Club’s greatest day on the sport’s biggest stage

Apr 11 2008 by David Triggs, Chester Chronicle

ROB Foden’s cup crusaders aim to carve their names into Chester Rugby Club folklore tomorrow when they enter the sport’s greatest stage – Twickenham.

The biggest one-off match in Chester’s 83-year history sees them take on Birkenhead Park in the final of the EDF Energy Intermediate Cup.

Having swept their way through six rounds of the national competition to secure the club’s first ever appearance at rugby HQ, Chester’s players are in no mood to fall at the final hurdle against their rivals from 18 miles down the road – despite the horrendous injuries to flanker Aled Evans.

Nobody is more aware of the importance of the occasion than head coach Foden, who said: “Because it’s at Twickenham, obviously we want to win it and we’re going to give it 1000% effort to do so.”

Cholmondeley-based Foden, 50, admits the club has been gripped by Twickenham fever ever since Chester secured a semi-final win over Newport at Hare Lane a month ago. Since then the coach had been determined to keep his players’ minds fixed on winning promotion from North Two West – something they achieved last Saturday.

The mood at Hare Lane was much more sober yesterday as news of Evans’ accident filtered through.

Foden said: “The club in itself had almost gone ballistic – people were ecstatic with joy and expectation. Everybody has been coming out of the woodwork to congratulate, to encourage, to be a part of what is, in terms of a day in rugby, the biggest day in the club’s history.”

Chairman Joe Youdan, whose association with Chester stretches back 33 years, added: “Rob and the players have done a particularly good job this season. He has welded the players together into an excellent team. It will be a memorable day.”

Chester will be cheered on by about 500 fans, friends and family at Twickenham, English rugby’s 82,000-capacity London home.

The game kicks-off at 10am and is the curtain-raiser for the National Trophy final at 12.30pm and EDF Energy Cup final at 2pm.

Birkenhead Park will start as slight favourites. They are flying high in North One, the division Chester will be playing in again next season following their promotion from North Two West.

Chester go into the showdown in fine form, having won every single game this calendar year as part of a 22-match unbeaten run in all competitions stretching back to last October.