Gloucestershire secure final win

Gloucestershire surprised reigning champions Yorkshire (RFU)

Gloucestershire upset the form-book in the National RU under-20 final with a 26-17 win over Yorkshire at Twickenham.

First-half tries from Jack Robson and John Hennessy helped Gloucestershire to a 23-10 half-time lead, with Dominic Parsons scoring Yorkshire's only try.

In the second half, reigning champions Yorkshire struggled to make any impact on a determined Gloucestershire defence until Gavin Jones's last-minute try.

But Gloucestershire held on despite 14 minutes of injury time being played.

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Gloucestershire coach Paul Morris:
"People said we couldn't do it, but nobody told Gloucestershire that. We were dismissed, there was no hope for us today.

"We couldn't understand how Yorkshire could be such firm favourites - but we came here and played them off the park.

"Being underdogs didn't affect our preparations. We thought we could win, we thought we would win."

Yorkshire coach Anthony Posa:
"I talked to the lads before about the need to be accurate and today we let ourselves down in that department, especially in the collision area and the lineout.

"Once Gloucestershire got their lead they defended really well and were very well structured.

"Their defence was outstanding and their back-row did really well. We hadn't met that kind of quality before. The key thing now is that the boys are prepared to learn from it."

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Gloucestershire U20: Hawley (Dursley); Hawkins (Hartpury Coll), Winchie (Dursley), Lister (Stroud), Winterbottom (Dursley); Wicks (Lydney), Williams (Lydney); Porter (Pertemps Bees), Howells (Lydney) capt, Bundy (Cinderford), Hennessy (Matson), Robson (Cinderford), Preece (Pertemps Bees), McNeil (Cinderford), Morgan (Cinderford).
Replacements (all used): Cresswell (Dings Crusaders), Baker (Lydney), Hurdle (Old Patesians), Townsend (Hereford), Foden (Hartpury Coll), Arnott (Lydney), Morris (Stourbridge).

Yorkshire U20: Duthie (Harrogate); Bottomley (Leeds), Stimpson (Dinnington), Gray (Wharfedale), Orr (Sandal); West (Rotherham), Gill (Wharfedale); Ross (Rotherham), Young (Harrogate), Goodwin (Selby), Brady (Pontefract), Parsons (Sheffield Tigers), Carter (Harrogate), Jones (Huddersfield), Burrows (Rotherham) capt.
Replacements (all used): Rodgers (Dinnington), Reakes (Sandal), Maycock (Rotherham), Altham (Wharfedale), Dannatt (Hull Ionians), Metcalfe (Harrogate), Cokell (Wharfedale).