THEY may be used to competing against each other in class, but there was more than pride at stake when two Abingdon School students faced off on the international rugby scene.

Sixth formers Theo Brophy Clews and Michael Dewar, both 17, swapped their school shoes for rugby boots when they were on opposing sides as England Under 18s clashed with Scotland.

And it was Brophy Clews who came out on top, captaining England to a 39-27 victory over Dewar’s Scotland at Kingston Park – home to Aviva Premiership club Newcastle Falcons.

However, for both players, the fixture was more than just about the result.

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For fly half Brophy Clews, who is on the books at Premiership club London Irish, skippering the England side meant he became the first Abingdon student to captain his country.

And the 17-year-old capped that particular milestone by scoring a try and scooping the man of the match award.

“It is a unique feeling to play for England,” said Brophy Clews, who is Irish’s youngest try scorer after going over against Llanelli Scarlets in the LV=Cup in January.

“It was a privilege to captain the side, as I was amongst a number of people who could have done it.”

For Dewar, losing to his classmate may have been a cause for discussion between his peers at Abingdon, but the match also marked a special day in his fledgling career.

The flanker, a Wasps academy player, who made the side’s second string against Oxford-based London Welsh in the Aviva A League last November, was making his international debut.

Dewar started at open-side and relished the opportunity to play for his country and against Brophy Clews.

He added: “There is a friendly rivalry between us, but on the day there was definitely a serious edge.”