Stourport HS and Sixth Form College, Warriors’ RFU ACE League team, booked their place in this season’s Plate competition final with a superb second half performance that swept them to a 36-14 win over Myerscough College at Sixways.
Stourport were seven points down at the break but they ran in 29 unanswered points in the second half to secure their passage to Finals Day on Wednesday December 8. The venue for Finals Day has yet to be decided.
Two tries in five minutes early in the second half turned the game in Stourport’s favour with hooker Ethan Allen (Telford Hornets) being driven over from close range followed by a penalty try after Myerscough – Sale Sharks’ representatives in the competition – collapsed a driving maul from a lineout.
Stourport stretched their lead to ten points with a penalty from Matt Smith (Sutton Coldfield) and then clinched victory with two brilliant tries from replacement wing Billy Emerick (Upton on Severn).
Emerick slipped a tackle and accelerated away from long range for his first – and Stourport’s bonus point – and then finished off a bold attack which was started by a quickly taken lineout on halfway on the opposite side of the pitch.
Full-back Dan Chambers (Wolverhampton) gave Stourport the lead with a sixth minute try that Jack Condliffe (Luctonians) improved but it was Myerscough who went into the break in front against the run of play thanks to two individual tries from their right wing in a two minute period just before the break.
But Stourport used their forward strength to lay the foundations for victory after the break to complete a quick double over Myerscough following a win at their campus near Preston last month.