Hants all set for a thrilling final with Leicester

HAMPSHIRE and Leicestershire will face off at Twickenham for the County Championship Plate next Sunday after topping their respective Bill Beaumont Cup Division Two pools.

Hampshire, who won the Championship Shield 12 months ago, booked their return to Rugby HQ after defeating a plucky Warwickshire side 39-10. They scored five tries in the final quarter of the match after visiting prop Sam Greening was redcarded just 23 minutes in for striking.

A storming burst to the line from Daniel Sargent was followed by scores from Freddie Gleadowe, a second from flanker Kemp Price and a brace from winger Alex Everett-Bolter to see Hampshire home.

Leicestershire topped pool one by five points after thumping Durham 55-14.

Callum Dacey and Callum Gunn both bagged braces, while scores from Alex Salt and Will Cave, two penalty tries, and the boot of Ricky Aley made up the rest of the hosts’ hearty total.

Elsewhere, Cumbria overturned a five-point deficit at half-time to claim their first win of the competition at Staffordshire.

Ben Walker, Glenn Weightman, Glenn Chesher, Lewis Strugess, Matty Roper and Jack Acrigg all grabbed tries as the Cumbrians signed off on a high note by triumphing 38-22, with Staffordshire ending the competition winless.

In the other match in Pool Two, Somerset ensured that, like Twickenham-bound Hampshire, they finished on 13 points, but they were forced to settle for second place after they claimed a 38-20 victory over North Midlands at Heathbrook.

Somerset went in at the break with a 19-5 lead, having dotted down three times through Rob Dempsey, Callum Lynch and Oscar James before Cael Hodgson hit back.

Hodgson crossed the whitewash again after the break but Somerset sealed victory through further scores from James, Alex Gilrow and Jake Childs, with Harry Butland kicking four conversions.