TENBURY Rugby Club’s all-conquering players have been warned not to let ill-discipline spoil what could be a magical season.

The Midlands Five West North leaders continued their perfect campaign as Saturday’s 41-12 win over local rivals Bishops Castle & Onny Valley moved them five points clear at the summit.

That victory came in the same week as Tenbury learned they will face a huge derby at home to Clee Hill in the Midlands Junior Vase semi-finals on January 19.

However, the league win was slightly marred by two late red cards – for Callum Gillis and Paddy Waite – and director of rugby Andy Black admitted such incidents could be costly.

He said: “We have to learn our lessons from that – we couldn’t afford that to happen against (second-placed) Warley or against Clee Hill in the cup.

“All of the players have to understand that – we won’t tolerate ill-discipline and we won’t start players that show it.

“The cup game will be a good test of character – they have will have to be focused and mentally disciplined because it will be a very heated affair.

“We want to finish this season to the best of our ability and if that means we win every game, great – we haven’t been scraping by, we have been playing decent rugby and that’s where the satisfaction comes from.”

The semi-final cup draw has captured the imagination of both camps – with the winners progressing to the Midlands final where they will be just two victories away from the national final at Twickenham.

Clee Hill skipper Sam Link said: “We are looking forward to it. You don’t often get real local derbies now the way the leagues have been split up.

“Our main aim is to get to the Midland final. Tenbury have been scoring a lot of points this season but, then again, we are a league above them. It will be a good game.”

Tenbury’s Black added: “We have a confidence in the clubhouse and in the team that we can take on anyone, within reason, and give them a proper game.

“Eighteen months ago, we would have said ‘oh no’ about this draw but we believe we can match anyone at our level.”

Tenbury had to fight back from conceding a fifth-minute try to Bishops Castle but quickly turned a 7-0 deficit into a 21-7 lead with Hobie Gill and James Ward among the scorers.

After the break, Ben James also crossed and Jon Hitchings bagged a second-half hat-trick before the late dismissals – Gillis for repeated team indiscretions and Waite for an off-the-ball incident – soured matters.

Tenbury were missing key players for the game and Black hailed their strength in depth, adding: “We had to dig deep in terms of the squad with some players who were not regulars in the first XV.

“It has opened up competition for places – we said at the start of the season we had a good squad and the players who came in last weekend have proven that.”