Rugby World: The Champions

IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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EDF ENERGY CUPS
CHAMPIONS EDITION CHAMPIONS EDITION CHAMPIONS EDITION CHAMPIONS EDITION
EDF ENERGY CUP Joy and sorrow: Chester’s cup of tries, Alan Keylock, Herman Botha
OSPREYS
win was later overshadowed by
and Matthew Betty crossing inside
THE Ospreys overturned favourites
the loss of one of their players
13 minutes. It was 43-0 at the break,
Leicester Tigers 23-6 to become the scores including an 80-metre
the ﬁ rst Welsh side to win the effort with a dozen players involved
competition, avenging their defeat and ﬁ nished by lock Llyr Grifﬁ ths.
by the same opponents in last And two players, Matthew Evans and
season’s ﬁ nal and recording a Samuel Dimmick, each registered
maiden victory in their short history a try brace by the time Wheatley
over the Midlanders. It capped a gained a consolation try from ﬂ anker
memorable day for No 8 Filo Tiatia, Gaz Burns, who broke a tackle ten
whose wife had given birth to twins metres out and ploughed over.
earlier on. Man of the Match Marty Hartpury coach Allan Lewis said:
Holah, the former All Blacks “It’s not about tactics or coaching –
openside ﬂ anker, said: “It was really it’s about players. Our squad has
special the way our forwards took been outstanding all season.”
them on, especially as they targeted
us in the scrum and lineout.” EDF ENERGY JUNIOR VASE
Disappointed Tigers captain CASTLEFORD
Martin Corry admitted: “We were MAN of the Match and Castleford
second best by quite some way. You E
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wing Lee Land proved that dreams do
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have to give credit to the Ospreys’
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come true. Having been suspended C
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defence. We couldn’t get into our
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sine die from rugby league, he was H
game, build the foundation and win EDF INTERMEDIATE CUP the junior competition one year ago. allowed to start a rugby union career A
the sort of ball on which we thrive.” CHESTER Although their new league status, only last autumn, scored a try and M
All the Ospreys points were BEATING Birkenhead Park 21-18 Western Counties North, is still below produced the elusive ﬂ ash of running
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unanswered after Andy Goode kicked augurs well for Chester, whose Two the eligibility level for the Intermediate that set up the crucial one from
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a penalty and dropped a goal early West title elevates them to North Cup, the RFU are looking into moving centre Jason Dunwell with seven
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on. Centre Andrew Bishop and lock One next season, the league in Hartpury to the higher competition to minutes left. It projected his side to
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Alun Wyn Jones scored Ospreys’ which Park ﬁ nished a lofty fourth in prevent a repeat of such mismatches. a 14-11 win over Doncaster Phoenix. S
tries with James Hook landing both April. Victory against the run of play Hartpury operates an academy Land said: “It has been quite a year.
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conversions and three penalties. came in the ﬁ nal seven minutes for Guinness Premiership clubs I owe it all to Chris Willett, our
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when replacement wing Simon Gloucester and Worcester, and is a director of rugby, who has helped me
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EDF NATIONAL TROPHY Love, 27, a Reading-born accounts centre of excellence for youngsters through the past two years.”

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NORTHAMPTON SAINTS manager, stole the ball and sprinted worldwide as their 13 tries – from Phoenix are the tenants of National N
RICHARD BAXTER, Exeter’s captain, 90 metres for a dazzling try. 11 different players – testiﬁ ed. One Doncaster and had lost twice to E
gave Northampton – and his own Defeat was tough on Park, who Man of the Match Holotti Molitika, Castleford in Yorkshire Three during
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team – the biggest compliment after controlled the match for long spells. 20, a Worcester Academy member, the season. Replacement prop Alan
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the Chiefs lost a fourth consecutive Park’s Dave Blyth, 37, a former West was among them and said: “Wheatley Kaihau scored their try and centre
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Twickenham ﬁ nal, by 24-13. He said: Hartlepool and Newcastle lock, was stood up to us, especially in the ﬁ rst Ben Millar kicked two penalties, while

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“They’re a team we aspire to be and Man of the Match, but said: “I’d 20 minutes, and made it tough.” ﬂ y-half Steve Willett and Ian Mattison
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judging by our performance we’re rather have the win than the two tries The students started with a ﬂ urry landed conversions for Castleford. n
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clearly not too far away from that.” I scored and the individual award.”
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Saints captain Bruce Reihana was Chester’s Tony Handley landed a
buzzing with delight after lifting the conversion, penalty and drop-goal
title. He said: “We’re thrilled with the while Liam Lawton scored the team’s
win after what was a tough game. other try and Tom Foden, brother of
We have very good coaches in Jim Northampton-bound Ben, put over
Mallinder and Dorian West. They a conversion and three penalties.
have pulled the team together.” Sorrow clouded Chester’s joy
Even playing every one of the ﬁ ve when ﬂ anker Aled Evans, a member
rounds away from home was no of the scheduled squad, died a week
barrier to Saints’ ambitions as they after the ﬁ nal from injuries sustained
beat Cornish Pirates, Doncaster when he fell from the roof of a farm
Knights, Bedford and Plymouth building in North Wales four days
Albion before reaching Twickenham. before the Twickenham match.
Exeter, who were league runners-up
to the Saints, trailed by only seven EDF ENERGY SENIOR VASE
points at half-time with full-back HARTPURY COLLEGE
Reihana converting a try by centre HISTORY repeated itself with
Joe Ansbro. Flanker Chad Slade Hartpury unable to ﬁ nd anyone
responded with a Chiefs try that good enough to play them in a
replacement Tony Yapp converted Twickenham ﬁ nal. This time they
before Paul Diggin scored the other overwhelmed Doncaster-based
try for Saints. Reihana kicked four Wheatley Hills, of Yorkshire Two,
penalties and Yapp two, including by 83-5 in the Senior Vase, having
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Kings of the castle: Castleford’s Lee Land
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the ﬁ nal one of the match. brushed aside Billericay 72-12 in
touches down in their Junior Vase victory
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Rugby World’s club guide returns next season. In the meantime, if you have any stories and/or pictures for our clubs editor Michael Austin, please phone him on 01400 282189, fax 01400 281662, email michael_austin@freelance.ipcmedia.com or write to 22 Church St, Long Bennington, nr Newark, Notts, NG23 5EN
RUGBY WORLD JULY 2008 117
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