Brantingham’s International trip just class!
City schoolboy Phil enjoys ‘incredible’ England tour
TYNESIDE rugby prospect Phil Brantingham showed his England class on an “incredible” tour of South Africa.
Brantingham, captain of Newcastle Royal Grammar School’s first XV, was part of the 26-strong England under-18 squad - made up of some the country’s most promising rugby players - which contested the International Series.
The team suffered narrow defeats to Argentina and the host nation but celebrated a hard-earned victory over France.
Brantingham said: “South Africa were the best team in the tournament.
“They won all three of their matches, but to be honest I thought we should have won against them.
“We matched their aggression and blew them out of the water, especially at the beginning, which they were not expecting.”
He added: “Playing under pressure against top players is always going to bring your game on and put your skills to the test and I also learned a lot from watching our performances back.
“Especially the first game against Argentina.
“There were a lot of key moments in the scrum where I learned how to get myself out of difficult situations, being on the back foot.”
The Series gave the Falcons’ Academy player a huge opportunity to learn about and improve his game at both an individual and team level.
It also offered a chance for him to explore South Africa, including going on a safari and helping out in the local community.
Brantingham said: “Looking back, it really was an incredible tour.
“We were given the chance to experience some amazing things, such as the safari and spending the day in Cape Town.
“One of the highlights for me, apart from winning the France game, was our involvement in the community project Waves for Change.
“We were able to meet local children and help teach them life skills on the beach which was not only fun but also important for them.”
Back on home soil, Brantingham had little time to recover from the trip before captaining his school’s side in the annual RGS v Durham Metcalfe Cup clash at Kingston Park - his team enjoying a convincing 45-19 win.
The youngster was one of seven England squad members who had already been capped at this level having earned his first start for his country at the Under-18s’ Six Nations Festival in April.
He was also part of the team which made RGS history in October last year by becoming the first to win the prestigious St Joseph’s College National Schools’ Rugby Festival, going unbeaten throughout the tournament.