FOR a school that has produced two national winning football teams in recent years, rugby players have had to look on with envy.

But not any more.

Because in a season when holders QEGS unexpectedly crashed out of the Independent Schools FA Cup, the Under 18s rugby team has reached its first ever major cup final.

Now it is their turn to enjoy the glory!

"I think they have let it be known they have reached a final," said head of rugby Mark Evans. "But you would have to ask the players themselves as to how far they went.

"All I know is that they are glad to be in the spotlight themselves for once."

QEGS will take on a very good Cowley School from Liverpool in the Lancashire Under 18s cup final in March.

They may be big underdogs but for a school where rugby plays second fiddle to football, just getting there is a feat in itself.

Evans, who plays for National Division Three side Fylde, has slowly turned the balance in his two years at the Blackburn school -- but admits he still has a long way to go.

"QEGS is definitely a football school but we have shown we have some very good rugby players. We now have a squad of 20 players in each year group playing every Saturday."

QEGS are not a team brimming with superstars -- only second row David Mathias has county honours -- but team-work has been the real key to its success.

"That is probably more pleasing because the team all work for each other and we do not rely on a few individual players. We have shown we can compete with and beat the best rugby schools in the county."

QEGS booked their first ever final, which will be played at Caldy RUFC on the Wirral on March 17, with a 15-10 win against Widnes Sixth Form College.

That followed victories against Winstanley College and Audenshaw from Manchester.

Now Evans is plotting the downfall of a Cowley team who recently put 40 points on Widnes Sixth Form.

"We have a game plan and we will have to stick to it," said Evans who will be drawing on all his own experience in the game. "We have a very strong pack so we will be trying to keep it with our forwards for as much as possible."

Number eight and captain Cameron Atkinson will lead the team in to battle. And while it is a team effort, Evans will be looking for big performances from half back partnership Tim Deakin and Peter Ashcroft, blind side flanker Asif Hasan and Mathias -- all of whom have been in outstanding form on the march to the final.

These are exciting times to be playing rugby at QEGS as the school will compete in the Rosslyn Park Sevens immediately after the cup final while a first ever tour to Northern Italy will take place in March.

But as the cup final looms, Evans unfortunately cannot pass on his own experiences of being a giant killer.

"We came very close to beating Wasps once and I scored a try at Loftus Road. But I have never been a giant killer."

Maybe not as a player but come Sunday, March 17, he could as a coach.