Bedford Blues have a chance of lifting English rugby union’s second tier championship for the first time since 1998, as Goldington Road prepares for a sell out Champ Rugby final against Worcester Warriors on Sunday (31 May).
After 26 league games, and in Worcester’s case two additional play-off clashes, the season comes to an end at the home of the Blues, with a league title and prestige on the line for both clubs.
Tickets for the final are sold out.
It will also be the only time the Champ Rugby final will be held at a home ground, with neutral venues being introduced from next season; a competition both of these teams will be in as promotion to the ‘Prem’ is not on offer.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s showpiece event.
How did we get here?
In the off-season, the RFU Championship – re-branded as Champ Rugby – introduced a play-off system for the teams who finished in the top six at the end of the regular season.
Ealing and Bedford Blues qualified automatically for the semi-finals courtesy of finishing in the top two, with the added bonus of getting to host their semi-final against the two winners of the quarter-finals.
Those two teams were Coventry and Worcester Warriors, and while Coventry were on the wrong end of a stunning Bedford Blues second half, Worcester were able to upset the apple cart to defeat Ealing on home turf.
Read: Bedford Blues thrash Coventry to secure spot in Champ Rugby play-off final
Worcester’s win was a huge shock.
Ealing had been heavy favourites to lift a third league title in four years, and looked well set to lift another after winning all 26 of their league games, amassing 127 points in the process.
They came unstuck thanks to a late try from former Blues winger, Jake Garside, losing their semi-final 34-29; a loss Ealing were clearly not expecting as they seemed to advertise the final at the Trailfinders Sports Ground in advance of their defeat.
Fate however, struck and it’s Matt Everard’s team who have progressed to what is an evenly matched grand final.
The form
Worcester’s last gasp victory will have injected a new air of belief into their side, but in truth, the bragging rights belong to Bedford Blues, who have already beaten the Warriors twice this season.
Five days before Christmas, the Blues served up a 35-19 victory and went on to win the reverse fixture 28-14, with the two bonus point triumphs playing a big part in securing second place.
Read: Majestic Bedford Blues complete league double over Worcester Warriors
Bragging rights may all but go out of the window in a final however, and Worcester will be bouyed by the fact that both Chinnor and Ealing completed league doubles over them, only to beat both when the chips were well and truly down in the play-offs.
Confidence in the Blues camp will also be high after a sensational second half against a Coventry side who were blown away by seven tries, but for many in the Bedford team, this will be the most important game of their career with a league title on the line.
An aspect the Warriors may have the upper hand in is big game experience, with a squad sprinkled with both current and former internationals.
One such player is former Welsh scrum half, Lloyd Williams who has three Six Nations titles to his name, including a Grand Slam, and an appearance at the 2015 World Cup.
The 36-year old, who won 32 international caps, is retiring from rugby after this final, but he will line up alongside some teammates – such as former England centre, Billy Twelvetrees and captain, Matt Kvesic – who have experience on the biggest stages.
How key could that be when the pressure is on?
The teams
Both Williams and Twelvetrees start for Worcester as part of an unchanged starting line-up, although the visitors have made four amendments to their bench.
Bedford Blues, playing in their first Champ Rugby final in 13 years, have named an entirely unchanged squad.
Mike Rayer, who was in charge for their 2012/13 two-legged final defeat against Newcastle Falcons, very often chooses to rotate his squad as the season goes on.
However, with everything now on the line, the Blues’ long-serving Director of Rugby has opted to keep exactly the same team in the hope they can repeat the second half performance for the ages that got them here.
The starting-line up includes the excellent half back pairing of captain, Alex Day and Will Maisey, who scored 28 points in last week’s semi-final triumph and earlier in the season became the sixth man to pass 1,000 points for the Blues.
Keep an eye also on Champ Rugby’s leading try scorer, Dean Adamson who will be keen to add to his 23 scores already this campaign, while two of Bedford’s front row – Joey Conway and Oisin Heffernan – have been named in Champ Rugby’s team of the season.
Matchday information
Tickets for the Champ Rugby final have sold out, but the game is being live streamed on Clubber TV, who have shown every game from the division this year.
Venues such as Brewpoint will be showing the game on big screens, while The Three Cups on Newnham Street is also streaming the action.
The Blues have also cancelled Friday night’s charity match between Bedfordshire Farmers and Bedfordshire County (29 May) as preparations continue for Sunday.
Sunday’s final kicks off at 3pm, but the gates at Goldington Road will be open from 11:30am with a full programme before and after, including a special session on the pitch for ten of Champ Rugby’s junior sides.
Only at 5pm on Sunday, barring a 20-minute period of extra time, will the Champ Rugby champions be crowned. The majority of the sell out Goldington Road crowd will be hoping Blues captain, Day will be the man holding the trophy aloft.
Bedford Blues Starting XV:
15. George Worth, 14. Ryan Hutler, 13. Lucas Titherington, 12. Michael Le Bourgeois, 11. Dean Adamson, 10. Will Maisey, 9. Alex Day (C); 1. Joey Conway, 2. James Fish, 3. Oisin Heffernan, 4. Archie Benson, 5. Alex Woolford, 6. Fred Tuilagi, 7. Fyn Brown, 8. Tui Uru
Bedford Blues Replacements:
16. Tommy Herman, 17. Jamie Jack, 18. Sonny Tonga’uiha, 19. Ilan Evans, 20. Nicholas Finch, 21. James Lennon, 22. Toby Thame, 23. Amena Caqusau
