SALTASH RFC find themselves just 80 minutes away from reaching a Twickenham cup final.
The Ashes host former National One side Old Elthamians at Moorlands Lane on Saturday in the semi-finals of the Papa Johns Counties Two Championship Cup (2.30pm).
The winner will head to English rugby’s HQ next weekend, where they will play either Smiths Rugby or Dinnington, who are battling it out in the other semi-final.
Saltash did reach this same stage last year but were narrowly beaten 37-31 by eventual winners Old Rutlishians.
The Counties Two Cornwall champions really want to go one better this year and reach Twickenham again for the first time since 2018.
“The players are desperate to,” said director of rugby Steve Down. “They really want to get to Twickenham again.”
So far this season, Saltash have turned last year’s narrow misses into success. They won the league title after twice finishing as runners-up and stormed to victory in the Lockie Cup after losing last year’s final.
They are hoping that it can be a similar story in the Papa Johns Cup.
“It is a bit of a cliché, but the losses have made us stronger, and the lessons have been learned,” said Down.
“What is really nice for us is how much we have grown as a team and a unit as a whole.
“Albert (Hall) and I have learned things over the years, the boys have also learned things, Lewis (Wells) and Mazza (James Moriarty) in the leadership team have learned things and it’s starting to come together.
“The bitter taste of defeat has spurred us on this year.
“I think we have had a few breaks along the way, like home games, so it does feel like everything is aligning for us.”
But they know it will be tough against Counties Two Kent champions Old Elthamians, who have only lost once this season.
That was their second successive title after having to start in Counties Three Kent after withdrawing from National One in August 2021 for financial reasons.
Old Techs missed out on reaching the last four of the Counties Thee & Below Papa Johns Championship Cup after they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage last weekend by Avonmouth Old Boys.
However, they do still have one more chance to pick up some silverware when they play higher league Withycombe away on Saturday in the final of the Devon Junior Cup (5pm).
Techs know they will be the underdogs at Raleigh Park, but they are keen to try and upset their higher division opponents.
“It is our last game of the season,” said Old Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith. “And we would love to end with some silverware.
“But whatever happens, I think we have had a really good season from where we have come from and it will stand us in good stead for next year.
“We know it is going to be another tough game. We have had four in a row since playing Ivybridge.
“Withycombe are in the league above and they are playing at home, so we will be the underdogs.
“But we played a very good side last week (Avonmouth) who I think if they were in Devon would be in the league above as well.
“We were disappointed last week, but we have to pick ourselves up for another tough game.
“We have managed to get a coach up. It is costing us a bit of money, but we haven’t had a coach trip this season and we think the lads deserve it. It’s better than all going up in cars, especially with it being a 5pm kick-off.”
Techs are due to be able to welcome back Josh O’Hare, Dale Thompson, Lewis Tunnicliffe and James Douglas, who all missed last week’s Papa Johns Cup game, they will be missing Jenson Baker who got injured in that match.
Although Techs were disappointed with the result last weekend against Avonmouth, they were delighted with the day and how sociable their Bristol opponents were. They brought two coaches down with them to Weston Mill and stayed late.
Techs are also hosting the Plymouth Combination Sevens tournament on Sunday at Weston Mill. Registration is at 10am.
The Plymouth Combination representative teams are also in action again on Saturday when they play Plymouth Academicals at Brickfields.
The women’s match is due to kick-off at 1pm, with the men’s game starting at 2.30pm.