The AASE semi finals take place tomorrow afternoon following last week’s quarter finals.
Last week’s quarter finals saw the Southern Conference sides blitz the Northern Conference side, with every game being won by a side from the South. This week the winners of those game play the sides that finished top of each conference in the Championship semi finals, while the sides who finished 4th in each division host the winners of last week’s Plate quarter finals.
Champions Hartpury College hosts Truro College, while St Paul’s Catholic College, who finished top of the Southern Conference, host SGS Filton College.
Truro travel to Hartpury having beaten Mysercough College 31-17 last week, while Filton gained arguably the result of the week as they travelled to Oaklands College, the only side to truly push Hartpury so far, and won 23-17.
Their tasks will be much harder this week, Hartpury seem almost unstoppable at times in the AASE league, though Filton make take heart at having beaten St Paul’s 17-12 early in the season, though a 42-12 drubbing at St Paul’s hands later in the season may be what sticks in the mind more, particularly as that was at St Paul’s, where this semi final will be held.
In the Plate Bicton College hosts Ivybridge, who dismantler Moulton College last week 54-0. Bicton will really fancy this one though, having put strong scores on Ivybridge in each of their two league encounters, winning the first at home 40-15 before travelling to Ivybridge in late November and winning 42-21.
The other Plate semi final sees Henley College make the long trip North to Gosforth Academy. Henley were highly impressive in last week’s quarter final, beating Worcester 6th form College 46-23, and will head into this full of confidence. Gosforth ought to be fairly confident too though, they ended the league season in decent form, winning their last two games and pushing Oaklands very hard a couple of weeks before.
It ought to be an excellent day of AASE rugby and should set up a fascinating finals day in a couple of week’s time.
AASE Championship Semi Finals:
Hartpury College v Truro College
St Paul’s Catholic College v SGS Filton College
AASE Plate Semi Finals:
Bicton College v Ivybridge Community College
Gosforth Academy v Henley College
