Sam Bullock shows mettle in Dubai College's precious win over Jumeirah College

A 20-12 win in the Dubai Schools Under 18 final ends up being a close one and one of a very 'high standard'.

A Dubai College player, in blue, wins the ball during their Dubai Schools final against Jumeirah College. The game ended up being very close. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // Such has been the success of the Dubai College rugby team down the years, it is probably remiss to say the golden generation played their final match last night.

If a label is attributed to the Al Sufouh school's first XV every time Andy Jones, the master in charge, has a gifted crop of talent at his disposal we will soon run out of precious metals. Next year's lot will have to be platinum, then where do we go from there?

Whatever they are going to be tagged, the Year of 2013 enjoyed a golden end to their school rugby careers as they beat Jumeirah College in a compelling advertisement for the UAE schools game.

The leading light, Sam Bullock, capped off a season in which he has piloted success in the Dubai Sevens, their home 10s and now the UAE Under 18 Schools League with a typically composed display at scrum-half. "It has not just topped off a great season for us, including the Sevens, the DC 10s, but has been all the way from Year 7 to Year 13 it has topped it off on a high," Bullock said.

"It was really enjoyable. Credit to JC, they really stepped up and pushed us and it is probably the tightest game we've ever had against them."

Bullock now hopes to study business at Nottingham University in the UK, and the man who has overseen his rise in rugby believes he could graduate to a career in the game at the end of it.

"He is playing catch up because he hasn't been playing in that UK environment," Jones said. "If he sticks at it for three years at university and comes out the other side he could be semi-professional or above."

Defeat was tough to take for JC, who can take plenty of optimism from the fact Jack Stapley, the wing who scored two tries, will still be here next year.

"It was the highest standard of schools rugby match I can remember seeing in a long time," said Richard Vivian, the JC coach.

"It is just so disappointing for the boys after all the hard work they have put in and for the majority of them playing their last match ever for the school."

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