Cup Draw

By Dave Picken - January 19 2009
Cup Draw
How unlucky can you get. We will be away for the fourth time in a row in the Intermediate Cup with a trip down to Gloucester to face their "academy" side in the quarter final. Hartpury College will be the opposition on February 28th.

EDF Energy Quarter Final

Hartpury College v West

Portsmouth v Luton

Sandal v Clifton

Sheffield Tigers v Newport [Salop]

Anyone watching Gloucester on Sky yesterday will have seen Hartpury's name on various ad hoardings round the ground. In fact, Gloucester's official training ground is at Hartpury.

Former West colts second row Gareth Eddy was given a place at the College after Gloucester spotted his potential, and the team [it's not really a club] won the Trophy last season by some distance.

They've been moving up the leagues since ever since entering the league structure and are playing at Level 7 in Western Counties North - the same level as Rovers and Horden. They are top of their league by some distance having won all 12 games and running in almost 600 points with only 121 against.

They are also no doubt hoping for a hat trick of Twickenham wins. Two years ago they won the Junior Vase and last season they demolished Wheatley Hills 83-5 in the Senior Vase final.

No doubt they'll be fit, eager and well coached but West will undoubtedly have the edge in experience with the likes of Sawyer, Connolly, Iain Dixon and Iain Robinson on the park and it could be an intriguing contest.