EDF Energy Cup - : Bedford relish Trophy campaign

Bedford relish Trophy campaign

29 January 2008, 11:19 am

By Jonathan McConnell

Bedford Blues director of rugby Mike Rayer is hoping that the EDF Energy National Trophy will again bring the best out of his side.

Bedford won the competition, then the Shield, three seasons ago, were runners-up to Harlequins in 2006 and were only knocked out of the competition last season by Exeter on the away team rule after the sides were deadlocked at 13-13 after extra time.

As the National One title race appears to be a one-horse affair with Northampton Saints ten points clear with a game in hand, former Wales full-back Rayer believes that the Trophy will again provide his players with a focus in the second half of the season.

"For sides like us it gives us a real focus between now and the end of the season," Rayer said. "It means extra games and extra revenue and it's a real opportunity for the players to get to play in a Twickenham final.

"We've got a pretty good record in this competition and we are keen for that to continue. If you take out the fact that we went out of last year's competition only on the away team rule then we have only lost one game in this competition in three seasons."

Bedford sidestepped a potential banana skin in the fourth round when they defeated National Two leaders Otley at Cross Green and they now entertain National One rivals Sedgley Park at Goldington Road on Saturday February 2.

The tie means a swift return to the East Midlands for Park who were trounced 96-3 by Northampton at Franklin's Gardens last Saturday, but Rayer believes that makes the north Manchester club even more dangerous opponents.

"They will be hurting after last week's game at Northampton and they will be keen to bounce back," Rayer said.

"I don't think we will be reading too much into their result last week. They will regroup this week and they will come down here with the aim of giving it a really good shot."

Park were beaten 24-20 on their previous visit to Goldington Road in a league game in October.

Bedford hope to welcome back former Scotland international winger Craig Moir from a dislocated shoulder and Canadian international utility back James Pritchard from a chest infection.

Northampton face the first of two consecutive visits to Doncaster's Castle Park ground for Saturday's fifth round tie. The Saints are due back at Doncaster on Sunday week for a top-of-the-table National One clash.

Northampton will be without winger Chris Ashton, a prolific try-scorer since he switched from rugby league during the summer.

Ashton has already scored a Northampton record 25 league tries this season but will have to sit out the Trophy tie having collected three yellow cards for foul play this season for which he received a one match suspension at a disciplinary hearing last night.

Pertemps Bees entertain Plymouth Albion at Sharmans Cross Road but they will be without player/coach Russell Earnshaw.

The former Bath, Rotherham and Doncaster flanker is assistant coach of the England sevens side and is away on international duty for the next two weekends. Lock Alex Davidson and fly-half Jon Higgins, the Bees' captain, will be in charge of team preparation during Earnshaw's absence.

Nottingham will entertain London Welsh for the second time in a week at Meadow Lane on Sunday. Nottingham defeated the Exiles 34-6 at Notts County's football ground last weekend in what their director of rugby Glenn Delaney described as "the first move in a game of chess."

Coventry, who had to overcome horrnedous weather conditions to defeat Mounts Bay in the third round, face another trip to the South West to play Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.

Coventry were forced to take a severely depleted squad to Mounts Bay because of a flu bug. That has since cleared up but their injuries, particularly in the backs, have not.

Captain Ben Russell, the former Saracens utility back, is among the absentees for the trip to Exeter because of back problem. But Coventry hope that centre Jack Cobden, on loan from Leicester Tigers, will be able to return to action after three weeks out with sore shins.

Coventry's new head coach Brett Davey, a former Wales A international, will continue at fly-half.

EDF ENERGY NATIONAL TROPHY fifth round: Bedford Blues v Sedgley Park, Pertemps Bees v Plymouth Albion, Doncaster v Northampton Saints, Esher v Blaydon, Exeter Chiefs v Coventry, Launceston v Blackheath, Nottingham v London Welsh, Rotherham v Manchester.