Langley Park Boys School from Beckenham ended the unbeaten record of Preston’s Hutton GS to reach the final of the Daily Mail Schools Under-15 Vase in a thrilling semi-final at Castlecroft Stadium in Wolverhampton today.

Two second-half tries from centre Matt Grannell, a prolific try-scorer this season, enabled Langley Park to turn a 0-5 half time deficit into a 12-5 win and book a meeting with John Cleveland College from Hinckley at Twickenham on April 5.

“I am absolutely speechless and exhausted,” said Langley Park coach Tom Williams at the end of a nerve-shredding contest.

“All season we have struggled with bad starts and the same happened today. We’ve tried all sorts of ways of trying to address it but nothing seems to work.

“We conceded another early try today which made it difficult for ourselves but we keep winning.

“Matt Grannell came up with the goods again as he has all season. The backs got the chance to show what they can do but that was only because the forwards stood up to their big pack.

“Getting to Twickenham is a huge thing for the school. A lot of boys will not play rugby after they leave school at 18 so this will be their only chance to play at Twickenham and it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them.”

Langley Park did meet John Cleveland in the final of the Daily Mail Schools Under-18 Plate in 1994 but that final was played at Castlecroft. JCC edged that game 8-5.

Defeat was a new experience for Hutton who had gone unbeaten through this season and had lost only two games in the previous three seasons.

They were knocked out of the Daily Mail Schools Under-15 Cup in unusual circumstances by Lancaster RGS who progressed as the away team after a 10-10 draw. The game was played at Lancaster at Hutton’s request but Hutton were still down as the home team on the draw sheet.

At one stage it looked as though Langley Park would also progress to the final on the away team rule as the sides were locked 5-5 until Grannell picked his way through Hutton’s defence two minutes from time.

“Having gone out of the Cup on the away team rule it would have been very hard to take,” said Graham Aitchison, Hutton’s coach. “It’s probably better to have gone out 12-5 than to have been the ‘home’ team in another draw.

“We are disappointed to have got so close to Twickenham and to have lost but the players gave 100 per cent and I cannot ask any more than that.

“Had we lost and not given everything it would have been a different matter. But we have had a good run and I’m very proud of the players.”

It was the second time that Hutton had fallen at the semi-final stage as they were beaten by Colston’s Collegiate School from Bristol in the last four of the Daily Mail Schools Under-18 Cup eight years ago when they were captained by Steve Borthwick, who has since gone on to play for Bath and England.

Hutton appeared bound for Twickenham when captain and centre Daniel McHale rounded off a flowing move for a sixth minute try, but Langley Park defended resolutely and eventually found their way into the game.

Grannell jinked through three minutes into the second half but the turning point came midway through the second half when Hutton worked an overlap but flanker Archie Skofic was unable to hold on to the scoring pass.

Grannell’s second try decided it and full-back Alex Brill landed the important conversion which meant Hutton had to score twice to reach Twickenham.

Langley Park, formerly Beckenham Technical School then Beckenham and Penge Grammar School, may nit have a reputation for producing rugby players but they can count Kent and England cricketer Rob Key and Rolling Stone Bill Wyman among their illustrious former pupils.

John Cleveland College enjoyed a smoother passage, beating Royal Latin School from Buckingham 24-12.