Article from FifteeenRugby.com

Exeter College put in a stunning display of forward power to see off the Wirral Grammar School in this U18 NatWest Vase semi final at Allianz Park.

As with yesterday’s Cup semi finals – drama was at the heart of this game, as Allianz Park immediately seems to have made itself the home of the Cup with these dramatic semi finals.

Wirral Grammar School actually dominated the opening quarter of the game, however despite almost setting up camp in the Exeter College 22 they could only muster a single Ben Brooks penalty in that period.

Still though the pressure continued until one booming touchfinder from Exeter’s fly half, Billy Searle, suddenly gave the game a shift in momentum as Exeter College suddenly started to surge at the Wirral line, their chests seemingly swelling with every phase. Giving away penalties became the only option for Wirral, but they soon paid the price for that as prop Josh Edgar was sent to the bin.

Exeter went straight to the corner with the ball and, in a move reminiscent of Dulwich College yesterday, they set up a superb driving maul, to which Wirral had to answer, leaving flanker Ross Watts to flop over and give his side the lead.

Suddenly it was Exeter who were in the ascendancy, as the game edged towards half time – a period that had been shown to be crucial yesterday. Clearly though Wirral had seen that trend and out of nothing their tricky scrum half, Jack Dixon, wriggled away to score a try out of nothing. Brooks converted and suddenly it was Wirral Grammar School who were bouncing as they went into the break 10-5 up.

They must have thought that they’d tied things up, at least in terms of momentum, with a Brooks penalty within a minute of the second half starting, however Exeter were having none of it, and once again they got that big and destructive maul going – surging through the Wirral 22 for that man Watts to get his second of the day. It was truly unstoppable stuff, and an outstanding display of the art of mauling, however a missed conversion meant that Wirra still led by three points.

That was not to last long though as for a third time Exeter set up that unstoppable driving maul, it was not that man Watts at the back this time though, prop Matt Harris was the man in control, and ultimately it was to be Harris who claimed that all important winning score.

Billy Searle added the extras to make it 17-13 to the Devonshire side, but with twenty minutes left to play you had to feel that there was still plenty left in this game.

Wirral certainly thought so, they spent the rest of the game slowly cranking up the pressure on Exeter before laying absolute siege on their try line for the final ten minutes of the game.

It was brutal stuff, reminiscent of RGS High Wycombe yesterday, the Exeter defence simply refused to yield though as they threw themselves into tackle after tackle, waiting for, hoping for, begging for, the referee’s final whistle.

Eventually he did blow though, calling time on a fantastic game of rugby, and yet another unbelievable Schools Cup semi final at Allianz Park – there is obviously something in that artificial grass!

Full Time: Wirral Grammar School 13-17 Exeter College