March 10, 2008

Northern interest in the two senior EDF Energy sponsored competitions, the Cup and the Trophy, ended when Rotherham were beaten in the last round by Plymouth Albion, but five clubs from the region will still have the prospect of an outing at Twickenham to inspire them when they compete in the semi-finals of the three other sections on Saturday.

Interest in the North West focuses on Birkenhead Park and Chester, who are bidding for an all-Northern EDF Energy Intermediate Cup on April 12.

‘Park’ are looking for a sharp upturn in their league form if they are to come away from Bracknell with a place at Twickenham. They proved their Cup fighting qualities when they won 23-12 at Staines in the previous round, but they have been beaten twice since then in the league and need to refocus if they are to reach the final.

With both teams from the same level of the RFU League pecking order, but with Park doing better in North One than their rivals in South West One, the Merseysiders have a good chance to reach the showpiece if they can find their best form.

Bracknell will be hoping that ground advantage will give them a crucial edge and it looks like a contest that will go to the side that produces its best form on the day.

Chester currently play at a level below their Shropshire visitors Newport, but they are currently at the top of North Two West and strongly placed to get in North One.

An obvious form-line comes from one of Newport’s earlier EDF wins, a 21-20 home success over Stockport, although it serves only to confirm that a tight tussle is in prospect. Chester were 10-9 winners at Stockport earlier in the season.

With 16 wins and two draws from 19 games, Chester are currently on the crest of a wave, while a scoring ratio of 675 for and 211 against reflects a nicely balanced side.

Like Bracknell, Chester will be looking for home advantage to provide a crucial edge, while Newport will be hoping that coach Ginger Wills, who has previously coached Chester, will have one or two tricks up his sleeve, but Director of Rugby Ray Price is under no illusions about the challenge.

"We know the job that we have got to do," he said. "We have been to have a look at Chester and they are a very good side. They are walking their league, it looks like they are going to be promoted, they are a very good outfit and we are going to have to dig deep and tough it out as we have in our recent games."

Wheatley Hills have proved their fighting spirit

If a never-say-die attitude is to play any part in the outcome of the EDF Energy Senior Vase game at Wheatley Hills, where Cullompton are visitors, then the Doncaster side will feel they are very well placed.

In their previous Vase game against Spalding, they were 18-0 with 15 minutes remaining, but they scored three tries to snatch a 19-18 win and reach the semi-final.

“We’ve had some luck during our run and the key is to take advantage of it,” says Secretary Steve Hanson. “We were beaten by Sheffield, who were then discovered to have played an ineligible player, and then we’ve had a couple of home ties to get us to this point.

“We had a poor start to the season, with nine senior players out with injury, but since Christmas we’ve done well and now we’re in with a chance of getting a play-off place.”

While a couple of Yorkshire ‘spies’ were invited to leave a Cullompton training session once their identity was revealed, the Devonians are bound to be thinking about how to contain South African Ed Squires, who has been in sparkling form this season either on the wing or at full-back. He has 23 tries in 14 games so far having missed several games with injury, last weekend’s match against Dinnington being the only game where he hasn’t notched a try.