EDF Energy Cup - : Hartpury College looking for Twickenham double

Hartpury celebrate their EDF Energy Junior Vase success last season

Hartpury College looking for Twickenham double

6 May 2008, 12:08 pm

By Jonathan McConnell

Hartpury College could be set to win their second piece of silverware at Twickenham this season when they contest the final of the EDF Energy Senior Vase final against Doncaster outfit Wheatley Hills on Saturday.

The Gloucestershire side have already scooped the honours in the BUSA Championship, defeating Loughborough University 23-15 on St. George’s Day and this weekend they will be fully charged for another attempt to add to their already bulging silverware cabinet.

As reigning EDF Energy Junior Vase champions, beating Billericay 72-12 a year ago also at Twickenham, not many people will be betting against Hartpury especially as they’ve also wrapped up the Highbridge Jewellers Gloucester Premier league title, winning all of their 22 fixtures.

Hartpury Rugby Academy Director and First Team Coach Allan Lewis said: “This has been another good season for us but it’s not over yet. We have one final job to do and if we can win it, it will be the icing on the cake for us.

“It’s a great feeling to be in the final again, we enjoyed last year’s EDF Energy Junior Vase tremendously, and we are hoping for more of the same this time around.

“I think this year we have got an even stronger squad, and that has been why we’ve been able to be successful in the league, the BUSA competition of the Cup, so far. We have used 40 players in our squad this season and we have rotated them heavily.”

Doncaster’s Wheatley Hills RFC stand in the way of Hartpury’s treble ambitions and they too have enjoyed a good season in the league.

Lewis added: “Wheatley Hills finished fourth in Yorkshire 2 and they have clearly been enjoying a very good season. Honestly, we don’t know too much about them, but I don’t think we can expect such a convincing result in the final this time around. This is a different cup and we have found the opposition much tougher throughout the season so we are certainly expecting a much harder game this time around.”

For Lewis, the cup final will be his final hurrah with Hartpury College as he moves to Pertemps Bees as their Director of Rugby for the new season.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a special day but not just for me, for everyone. This match is also going to be the last game for several of our player who are leaving the college after three or four years so I am sure it is going to be an emotional day all round, whatever the result.”