The Berkshire side were defeated 10-0 by Lord Wandsworth College in a close semi-final encounter at Aylesbury RFC as a result of two second half tries.
While they miss out on a place in the final at Ealing Trailfinders, they can take plenty of learning from a remarkable run in the competition.
“It stings, it hurts right now, but hopefully we are better for the experience,” said Knights, Wellington’s head of rugby development.
“I’m disappointed for the boys. This meant a huge amount to them and they’ve put a huge amount into this season.
“In knockout rugby, there’s got to be a losing team and unfortunately that was us today.
“Credit to Lord Wandsworth, they were brilliant, ferocious in defence, attacked us hard at the breakdown and we never seemed to get a rhythm to our game.
“But ultimately, it won’t define this group. It’s a huge learning that ultimately will make these boys better once they make the transition into under-16s and senior rugby after that.”
The RFU Continental Tyres Cup is foundational to age-grade rugby in England, enabling students from across the country to compete against one another and against the best the game has to offer at schoolboy level.
It was a low-scoring affair in Wellington’s semi-final but Lord Wandsworth College were able to make their opportunities pay.
“Ultimately they capitalised when they were on top and we probably just made errors when we had chances and we were on top,” said Knights.
“That was probably the difference between the two teams. When we thought we had chances, they found a way to nullify our momentum a little bit.
“Rugby is a really easy game when momentum is high and you’re on the front foot. But as soon as that momentum gets stumbled, it’s a really difficult game to regain that momentum.”
Despite not making the final, Wellington still experienced the atmosphere of a neutral venue with plenty of support travelling to attend in Aylesbury, while England star George Furbank was among the spectators.
“It’s really important to put young rugby players under a little bit of pressure like this, to have a crowd and to play at a neutral venue,” added Knights.
“It’s a little bit different and it tests the boys’ character. I can’t fault the boys’ character today, but we just came out on the wrong side.”
The Continental Tyres Schools Cup is an important part of the age-grade rugby landscape in England, with schools’ rugby often where players fall in love with the game for the first time. For more information visit the Continental Tyres Schools Cup section of the England Rugby Website
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-03-05 13:01:28
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