HOPES of a Doncaster double at Twickenham on Saturday in the finals of the Junior and Senior Vase competitions were always built on fairly shaky foundations.
Doncaster Phoenix had twice been beaten by Castleford in the Yorkshire League this season and Wheatley Hills were tackling the strongest student team in the country which had only recently carried off the British Universities Cup at the same venue.
And on a glorious sun-soaked afternoon, the form book held good, with Castleford winning 14-11 after a riveting Junior Vase match and Hartpury College fulfilling all expectations by beating a brave, but heavily outgunned, Wheatley Hills, 83-5.
"Everybody expected them to win and it would have been a real fairy tale if we'd done it." said Wheatley Hills secretary Steve Hanson: "What we planned to do – and I think we've achieved it – was to bring the guys away and enjoy a great occasion. Our supporters were fantastic.
"I spoke to the president of Hartpury afterwards and he explained how the league is set up in such a way that teams have to start at the bottom, but they have been lobbying to get up the ladder more quickly to avoid situations like our's where they are putting up big scores that don't reflect fairly on teams like ours.
"If we'd been playing a team from the same ilk as ourselves, which Hartpury definitely aren't, we'd have had a close game like the Castleford and Phoenix match.
"As you expect, the lads were a bit disappointed , but we had a great reception at the hotel and we had a great night. It's as simple as that.
Doncaster Phoenix's director of rugby, Bill Farley said: "There are lessons to be learned, but I thought it was a cracking final and both teams can hold their heads high at what I thought was a good advert for Yorkshire rugby all round and certainly Yorkshire Three. "We managed to get the losing margin down from seven points to three, so maybe next time we meet we'll manage it."
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