Haileybury College are one of the most improving teams as the SOCS Daily Mail Schools Trophy enters its crucial final month.

Back-to-back wins over Mill Hill and Merchant Taylors’ have lifted the Hertfordshire school after a mixed first-half of term bringing wins over Felsted and Stamford followed by defeats to former champions Berkhamsted and Oundle, 32-31.

'We’ve plenty to work on, but the win over Merchant Taylors’ was a good win,' is the report back from Michael Owen, the director of rugby.

The former Wales captain has now set his squad on maintaining the form in a closing sequence of five Trophy games including local rivals St Albans.

Haileybury – alma mater of England's Jamie George – have gone on a try-scoring spree recently led by wing Chris Hayers, who is at the Ealing Trailfinders’ Academy.

Before half-term, Hayers contributed four tries in the win over Mill Hill and followed up last Saturday, against Merchant Taylors’, by adding a further memorable score which Owen described as one for the player’s 'highlight reel'.

Haileybury have been helped by the goal-kicking of captain Ed Wright, who also scored a memorable try against Mill Hill.

Another try-scoring figure is Barnard Castle’s centre James Dolan who scored three in his team’s 33-0 win over St Peter’s York.

Screened by SOCS TV, the pick of Dolan’s tries was how he supported to finish off an attack which started in a cross-field kick followed by three off-loads.

However, Joe Cain, Barney’s director of rugby, was more delighted how his team kept a clean sheet for the first time this season. Next up is a trip to Pocklington in Yorkshire on Saturday.

Seaford are also maintaining good form, building a 26-0 half-time lead against Hampton before ending up 33-12 winners.

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Wing Hamza Zidour contributed three tries by finishing off some good team moves. Back-rower Barney Clark led the way up front helping to break up the opposing line-out.

Seaford are now seventh in the Trophy table and have four games left, starting at Canford this Saturday.

Leaders Haberdashers’ Monmouth made it six from six by winning 42-6 at Solihull and now host fourth-placed Cheltenham College this Saturday.

Cheltenham maintained their momentum by gaining a 12-7 win at Millfield to continue a campaign which has already brought a notable win over Wellington College and success in the St Joseph’s Festival.

Despite that defeat to Cheltenham, Wellington have lifted themselves into fifth place helped by a 42-38 win over Clifton in a match between former champions.

Wellie are now preparing for a further ‘heavyweight confrontation’ next Wednesday (November 18) against Sedbergh in the annual tussle under the lights at Broad Street near Coventry, kick off 6pm.

Sedbergh, former winners, are tenth but remain contenders as these ‘heavyweight’ encounters automatically bring teams additional bonus points for playing higher-ranked teams determined by the previous season’s table.

It all adds to the interest in the Trophy as the competition enters its final month for over 150 teams from across the country.

The Daily Mail Schools Trophy is run in partnership with SOCS.