CUPS continued to bring cheer to Tenbury and Clee Hill as both sides reached the last eight of the RFU Midlands Junior Vase for the second successive season.

Tenbury reached the final last season – having beaten local rivals Clee Hill in the semis – and they recorded an impressive 67-26 win over Market Drayton to ensure a quarter-final berth.

Clee Hill, meanwhile, won 24-5 at Claverdon with tries from Scott Jordan, George Evans and Matt Bowen, plus three conversions and a penalty from the ever-reliable Hayden Edwards.

There remains the chance that Clee Hill and Tenbury could meet again in the competition but Hill skipper Charlie Evans said: “We don’t mind either way.

“We’re not praying for it but at the same time it’s always good to have a local derby as it gets more people down watching.”

Tenbury, meanwhile, produced a statement win by destroying early Midlands Four West North pacesetters Drayton with what head coach Andy Black labelled ‘a clinical performance’.

Luke Gill and Callum Spires bagged braces, while Tim Langlands, Will Langlands, Sam Thompson, Matt Bennet Tomlin and Ben James also crossed. Zac Thompson also scored a try as well as kicking seven conversions and a penalty.

In league action, Ludlow suffered a third narrow defeat of the Midlands One West season as late decision-making, by both players and officials, cost them in a 24-23 reverse at Whitchurch.

With a minute to go and Ludlow camped on the hosts’ line, the referee signalled offside penalty advantage but rather than go for the easy kick, Charlie Doyle took a tap penalty to go for the line.

He was tackled and a drop goal attempt was missed with Ludlow left waiting for the official to bring play back for the penalty advantage – a call that never came as the whistle was blown.

Head coach Mikey Jones said: “I would rather have lost by 30 points then the way we lost, it was a bitter one to swallow.

“It was a heat of the moment decision, a little bit of not looking at the scoreboard, a little bit of naivety because the tap and go was the wrong option.

“But with the drop goal, our understanding was that we had a free shot and that play would be brought back for the penalty. I had a chat with the officials and let’s just say I wasn’t a happy bunny.”

Jones acknowledged, however, that Ludlow were their own worst enemies, having let slip a 16-0 half-time lead to emerge with only a losing bonus point.

A Joe Doyle try plus three Will Sparrow penalties and a conversion put them in charge, while Kieron Pinches scored after the break, but sin-binnings for Jim Alderson and Rhys Perkins proved costly.