Whitgift School are aiming to combine rugby skills with mental toughness as they bid to win the prestigious Daily Mail RBS U18 Cup final against RGS Newcastle at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday, March 31 (3.30pm).

Coach Chris Wilkins enlisted the help of a sports psychologist Charlie Unwin to work with the players in three sessions to get them in the right frame of mind.

"We want the boys to enjoy the surroundings while not being distracted by them or the occasion," said Wilkins, who as a flanker played at Twickenham for England Colts against Canada and in the Middlesex Sevens for Blackheath.

"It is a great honour, but they need to keep their feet on the ground, to concentrate and play to the peak of our performance.

“To remember what served us well during the season, which was honest hard work on and off the ball, and doing the basics well, hopefully to generate quick ball and show what we can do."

Whitgift won the U15 Cup in 1999 and 2003, the latter with London Wasps' England international Danny Cipriani in the side, and have lost just twice this season including a tour to New Zealand.

"We had a week of sevens including a trip to Sussex and then we played a Kent select team as a warm-up," said Wilkins, whose captain and hooker Charlie Hopkins and scrum half Jamie Stevenson form part of a six-man 'leadership group'.

"The last week of preparation has gone well and now we are looking forward to the final and the whole school coming to support us, which is around 1500 people including staff, plus 1,800 old boys."