Head of Rugby at Stewart’s Melville College, Stuart Edwards, has praised the attitude and commitment shown by the boys' 1st XV rugby squad in recent months to reach the Scottish Schools' U18 Cup Final this Wednesday evening on the main pitch at BT Murrayfield (6pm).
Since the team defeated Marr College 59-0 in the semi-final on 21 November, the players have been focused on their final against George Watson’s College in Scotland's national stadium. Preparation for a night such as this goes back some years, when current players started coming through the ranks at school under the watchful eye of Gregor Wood, Head of Boys' Sport, and Mr Edwards.
"A lot of these guys have been playing rugby together since they were pretty young so they have an understanding of each other’s strengths and what makes each other tick" Edwards said. "At U18 level you bring together S5 and S6 players into one squad which can take a bit of development. In that regard, we were fortunate to have a tour to Canada this summer that really helped to bring boys from different years closer together. As a group, it meant that we were able to hit the ground running when we returned to school in August."
"Both on the tour and back at school the boys have been a credit to themselves and always put in the hard work to prepare for matches properly. There is an even split between S5 and 6 boys, which says a lot for the younger guys and the way they are developing.”
Before the Marr College last four tie, the team had beaten Dollar Academy 26-21 in the last eight and Edwards was impressed by the leaders in the playing group. Duncan Hood, the Captain from Hooker, has been “absolutely outstanding” and vice-captains Finlay Campbell, Christian Townsend and Jamie Thompson have all supported well. “The S6 guys in the group are all good role models and it means that the team have not been carried away about the hype surrounding the match,” Edwards said. “It means that they are just focused on playing their rugby and I want them to really go out and enjoy the occasion, it is not every day you get to play at Murrayfield. It should be a cracking match and very tight because Watson’s are a good side too.”
Entry is free this Wednesday – please get down and support your team!
Article by Gary Heatly
@G_HMedia
