Gloucestershire chase glory at Twickenham

Gloucestershire Under 20s will be looking to go one better than last season when they face their Hampshire counterparts in the final of the National Under-20 Championship at Twickenham tomorrow.

It will be Gloucestershire’s fourth final appearance in a row and they much be favourites to lift the trophy following their memorable 38-22 victory over defending champions Yorkshire at Halifax.

Gloucestershire, who will be led by Cheltenham fly-half Mike Wilcox, have named an unchanged starting line-up from the one that beat Yorkshire.

A semi-final triumph over a competitive Leicestershire side at Basingstoke a month ago, winning 28-7, saw Hampshire book their place for the final.

Hampshire have no injury concerns and select a full-strength team as they look to emulate the side from 2002 when they beat Cornwall to lift the trophy.

However, they know they will face a very tough task when they meet the much-fancied Gloucestershire.

The Westcountry side’s team manager Bob Ward said: “I have been involved as a rugby manager for the best part of ten years now.

“In that ten years I have been a team manager, this is by far the best group of players I have seen assembled.

“We are not over-confident at the end of the day because there are 15 guys on the other side that can affect the result.”

The south coast side are fully aware of the strength of a Gloucestershire side that contained nine players who played alongside Hampshire captain Joe Atkinson for England Counties Under 20 last weekend in a defeat against Scotland.

Hampshire have blasted their way through to this final, coming through their qualifying group without conceding a single point to the Army and Hertfordshire and then progressing comfortably against Middlesex and Kent to lift the Jason Leonard Trophy as the champions of London and South East.

Gloucestershire (v Hampshire at Twickenham, 5pm): C Surman (Stourbridge); S Sutherland (UWE Bristol), S Stevens (Dings Crusaders), B Turner (Lydney), R Haile (Cinderford); M Wilcox (Cheltenham) (capt), S Arnott (Southend); A Fox (Cleve), T Emery (UWIC), T Harrison (Hartpury College); H Hone (Avonmouth OB), M Dew (Old Redcliffians); L Wilkinson (UWE Bristol), K Brown (Berry Hill), B Sparks (Stourbridge). Replacements: B White (Old Patesians), L Moult, C Stonier (both University of Gloucestershire), M Normandale (UWIC), G Thomas (Clifton), P Tucker (Dings Crusaders), S Harrison (Hartpury College).

Hampshire: J Hammond (Fordingbridge); M Roberts-Bailey (Newbury Blues), C Staff (Basingstoke), H Hodell (Portsmouth), J Robinson (Havant); C Lewis (University of Bath), A Gale (Newbury Blues); R Elsmore (Havant), C O’Connell (London Scottish), A Hibdige (Andover); N Leach (Portsmouth), N Lynch (Portsmouth); D Porter (Havant), J Atkinson (Loughborough University and Petersfield) (capt), M Peters (Portsmouth). Replacements: S Haberfield (Southampton Solent University), M Flower (Gosport & Fareham), R Gicquel (Portsmouth), L Warren-West (Havant), C Cutler (Portsmouth), J Parsons (Winchester), B Barry (University of Portsmouth).