YARM School hope to reach the Daily Mail Cup Under-15 final to be played at Twickenham when they take on John Fisher School in tomorrow's semi-final, writes Olly Du Croz.

With three defeats all season - one of which against Durham School was avenged by knocking them out of the cup - the notoriously tough Northern schools circuit has not proved too problematic for this talented side. Coached by Stuart Hardy, the school's master in charge of rugby, they have also been assisted by school 1st XV coach Stuart Whitehead. But even Mr Hardy couldn't have predicted this unrivalled success.

"I have said before what a pleasant surprise it has been," he said. "They are not necessarily the best Under-15 side I have seen but they have been far more successful in the cup than any other team."

Admitting that this is now a "big unknown," he knows that his side have the potential to reach the final.

He added: "It depends who the occasion gets to the most.

"We know John Fisher will be big, strong, fast and athletic, and are expecting a tough game.

"Who is to say that having got this far we can't get to the final? We are all certainly looking forward to it."

Having entered at the third round stage, a 53-3 win over St Peter's School, York, set them on their way in the cup competition.

Close wins then followed over St Peter and St Paul RC School (17-15) and a strong Durham side (8-0). That win put them beyond where the school had previously reached, and then the last 16 tie saw them beat Birkenhead School 10-0. A 20-10 win at King Edward's School, Birmingham, in the quarter-finals has taken them to being just one step away from the final.

The school has seen some ex-pupils be a success on the rugby field in recent years, with Russell Earnshaw becoming the first old boy to get a Blue as he represented Cambridge University twice.

Two are currently playing international Under-21 rugby, with Northampton man Simon Webster in the Scotland set-up and Sale's Anthony Elliot picked for the England squad.

They would have faced each other - as both are wingers - in the recent U-21 match, but Elliot had to pull out through injury