Beaumont 'super proud' as NSB go so close to Schools Cup glory

Beaumont’s side came out the bitter end of the Under-15s Cup showpiece, going down 24-12 to Radley College at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium.

But Beaumont reflected fondly on a magical cup run and the memories made along the way, including a visit from an England rugby legend.

“Cup runs are so special, and these boys will hopefully get to play in a stadium again one day,” Beaumont said.

“It will be something they tell their children and grandchildren about.

"They will remember coming here – we’ve treated them like professionals.

“Courtney Lawes came in and handed the shirts to them as an old boy. I’m sure those shirts will be framed on their bedroom walls forever so there’s lots of really monumental moments for them to look back on and be super proud of.

“Every single person in the stands is proud of them and they can look back on this fondly.”

Alexander Collins gave NSB an early lead in wet and blustery conditions in north London, but they trailed at half-time despite a second try, from hooker Daniel Howells.

Beaumont admitted that Radley successfully shut down his side’s lineout game, which had played a big role in the 36-34 semi-final win over Stowe School.

“We’ve been really dominant with our catch and drive lineout,” he said. “We scored three tries in the semi-final against Stowe there, and Radley nullified that.

“They are the only team in the country that have done that to us so credit to them.

"We’ve normally gone through with some big ball-carrying forwards and centres to break the gain line.

“We kept working to our strengths and there was one try in it with five minutes to go.

"The game could have gone either way quite easily but that’s sport.”

Beaumont believes the best team won on the day but says that should not detract from the efforts of his team.

“It was a fantastic game with two fantastic teams rightly in the final who went toe to toe with each other,” he added.

“The better team on the day definitely won but we are super proud of the boys and the journey they’ve been on.

“To get to a final is a great achievement and something they and the school will look back on proudly.”

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.