BURTON RFC face a daunting 170-mile round trip tonight as they attempt to keep alive their Twickenham dream.
The Crofters, champions of Midlands One West, travel to Lincolnshire to take on their Midlands East counterparts in the quarter-finals of the RFC Level Six Champions Cup, kick-off 8pm.
Burton have been landed the long midweek haul because a fixture backlog meant Scunthorpe’s crowning glory was delayed until the weekend when they defeated Northamptonshire side Stewart’s & Lloyds 64-5.
The reward for the winners will be a home semi-final against North West One champions Lymm on Saturday.
Burton are unhappy with the rearrangement but coach Karl Ashfield hopes to have virtually a full-strength squad.
Crofters spokesman Roy Bradley said: “The prospect of such a long midweek trip for an amateur club is daunting and has put tremendous pressure on players, their families and employers.
“Players will not get back into Burton until after midnight, but thanks to the efforts of all concerned we should be near to full strength.” The only change to the starting line-up which lost to Longton in the Staffordshire Cup final will be the return of fly-half Ian Gilmour, with Tom Bartram back at centre and Lewis Brooks on the wing.
Supporters wishing to travel with the team are asked to be at Peel Croft by 4pm.
CROFTERS FROM: J Philliskirk, L Brooks, L Betty, T Bartram, D Smith, I Gilmour, D Banton, C Neethling, D Clarke, R Wakelin, J Edwards, J Cartwright, S Spencer, J Carpenter, C Dutton, T Murphy, R Wilton, C Atchison, R Paupe, M Tivey, W Peach, J Leason.
