Finals a thrilling success but format still has issues

The buzz generated by the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools Cup finals at Murrayfield on Saturday will linger for some time but inevitably at the conclusion of what was a new format for the competition this season a considered reflection is necessary.

Any schools rugby competition is something of a scheduling nightmare, the hurdles to overcome including different October holidays and different timings for prelim exams, not to mention the winter scourge of foul weather. As a consequence schools demanded a change to the Brewin Dolphin Cup and in terms of timings the remapped competition has been spot on, but there are some schools less keen on the knock-out format.

Hitherto, losers in the preliminary or first rounds went into the Plate but this season the safety net was removed. That makes for an uncomplicated competition but the downside could be the undesired effect of a number of schools opting to play in the Plate rather than risk a sharp exit from the Cup.

A number of the smaller rugby-playing schools have hinted at this and it was interesting to note that Glenalmond College have already made this move. Another point is that the Cup is increasingly a competition for about five or six independent schools – either Edinburgh or east-coast based – who, through ambitious programmes, have opened up a massive gap between them and the rest, to the extent that Glasgow schools simply can’t compete. Moreover there is an absence of state schools. North Berwick High School work desperately hard but having lost several of their top players to the independent sector. this season, they, understandably, feel disadvantaged. The answer here might be to play more ‘composite’ state school sides (the rules allow this) to make the Cup embrace a much wider constituency.

A more radical solution would be to accept that for most young players outwith the independent sector, it is the clubs who fill what is the damaging vacuum left by the absence of so much extra-curricular sport in the state sector. Under-18 club teams have to an extent filled the void and are therefore, de facto, school sides. So why not invite, say, the top six clubs to be part of the 16-teams that make up the Brewin Dolphin Cup. That would make for a much more competitive Cup and herald in a new era. That, however, is for future debate. Meanwhile, cup winners Edinburgh Academy are back to business as usual this weekend when they face a Glasgow High School side denied their match against Strathallan because of unplayable pitches.

Glasgow High School’s cup ambitions were cut short this season when they met Watson’s in the first round.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, cup semi-finalists Stewart’s Melville College enhanced their already impressive record this season with a 22-5 win over Glasgow Academy at Inverleith thanks to tries from prop Isaac Miller, hooker Ross McIntosh and centre Murray Black, two of them converted by stand-off Scott Docherty, who also kicked a penalty goal. Elsewhere in Edinburgh, Merchiston achieved a 19-12 away win over Fettes ahead of their meeting with the Cup runners-up, George Watson’s College, at Colinton this Saturday.

Interest will now focus on the Plate competition, which has reached the quarter-final stage at both Under-18 and Under-16 age levels. First up are Linlithgow Academy and Kirkwall Grammar School who play today in the Under-16 Plate. Linlithgow come into this game on the back of a 45-5 round two win over McLaren High School and a 51-5 victory against Morrison’s Academy in the third round. A week today, The Gordon Schools, Huntly, finalists last season in the Under-16 Plate are at home to Bell-Baxter High School, second-round winners over Glenalmond College by 51-15. The other two Under-16 Plate quarter-finals are Peebles High School v Marr College and Lomond/Helensburgh v Jedburgh Grammar School.

In the Under-18 Plate quarter-finals Millburn Academy are at home to Linlithgow Academy on Friday while, a week tomorrow, Aberdeen Grammar School face Madras College at Rubislaw. The remaining two quarter-finals in the Under-18 Plate are expected to go ahead a week on Saturday when Carrick Academy take on Peebles High School and Earlston High School await Kelvinside Academy.