Omens look good for Prince Henry's

The Doncaster school still have a few hours as the holders of the Vase after their win over Coopers & Coburn last March.

Now Prince Henry's are determined to take the silverware back to Yorkshire backed, it seems, by the whole of Otley.

'The town has really got behind us,' said coach Pete Latham, ' and the mayor will even be at Twickenham. They have backed us with cash too with 12 separate sponsorship deals which has alllowed us to buy new kit for the day.'

Luke Cooper, who scored a vital try in the semi-final, will lead the team out and he is one of several players affiliated to Leeds Tykes. Fly half Danny Care, who plays both rugby codes, was another key figure that day against Cranbrook.

As the side fought back from 15-3 down to win 23-15, Care scored a try and kicked 13 points.

But Adam Lowles, coach of rivals St Columba's, put his finger on this game. The St Albans school also staged a great comeback to beat Warwick and Lowles said: 'Having seen the videos of both games there is clearly very little between the teams and it could well come down on how each team reacts to playing at Twickenham.'

The inaugural Under 15 Vase final, which kicks off tomorrow's proceedings, should be a fascinating scrap. Lawrence Sheriff coach Tim Valentine is determined they are not here just for a day out.

'Getting to the final is a fantastic acievement but defeat is not on the agenda,' he said.

St Benedict's, from the rugby league heartland of Whitehaven, are not a team to take a step backwards either and showed how resolute they are in the defeat of London Oratory.

Their arrival at Twickenham is the end of a long journey for head of sport Terry Coughlan. When he returned to his home town in 1976 there was no rugby union being played at the school. He has battled to keep the union flag flying and for seven years, St Benedict's had to play all their matches away because of flooded pitches.

He has acquired a good coach in Peter Beasley, whose son captains the side at open-side flanker, and as a group the team have lost one match in five years. If any school deserve an accolade, win or lose, it is St Benedict's.