Grange jerseys.

“My father drives me to the auctions and the garage, and we do up the cars, which sometimes means just giving them a good clean.

“This was the hardest game we have had this season, KCS kept coming back at us, but I am looking forward now to our trip to Venice, and to my first ever visit to Twickenham.”

Daily Mail Under 15 Schools Vase 2007-8

Semi-final results, Sunday March 16, Broadstreet RFC:

Ends