Preview: Bedford Blues v Worcester Warriors
Today. Kick-off 3.0pm, Goldington Road
Bedford Blues and Worcester Warriors will battle it out for the Champ title today in front of a sold-out Goldington Road.
Second-placed finishers Bedford host fourth-placed Worcester, with the two form teams in the competition meeting after stunning semi-final victories.
Bedford produced a scintillating second-half display to thrash rivals Coventry 58-24, while Worcester pulled off the result of the season by ending Ealing Trailfinders‘ unbeaten campaign with a dramatic victory at Vallis Way 34-29.
For Bedford, it is a first final appearance since 2013 and an opportunity to cap a remarkable campaign under Mike Rayer.
Incredible
The Blues have made Goldington Road a fortress, backed by average crowds of more than 3,000 and a fiercely loyal support that snapped up every ticket for the show-piece inside 24 hours.
Captain and scrum-half Alex Day believes the occasion is among the biggest in the club’s modern history.
He told The Rugby Paper: “It’s really special. I’ve played a lot of years in this league and there’s not many years where at the end of it you can still actually win or go after something.
“To get something tangible over the line and to do it here at Goldington Road would be pretty incredible.”
Day admits Worcester’s upset win over Ealing has changed the complexion of the final.
He added: “It’s going to be a completely different game.
“They’re a different animal – you only have to look at what they did against Ealing. They’ll be coming all guns blazing and we have to be ready for it.”
Greatest achievement
Rayer has kept faith with the side that dismantled Coventry, naming an unchanged 23 led by Day and fly-half Will Maisey, whose partnership has become the heartbeat of Bedford’s attack.
Day believes lifting the Champ title would rank as the greatest achievement of his career.
“I think in terms of what the club means to me, then yes winning it with this club would be the pinnacle,” he said.
“You don’t get many chances to lift a trophy, particularly for a club that means so much to you.
“We’re under no illusion they’ve got Premiership winners and international players in their team.
“They brought a different physical edge against Ealing and they’ll look to bring it again, I’m sure.”
While Bedford can draw confidence from having beaten Worcester twice this season, Day believes one of Bedford’s greatest strengths lies not in past results but in the cohesion built over several years.
“There’s myself and Will Maisey, I don’t know how many games we’ve played together,” Day said.
“Then you add into that Booj (Michael Le Bourgeois), Dean Adamson, Alex Woolford, James Fish, Oisin Heffernan – boys who have been together a lot of years now.
It’s a very settled squad and that helps massively. We’re all singing from the same hymn sheet.”
Atmosphere
Rayer has retained the same 23 that overwhelmed Coventry.
Captain Day again partners fly-half Maisey in a half-back combination that has become one of the most influential in the Champ, while George Worth marshals an exciting back three alongside Ryan Hutler and Adamson.
Up front, James Fish, Heffernan, Fyn Brown and Tui Uru have all been central figures in Bedford’s rise.
The Blues have scored 802 points this season, establishing themselves as one of the division’s most entertaining sides.
“The atmosphere is going to be unbelievable,” said Day. “These are the games you play rugby for.”
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