Schools & Youth Conferences round-up

The High School of Glasgow and The Glasgow Academy went head-to-head across all age groups in the Schools’ White Conference on Saturday.The local derby resulted in the home side, the High School of Glasgow, coming out on top as the overall winners with victory across all three under-14, under-15 and under-18 levels. The majority of the matches were tightly contested with the 1st XV game resulting in a narrow 20-17 victory for the High School of Glasgow.It was The Glasgow Academy, however, who made the initial dent in play through an early score from Jack McCready.Matthew Johnstone, Ross Horn and Stuart Ferguson responded with tries for the High School of Glasgow, while Aidan Fitzgerald added a conversion.With the home side leading 17-5, the Academy mounted a fight back with tries from Jack McLean (converted) and then Lewis Hay in the closing stages appearing to have sealed victory for the visitors but the resulting conversion was pushed wide.From the kick-off, the High School won a penalty outside of the Academy 22 and Fitzgerald stepped up to slot the ball through the posts as the winning kick sailed over (20-17).The match also doubled-up as a Scottish Schools’ Plate quarter-final with the High School of Glasgow going through to the semi-final. The 1st XV defeated Gordonstoun 24-18 on Wednesday and will meet Hutchesons’ Grammar in the final at BT Murrayfield on Wednesday 7 December.The Academy took the spoils in the under-16 match with the High School winning both the under-14 and under-15 games. Luke Armstrong and Graeme Macdonald both scored hat-tricks in the under-15 game while Ryan Street and Michael Alba repeated the feat in the under-14 match.The Academy edged it by a point in the under-13 encounter between the two sides with ‘B’ team matches also taking place and a large number of boys playing competitive matches across Old Anniesland.The High School of Glasgow now sit second in the conference table behind George Heriot’s School with The Glasgow Academy in third.This weekend’s pick of the conference fixtures is a clash in the Girls’ President’s Conference between Biggar and Stirling County at Hartree Mill on Sunday. The results from both the under-15 and under-18 fixtures will determine the overall winner of the conference.In the Club President’s Conference, Stirling County will visit Currie across the age groups as they hope to chase Ayr who are top of the overall table.Elsewhere, there is a top of the table encounter in the Schools’ Blue Conference where Robert Gordon’s College host Fettes College on Saturday.Linlithgow Academy have now been confirmed as winners of the Schools’ Purple Conference, having impressed all season and edging Lasswade High School out of the top spot after six rounds of competition.For a full list of conference results and fixtures, visit: http://www.scottishrugby.org/fixtures-results-schools-youth