Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby's great schools
SIXTH form colleges competing against schools became a hot topic in the noughties with much ill feeling being directed towards the former as Truro College discovered.
The arguments against were obvious. Much bigger sixth forms to select from which often produced bigger more mature packs than most schools were comfortable playing against.
Not that the schools were always underdogs, far from it. They were pretty ruthless recruiters of top talent from across the country – witness Colston's charge to glory – and the fact is that heading into the 2008-9 season only one Sixth Form College had ever won the Daily Mail/NatWest U18 Final in the 18 seasons the competition had then existed. That was Exeter in 2005 and up to 2009 they were the only Tertiary College to reach the final.
The landscape was changing though. Towards the end of the decade some of those Colleges started to double up as Academies for professional clubs which was clearly going to take them into another league and Truro's obvious outlet was Exeter Chiefs.
As the 2008-9 season approached it was a case of now or never for Truro. There had been moves to bar Colleges from the competition for some years and that was going to come into effect the following season.
Truro had, in fact, been going about their business in fairly routine fashion for most of the decade without making huge waves. Worthy competitors who in the final analysis tended to fall short.
In 2003 and 2004 they were eliminated in round three against Liskeard and Truro School respectively and then in 2005 lost to Colston's College in round five. The first time Truro College really made an impression was in 2006 when they lost a cracking round six contest to Wellington College 23-20 but the following year they lost at the same stage 30-5 to St Peter's Gloucester.
This was not a side laying waste to all before them. They were a Cornwall-based College who didn't actively go recruiting around the country although, with Cornwall's many charms, there were one or two blow-ins from youngsters travelling the world.
Truro College roll of honour
Jack Nowell (England and Exeter Chiefs), Luke Cowen- Dickie (England and Exeter Chiefs), Bundee Aki (Ireland), Billy Keast (England U20 and Exeter Chiefs), Jack Innard (England U20 and Exeter Chiefs), Josh Matavesi (England U20 and Fiji), Sam Blanchett (England 7s), Max Bodilly, Tom Hendrickson, Ed Holmes, Harrison Cully (all Exeter Chiefs), Darren Dawiduik (Gloucester), Joel Matevesi, Hanno Dirkson (both Ospreys), Sam Betty (Worcester Warriors), Tom Cowan-Dickie, Jack Andrew, Paul Andrew, Kyle Molye, Tom Duncan, Tyler Gendall, Jack Oulton, Matt Bolwell (all Cornish Pirates), Toby Freeman, Jimmie Stevens (both Nottingham), Justin Blanchett (Bedford Blues), Jack Stanley (England U18, Exeter Chiefs)
At one stage future Ireland centre Bundee Aki – then an unknown youngster – registered for a year while travelling and made quite an impression, especially when he lined up against a young Manu Tuilagi in a game against John Cleveland College.
They were beginning to build, though, and perform consistently at a higher level and in 2007 again reached round six before losing out 20-6 to fellow Sixth Form College Filton from Bristol in a competition won by Wellington with St Benedict's Ealing the beaten finalists.
Still the cry continued for Sixth Form Colleges to be abolished and Truro read the tea leaves correctly. Happily their last shot at glory at ‘schools' level coincided with their strongest side to date.
It all started in the front row where props Tom Cowan-Dickie and Malcolm Hearn were a match for all-comers. Tom was considered as good a prospect as younger brother Luke but was beset by injuries although he remains a considerable player for Cornish Pirates, while the pack also included skipper Jack Andrews – playing lock that season – who became another long time prop with the Pirates.
The backs included one or two more exotic creatures. Hanno Dirksen was a powerful centre of South African heritage who arrived via the USA while local boy Herbie Stupple was equally strong in midfield and subsequently forged a career at No.8 with Plymouth Albion.
Fly-half Aaron Penberthy was a goal-kicking points machine who forged a fine career with Jersey Reds, Ealing Trailfinders and the Pirates while half-back partners Kyle Armstrong was a lively player who was eligible for Canada and represented them at the Junior World Cup.
Out in the centre –more of which anon – was Josh Matevesi, a Cornish-born and bred Fijian who played with all the exuberance you would expect from a South Sea Islander.
He continues to do so with Bath after a long career which has taken in Exeter, Racing, Worcester, Ospreys and Newcastle.
Josh is the eldest of three rugby-playing sons of former Fijian international Sireli Matevesi, all of whom attended the College. Hooker Sam – also a Fijian international – played flanker in the 2009-9 season and is at Northampton Saints these days and Joel Matevesi is a centre at Newcastle Falcons.
Marshalling all this talent was former Bath scrum-half Ricky Pellow, twice a Daily Mail Cup winner as a player with Colston's and his forwards coach Will Davies, while former England prop Robin Cowling lent his experience with the front row. It was a formidable unit all round.
Not that Truro had every- thing their own way. After comfortable early round wins over Tavistock (45-3), Torquay Boys GS (48-0) and Plymouth College (47-17) the going got much tougher. In round five they encountered Filton College, probably the competition favourites that year.
Truro normally enjoyed forward dominance against most schools teams but the roles were reversed here with the Cornish side having to find a way of combating Filton's huge pack. Having said that, Truro decided to attack Filton at their point of strength and it was a penalty try from a rolling maul in the last minute after Filton had conceded three penalties on the trot that saw Truro home 25-23.
Next up came a talented RGS High Wycombe side. Truro produced some of their best rugby in winning 31-13 but it was close again in the quarter-finals with Lymm HS proving a tough nut to crack before Truro prevailed 15-8. It was nip and tuck all the way before a fine individual try from Dirksen sealed the deal.
If that felt tense it was nothing compared with their semifinal against a crack John Fisher side.
At full time it was 19-apiece so a penalty shootout was staged. The two teams' three dedicated kickers each had to take a pot at goal in front of the posts which all three slotted.
Then the kicks were moved back to the ten metre line. Two Fisher misses left Aaron Penberthy with a shot to glory.
Penberthy had been a team stalwart for a couple of seasons but had lost his starting role in the final to Matevesi. However, he came on as a late replacement and was exactly the right man to take the decisive kick. Truro were in the final.
There they met their old rivals St Peter's Gloucester and Truro brought their A game with a thumping 39-18 win. Dirksen scored two tries on his 18th birthday to send Truro on their way while Tom Cowan-Dickie, Stupple and Josh Matavesi, also scored tries along with centre Herbie Stupple while Matavesi kicked the remaining 14 points.
Off the back of that success in 2009 Truro received an invitation to participate in the Sanix World Youth Rugby International tournament in Japan at the Global Stadium in Fukuoka. They reached the final where they encountered an irresistible Hamilton High School team and lost 40-8. Two years later they again reached the final, losing 37- 24 to Kelston Boys High School.
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