THE KING’S School’s rugby team narrowly missed out on a famous victory at the game’s spritual home, losing their Vase final to the Leys School.
In the Daily Mail RBS Schools’ under-15 showpiece, King’s lost 25-3 to their Cambridge opponents at Twickenham.
King’s competed valiantly throughout but a bigger, well-drilled Leys pack got on top and the strong-running centre Will McGahey scored one of the winning side’s three tries.
McGahey, fly-half Will Hooley and No.8 Oliver Houghton are all attached to the Northampton Saints academy, and their quality showed in a fine all-round performance.
Leys coach Liam Copley said: "We are delighted. The boys did everything we asked of them and more. We used our full armoury today."
In the 60-minute match, the Leys won with tries also coming from Fraser Heathcote and Anthony Taylor.
King’s captain, centre Andrew Hodgson, kicked his team’s only points with a penalty in the second minute.
Leys took a nine-point lead in the first half, and Hooley kicked a penalty early in the second half to make it 15-3.
Leys dominated the driving maul - legal in English schools’ rugby - at one point driving a full 50 metres.
They also showed excellent defence, never better displayed than when Alex Billings of King’s was held up in midfield from a blindside attack, set up by lock Tom Stevenson winning a line-out at the front.
Play swept up to the other end and Leys scrum-half Taylor found a gap on the right to run in from 25 metres out.
Hooley converted and popped over a sweetly-struck drop-goal with a minute of normal time remaining to seal the result.
Hodgson was gracious in defeat after the game, and said: "I loved every minute of our cup run.
"We have a small set of lads and the Leys’ forwards were a lot bigger but we will remember this day for the rest of our lives."
