Welsh head to Cornwall for Wednesday’s 1st leg of the Championship final double-header with the Pirates (kick-off 7:45pm), having lost on their last three visits to the ground.

That losing run includes last season’s 18-10 semi-final defeat, with the Pirates going on to contest the final with Worcester Warriors.

The sides’ meeting in January at Mennaye Field produced a comfortable 27-6 win for the Pirates on a miserable afternoon on the south-west coast. It was a game which also saw Ross see yellow.

“The last three times we’ve been down there in the league we haven’t performed, we’ve been really disappointing,” said Ross.

“We’ve been in and out of the game but not put together a performance for 80 minutes.

“The one thing the Pirates do is they come at you for 80 minutes, they don’t give you any space or time.

“We’ve got to make sure that for 80 minutes we’re nice and proactive and ready for that challenge, and hopefully we can put our game together and challenge their defence.

“I’ve not had a great time down at Pirates personally, but that’s up to me to sort out.
I’m hoping to take inspiration from the big football game last Saturday – Hearts beating Hibs 5-1 in the Scottish Cup final!”

If they are to do that, however, the Exiles will have to succeed where Bristol failed on the same ground where the Championship favourites succumbed 45-24, having conceded five tries and 19 points in the final 12 minutes.

“They were relentless; 14-0 down in the first half other sides might have crumbled, but they just stuck to their plans and they backed themselves. They just kept going at Bristol,” said 34-year-old Ross, who won 25 caps for Scotland.

“The Pirates really challenged them; they were physical, they were high energy and it’s up to us to make sure we can match that.

“They’re very well drilled, they do the basics well and they’ve also got two or three very creative players. There’s no weakness in their team – they’re a very good rugby side.

“But we believe in our ability and they way we’ve performed the last two or three months. Hopefully we can put a performance together down there and really challenge them.”

The 21-point deficit proved too much for Bristol to claw back in the return leg at the Memorial Stadium. Welsh, meanwhile, would endure a nervier passage to the final, as they let slip a 17-point lead over the Blues before eventually prevailing 30-27 on aggregate.

“It was relief rather than celebration. We’re an honest bunch and we were a bit disappointed with the way we played in the second half,” said Ross.

“The mindset perhaps wasn’t quite as good as it should have been. In the first half Bedford didn’t know what to do at times. In the second half we played into their hands, we gave them a lot of possession and invited them to come at us.

“The first 20 minutes after the game the guys were a bit down, but then we realised what we’d achieved this season. To get to the final is a massive achievement – we finished fourth in the league.”

Welsh had laid the groundwork for their semi-final victory with a 13-3 win at Goldington Road, and when Nick Scott crossed in the second half at Old Deer Park and Alex Davies added his fourth penalty the Exiles led 17-10.

However, tries from Don Barrell and Neil Cochrane ensured a tense finish at Old Deer Park.

“At half-time we were pretty happy. We’d played a lot of good rugby and created two or three good scoring opportunities and we believe that if we’d taken one of them then it might have put Bedford away,” said Ross.

“But we weren’t as clinical as we’d liked to have been and fair play to them they attacked very well in the second half, and we did well to hang on in there.”

Welsh will need to take what chances come their way on Wednesday, but they can travel to Mennaye Field quietly confident given their recent form on the road.

The Exiles’ win over the Blues at Goldington Road having been preceded by play-off wins at Nottingham and Doncaster and a draw at Bristol.

“We started playing some of our best attacking rugby of the season [in the play-offs], we mixed up our game well and our set piece has been quite good,” said Ross.

“Our challenge in these big games is we’re only going to get one or two chances, but if we can take them hopefully it will be enough.”

As for the return leg at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford on May 30, Ross is looking forward to the prospect.

“It will be exciting; we love playing down at Old Deer Park, it’s a great venue and a great pitch. The Kassam is something; hopefully the Welsh fans can get up there as it should be a good atmosphere,” he said.

A 17-12 victory over Spain in the play-offs saw a young England Women’s side finish fifth in the Amsterdam Sevens on Sunday.

With only six players in the squad who lifted the IRB Challenge Cup crown in London last weekend, England struggled in the second day of sevens action leaving them to play off against Spain for fifth place.

England, however, showed great determination to secure the fifth place finish against a full strength Spanish side with a try in extra time from Sevens newcomer Kate Hancock. Fellow Sevens debutant Natasha Brennan also touched down twice, with Natasha Hunt kicking one conversion.

England were left battling for fifth place after losing 7-12 to the USA in the final pool game on Saturday. England had started the day well with a 24-0 victory over Wales. Lichfield’s Hunt ran in a hat-trick of tries and Jennifer Brightmore also touched down. Sarah McKenna added four points from the boot.

In England’s second match they were as dominant, inflicting a 26-0 victory over South Africa. This time Brennan, Rachael Burford, captain Sonia Green and Abigail Chamberlain touched down. Alice Richardson and Hunt added three conversions.

But in their final encounter on Saturday the young England side struggled against the on-form Eagles. Brennan touched down for her second try of the tournament and Richardson converted but two tries from the USA and a conversion was too much for England to overcome.

The first day’s results meant England faced a tough second pool round on Sunday pitting them against hosts Netherlands, London finalists last weekend, and then IRB Challenge Cup winner in Dubai Canada.

England couldn’t break the Netherlands this time around and instead the hosts ran in three tries and England had no reply.

Next up was Canada, and England picked up the pace to hold the full strength Canadian side to a 12-12 draw, with Burford and McKenna scoring. McKenna also added one conversion, but the draw was not enough to keep England in contention and they had to settle for the fifth/sixth play-off final.

England Women’s Sevens Head Coach Barry Maddocks (pictured) said: “We are obviously disappointed to finish fifth but at the same time this has been a tremendous learning experience for our young squad.

“The likes of Natasha Brennan, Kate Hancock, Emily Scott, Leanne Riley and Katie Mason have been exposed to top level international sevens rugby over the last two days, playing against some of the world’s best players in Canada and the USA, and that is only going to benefit their game in the long run.

“It was disappointing that we suffered such a heavy defeat this morning against the Netherlands. It was a game we struggled to get up for, but we bounced back against Canada and held them to a draw. We can also take a lot of positives from our final game against Spain.”

Amsterdam Sevens Day 1 Results

England  24 Wales 0

Tries: Hunt (3), Brightmore

Conversions: McKenna (2)

England 26 South Africa 0

Tries: Brennan, Burford, Green, Chamberlain

Conversions: Richardson (2), Hunt

England  7 USA 12

Tries: Brennan

Conversions: Richardson

Amsterdam Sevens Day 2 Results

England 0 Netherlands 17

England 12 Canada 12

Tries: Burford, McKenna

Conversions: McKenna

England 17 Spain 12

Tries: Brennan (2), Hancock

Conversions: Hunt

England Sevens Squad  

Abigail            Chamberlain(Richmond)

Natasha         Brennan        (Wasps)

Jennifer         Brightmore    (Worcester)

Rachael         Burford           (Richmond)

Sonia             Green (C)      (Saracens)

Kate    Hancock        (Plymouth Albion (on loan to Worcester))

Natasha         Hunt   (Lichfield)

Katie   Mason            (Bristol)

SarahMcKenna       (Wasps)

Alice   Richardson   (Richmond)

Leanne          Riley   (Saracens)

Emily  Scott   (Thurrock)

An injury time try for Worcester wing Lydia Thompson, who made her England debut just seven days ago in the tournament opener, secured the victory in the dying minutes of the game.

The match, which was billed as the winner takes all clash, was a typical England versus France encounter with both sides fired up and giving everything they had to secure the win and the crown.

But in the end it was England’s tenacity that paid off as they came from a 22-25 deficit to take the title away from France in style.

England Head Coach for this tour Graham Smith, who blooded seven new caps over seven days, said: “This has been a tour of opportunity for all the players involved and I can safely say every single player involved has taken this opportunity with both hands.

“This was a scintillating game, but as a coach a hard game to watch. We certainly controlled the first half but after the restart it was a different matter and France took control when we couldn’t get our consistency going and we did not defend as well. We also gave away too many penalties and France were able to take those points and that put us in a precarious position.

“However, we never gave up and after making some changes from the bench we took our opportunities, with Sally Tuson scoring a late try and then Lydia Thompson touching down for the crucial score in extra time.

“We are obviously delighted to have won the European Cup and defended our title but I am more delighted about the fact that we have underlined what talent we have coming through our system. It has also been great to have Simon Middleton on board as Assistant Coach for this championship. He has made a real impression and we are fortunate to have a coach of his calibre involved in the England set-up.”

England took the European Cup crown the hard way going 3-0 behind in the early stages after French full-back Jessy Tremouliere converted a penalty when England were penalised for holding on.

France and England then battled it out in a typical clash between these two sides, which saw them neck and neck for the next forty minutes. England had their chances, with both Katherine Merchant and Thompson going close but France defended staunchly and kept their fierce rivals out.

In the end France’s line did break when Bristol flanker Marlie Packer made some space before offloading to Thompson, who had both the power and the pace to dive over the try-line. Emily Scarratt (PICTURED) added the conversion to hand England a 7-3 lead at the break.

After the restart though, France turned the tables and a 42nd minute try for substitute Elordie Portaries, after a good line-out, catch and drive, saw them take a 7-10 lead.

England try machine Merchant then put England back in control with a 49th minute touchdown, converted by Scarratt, but the lead did not last long as French fly-half Aurelie Bailon kept the scoreboard ticking over with two penalties and two drop goals.

Scarratt clawed a penalty back for England but at 25-17 down, and only five minutes left of full time, France looked like they had done enough to take the title.

However, Bristol centre and substitute Tuson, who had been on the field for just seven minutes, ignited a spark for England which France couldn’t put out however hard they tried. A good drive from a line-out saw the ball recycled out to Merchant and then a waiting Tuson, who on just her third cap, powered over the try-line to score.

Scarratt, however, couldn’t make the conversion leaving England 22-25 adrift but as the clocked counted down in injury time some superb footwork and evasive running saw winger Thompson surge her way 60 metres up-field to score. France did everything they could to tackle Thompson to the ground but with no success and in the end it cost them the victory. With Scarratt this time making the conversion England took a very memorable 29-25 victory.

England

15 Danielle Waterman (Worcester), 14 Lydia Thompson (Worcester), 13 Emily Scarratt (Lichfield), 12 Kimberley Oliver (Bristol), 11 Katherine Merchant (Worcester), 10 CeriLarge (Worcester), 9 Georgina Rozario (Lichfield), 1 Rochelle Clark (Worcester), 2 Victoria Fleetwood (Lichfield), 3 Laura Keates (Worcester), 4 Rowena Burnfield (Richmond), 5 Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 6 Sarah Hunter (C) (Lichfield), 7 Marlie Packer (Bristol), 8 Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield). Replacements: 16 Emma Croker (Richmond), 17 Rosemarie Crowley (Lichfield), 18 Emil Braund (Lichfield), 19 Gemma Sharples (Worcester), 20 Fiona Davidson (Richmond), 21 Lauren Cattell (Chesham), 22 Sally Tuscon (Bristol), 23 Kate Newton (Bristol), 24 Fiona Fletcher (Lichfield), 25 Ruth Laybourn (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks)

Tries: Thompson (2), Merchant, Tuson

Conversions: Scarratt (3)

Penalties: Scarratt

Substitutions: Crowley for Clark, Sharples for Packer, Croker for Fleetwood, Tuson for Large (all 70), Braund for Burnfield (81), Davidson for Rozario (86)

England Women’s European Cup Schedule

Spain v England, May 12, WON 61-0.

Italy v England, May 15,WON 32-8

France v England, May 19, WO 29-5

A 7-12 defeat to the USA in the final pool game of the day saw England finish fourth in the standings on day one, pitting them against IRB Challenge Cup Sevens London finalists the Netherlands and Dubai winners Canada on Sunday in the final pool stages.

England, fielding only six players who lifted the IRB Challenge Cup London title last weekend, started the day well with a 24-0 victory over Wales. Lichfield’s Natasha Hunt ran in a hat-trick of tries and Jennifer Brightmore also touched down. Sarah McKenna added four points from the boot.

In England’s second match they were as dominant, inflicting a 26-0 victory over South Africa. This time Natasha Brennan, Rachael Burford, captain Sonia Green and Abigail Chamberlain touched down. Alice Richardson and Hunt added three conversions.

But in their final encounter the young England side struggled against the on-form Eagles. Brennan touched down for her second try of the tournament and Richardson converted but two tries from the USA and a conversion was too much for England to overcome.

England Women Sevens Head Coach Barry Maddocks said: “Obviously we are disappointed to drop a game and we now have a tough morning ahead of us with games against the Netherlands and Canada who we know are very good sides.

“Basic errors let us down, at times we just didn’t perform and against the USA we were turned over more than we should have been. To be fair to the USA they deserved to win on the day.

“For us we have got a lot of hard work to do if we are to qualify for the final, but days like this are an important learning experience especially for a young squad like this. However, we will be very much up for this tomorrow. The players will definitely be giving it everything they have.”

Amsterdam Sevens Day 1 Results

England  24 Wales 0

Tries: Hunt (3), Brightmore

Conversions: McKenna (2)

England 26 South Africa 0

Tries: Brennan, Burford, Green, Chamberlain

Conversions: Richardson (2), Hunt

England  7 USA 12

Tries: Brennan

Conversions: Richardson

England Sevens Squad  

Abigail            Chamberlain(Richmond)

Natasha         Brennan        (Wasps)

Jennifer         Brightmore    (Worcester)

Rachael         Burford           (Richmond)

Sonia             Green (C)      (Saracens)

Kate    Hancock        (Plymouth Albion (on loan to Worcester))

Natasha         Hunt   (Lichfield)

Katie   Mason            (Bristol)

SarahMcKenna       (Wasps)

Alice   Richardson   (Richmond)

Leanne          Riley   (Saracens)

Emily  Scott   (Thurrock)

In the blue corner are Leinster, two times European rugby champions, seeking to become the only team to win back-to-back Heineken Cups since Leicester Tigers and also complete a European-domestic double, in what would be their third victory in four years, surely nailing on their status as one of the greatest Heineken Cup teams ever.

And in the white corner are Ulster, seeking to win for the first time this millennium and recent winners of sweet fanny adams. Uhm…

The first question any preview has to answer is ‘Can Ulster win this and is there any way Leinster can be stopped’, so great is the disparity in recent results between the two teams. Well, maybe my bias is misleading me, but the men from Ravenhill aren’t as far away as it may appear. It’s some challenge for only fifteen men to take on but it can be done and Ulster are an increasingly formidable team in their own right, although there’s no doubt that if both sides play to their best, Leinster simply have more about them.

Leinster have more about them than most mind. Joe Schmidt walked in on Cheika’s half-completed project and has turned them into probably the most complete side in Europe. People often remark most on their handling ability and lines, but their defence is incredible, their kicking game very strong, their set-pieces solid. When you look at the ferocity with which their backs hit tackles and the ease with which their forwards offload, you see a team who have blurred the distinction between forward and back as much as any other. They are masters of the fifteen man game and all the options it offers. They are masters of defence too, and the counter-rucking that the backs do is a large part of what makes them so difficult to score against. There’s been a list of injury worries since their slightly cagey victory over Glasgow in the ProDirect 12 semi-final, but thanks to the recuperative powers of cup finals Leinster will walk out at virtually full strength. Given Leinster’s strength in depth though, a few injuries was far from the end of the world for them. It also gives them, assuming all is well, a formidable bench containing six internationals.

Against this, Ulster have an up-hill struggle, if not up-mountain. But after the colossal defensive display they found to unseat Munster at Thomond Park, a performance that was more remarkable for the desire and mental resilience on show than any level of athletic and technical prowess, it’s not impossible. While its true the results card makes for bad reading, it won’t be registering much in Ulster minds, as it’s very rare for the provinces to meet 1^st XV to 1^st XV. Even last year’s playoff semi-final defeat saw Ulster much reduced with injury, starting with Stephen Ferris. Few men make as much difference to their side as Ferris and his mutant-esque levels of physicality and after very sparing use in recent weeks, he should be fit and raring to go. He’ll be the totem of an all-international pack that has asserted themselves recently as the equal of any in Europe with an abrupt abrasiveness. The set-piece is nigh flawless, it is rammed full with heavyweight carriers, and with Chris Henry back, it offers a fair bit of ruck disruption too. In the backs, Ruan Pienaar carries as much importance as Ferris up front, where so far he has turned in nerveless displays as general and goal-kicker in this tournament. He will probably first and foremost look to dictate territory before unleashing his back-line, but that does not mean the Ulster back-line should be overlooked. It has shown a few killer touches off its own this season, particularly when it links up with its mobile pack in a manner fairly reminiscent of their southern cousins. It may not have quite the same cachet as Leinster’s levy of Lions, but it is filled with talented players who yearn to show that they can be put in the same bracket.

Yearning is an appropriate word for Ulster’s emotional state right now, if anything a little mild. Years of struggle, of living as close to Connacht as to Munster and Leinster, has put an indelible mark on a senior core of players who have lived and breathed for a jersey that is a childhood ambition. It is a subject that has dominated interviews, an emotion that seemed to be made solid flesh at Thomond Park. In a game that will be decided as much by the mind as the body, properly channelled, this bellicose hunger will be a considerable weapon. In captain Johannes Muller, the perennial understudy to Victor Matfield who Andy Goode described as the best leader he’d seen other than Johnson, Ulster have one of the best possible men to do the channelling. Yet opposite him in the lineout will be a man nearly as well-respected for his leadership skills, Leo Cullen. Next to him is Brad Thorn, implacably bent on another trophy. And buzzing around in the backline like a pitbull on steroids will be Brian O’Driscoll. They will keep the desire levels ramped as high as possible. A surfeit of final experience would seem to point to Leinster, but Ulster aren’t short of players who’ve been in a big game or two. No advantage can really be seen at this point in the mental states of the players.

So where do the physical fault lines lie then, other than in Stephen Ferris’ non-existent knee? Ulster will certainly try to target Leinster at the set-piece, but they assuredly won’t be banking on this, particularly as Leinster are reportedly putting in a lot of time on this at training. The breakdown could therefore well be more important, and almost certainly more interesting, with both sides likely to adopt similar approaches in defence. What each team lacks for in jackals it makes up for in masters of the dark arts of slow ball. If the ref doesn’t grip the two teams, the spectacle may well up a victim of Irish excellence in the choke tackle – although if he judges one team to be doing it legally and the other not, he’s probably decided the match. Consistency will be very important here. If Ulster can get quick ball, they will fancy a cut. The normal Ulster tactic is for Andrew Trimble or Paddy Wallace to crash it up relatively narrow and secure quick ball, but you wonder whether Ulster won’t fancy going a bit wider this match. If Ulster can tie down O’Driscoll in the breakdown from first phase, then attacking Leinster’s backline looks far more inviting, particularly if they can get Stephen Ferris arriving onto the ball for the second. Leinster, by contrast, might well be tempted to go narrower than usual. The two Paddy’s – Jackson and Wallace – are excellent tacklers for small men, but they are rather small, and people like Sean O’Brien rather large. Even if they never manage a clean break there, continuous attacking of that channel may lead to Ulster becoming bunched in and vulnerable to the wide sortie. Of course, the danger is that in operating that close to Ulster’s pack, the quick ball necessary may never materialise. Leinster have the more to gain out of the game opening up due to their superior support lines and hands. It will be interesting to see which tactic appeals more, and when Jonathon Sexton will adopt each option. Whatever he picks, I’m expecting a fair few wide passes from both fly-halves, as neither back-three looks particularly inviting to kick to. There will be kicking of course, but it’s timing and execution will need to be spot on. Leinster might toy with repeating Edinburgh’s successful tactic of launching fairly short bombs for Rob Kearney to get on to as a back-up tactic, although both sides would rather wait to kick behind a winger rushing up. Here Ulster hold a minor advantage in that Paddy Wallace is a very accomplished tactical kicker and distributor. The ball in his hands will cause more thinking for opposition wingers than it will in Gordon D’Arcy’s. I feel I should mention the sub’s bench here. Ulster’s isn’t bad, containing a few potential game-changers and some steady performers, but it is nothing like the hidden armoury of internationals Leinster have waiting. To talk about this game’s intensity would be an understatement. Injuries and fatigue will happen. Barring bad luck, the process of attrition is likely to favour Leinster, simply because of their calibre of replacement. That must play a part in Schmidt’s thinking, particularly if he is tempted to play it loose and quick. Will Ulster be able to withstand eighty minutes of such treatment? Ulster need to protect themselves against such an eventuality by taking good care of the pill. Which brings us back to the breakdown again. Schmidt’s selection of McLaughlin over Shane Jennings makes sense, both in terms of safeguarding Leinster’s lineout and providing a physical presence. But it does keep Leinster’s dedicated ruckhog out of the opening exchanges.

Schmidt will probably not end up regretting that. He simply has too much firepower to level at Ulster and mistakes will be savagely punished. Leinster are also capable of operating at a level where they will simply blow Ulster away, unless Ulster find a new defensive level. Between these two facts, Leinster are deserved favourites. But Ulster are not devoid of hope. This match will be won up-front, where Ulster should be able to match Leinster blow for blow. Every minute that Ulster sucks Leinster into a battle there, every minute that Leinster can’t probe for gaps out wide, is a minute that improves Ulster’s chances. Ulster must choke Leinster at source as much as possible. Not an easy task, not at all, but doable. So too is the task of breaking down Leinster’s defence and generating a few scores of their own. McLaughlin must find a plan, his players a way, for no matter how firm the chokehold, Leinster will almost definitely wriggle away from it at some point. Defence will not be enough and it must be allied to ruthless finishing and ruthless ball protection. Do so, and Ulster can finish a shock of a season with the biggest shock of all. Anything else though, and Leinster will surely lift their second Heineken Cup in as many years, and in doing so enter the pantheon of greats.

The Clash to Watch – John Afoa vs. Cian Healy. Given the extreme familiarity between Tom Court and Mike Ross, it seems likely that any decisive swing in the in the scrum will come on the opposite side. Given the burden both Healy and Afoa bear in the loose, particularly in defence, if one man starts to take heavy physical punishment from the other then it could well prove a decisive advantage. Afoa would seem the favourite of the two to accomplish such a feat, but Healy is not a man lightly written off.

The 26-year-old is the first player to pen a new deal with the Green and Whites for the 2012/13 RFU Championship, adding to the 13 players already contracted for the new campaign.

Despite enduring a nightmare season, which amounted to three cameo appearances and more than 13 months on the sidelines with injury, Crane’s potential could not be ignored.

From little more than 100 minutes of game time, between recovering from knee surgery, a broken jaw, a debut lasting just 30 seconds and a career-first red card, he still found time to convince Nottingham Director of Rugby Glenn Delaney to re-sign him.

It was his explosive impact off the bench against London Welsh in the final match of the season, putting on a big hit to win possession before crossing for a try with his first touch of the ball, which sealed it.

“He earned his contract off the bench that day. He showed us exactly what he is about, adding energy and enthusiasm to the game at a time that it was lacking on the pitch,” Delaney said.

“He showed fantastic desire to play for this club, his attitude, application and potential is everything we look for in a player.

“He is clearly a talented player who had a horrendous season with injury. That broken jaw that took him out against Esher in December isn’t the sort of start anyone wanted for him.”

With a thorough understanding of Crane’s recent injuries, Delaney didn’t hesitate in signing the athletic back.

“He is no more of a risk than any other player, he proved his fitness at the end of last season and has put those knee problems behind him,” Delaney said.

“We are not worried about what’s happened in the past, we are only concerned about what he can do for us in the future.”

Crane said he was “over the moon” to remain in Nottingham, vowing to return the faith put in him by club management.

“Reputations aren’t made in one game, and now I have a whole season to look forward to proving myself,” Crane said.

“It’s a great to have the vote of confidence from Glenn that he feels that I have something to give the club.

“I’m looking forward to a good pre-season. Just the prospect of getting a full pre-season without any niggles holding me back is a nice change from the past few years.”

As the top seeds from the regular season, Joe Schmidt’s team earned the right to host the Final at their home ground after beating Glasgow Warriors in the Play-Off last weekend. That triumph set up a repeat of the 2010 Final against the Ospreys.

The 2010 Final was the first time the competition had used the Play-Off system to determine the champions. This is the third season in a row that Leinster has reached the Final and they are still seeking their first win.

Interest in the game is intense and the Irish language TV channel TG4 will act as the host broadcaster. TG4 will screen the match live, as will RTE in Ireland and the Welsh language station, S4C, in the UK. The game will also be shown delayed live in Italy on RAI Sports 2 at 9.00pm local time.

In addition to coverage within the nations that provide teams to the RaboDirect PRO12 competition, the game will also be screened in the following countries either live or delayed live:

• Malta– Go Malta
• Middle East– Orbit Showtime Network – (23 countries) Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates
• North America – Fox Soccer Plus
• Canada– Rogers Sportsnet World
• Sub Sahara Africa Setanta – (50 countries) Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivorie, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Reunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St. Helena, Swaziland, Tanzania/Zanzibar, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
• Asia Setanta – (8 countries) Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand
• New Zealand– Sky New Zealand

Overseas viewers are advised to check with their Broadcasters as to whether they are showing the game live or delayed.

The two games between the sides in the regular season produced a comfortable win for the Pirates at Mennaye Field, while three late Alex Davies penalties salvaged a 17-17 draw for Welsh at Old Deer Park.

Of course, the Pirates also came out on top, 18-10, in last year’s one-off semi-final at Mennaye Field.

“The Cornish Pirates are a very good side,” said Jones. “They don’t rely on any particular type of rugby or strength, they’ve got the ability to play all types of rugby and I would be very respectful of that.

“That’s what you’ve got to have. To have a sniff of going up you’ve got to be able to pay all types of rugby.

“They’ve got a good kicking full back, they’ve a very sound organised pack of forwards and they finished third and we finished fourth in the regular season.

“But throughout the season both teams have grown and we’re really looking forward to an opportunity to show ourselves at the highest level in this league.

“From where we were in September to where we are now is chalk and cheese. We’re a confident side with the ability to play a bit of football, and just like the Cornish Pirates we can also play all types of games as and when it suits.”

The Exiles withstood a late fight-back from the Blues to reach their first-ever Championship final, having lost in the semi-finals in 2010 as well as last year.

When Nick Scott capitalised on a mistake to touch down and Davies added his fourth penalty, the Exiles led 17-10 on the day and 30-13 on aggregate. However, converted tries from Don Barrell and Neil Cochrane ensured a tense finish at Old Deer Park on Sunday, but Welsh held on.

“This was not an 80 minute game, it was a 160 minute game, and over the 160 minutes we probably deserved it” said Jones.

“I thought the first half was excellent in intensity. We fell away in the last 20 because we weren’t strong enough. We weren’t conditioned enough to play that intensity for 80 minutes.

“That’s a big learning curve for our boys to appreciate that when they go into the gym what they’re there for.”

Jones is now preparing his side for the 1st leg of their Championship final with the Cornish Pirates at Mennaye Field on May 23, with the return game confirmed for the Kassam Stadium, Oxford, on May 30. Both games kick-off at 7:45pm and will be live on Sky Sports.

“They should be two great games. We’ve seen two cracking committed affairs between ourselves and Bedford, and we were delighted to take the spoils because they’re a very good attacking side” said Jones.

“It’s all to play for now. Going into the play-offs we had a 25 per cent of being successful, now it’s 50 per cent.”

Bristol’s Amber Reed is set to make her debut after being named in the starting line-up at centre, while Lichfield’s Fiona Fletcher, who is a late call-up to the squad after an injury to Becky Essex, could also make her England bow if she is called off the bench. 18-year-old Lauren Cattell will make her first start for England at fly-half after coming off the bench against Spain on Saturday and scoring a try on her debut.

Smith has shaken up the pack with a new-look front-row for this game, with Rosemarie Crowley, Vicky Fleetwood and Laura Keates all starting. Rowena Burnfield and Gemma Sharples will also start. Katherine Merchant and Emily Scarratt return to the England XVs set-up after their victory in the IRB Challenge Cup Sevens at the Marriott London Sevens at the weekend.

Graham Smith, who has stepped up to Head Coach for this tournament, said: “Given that the unity of this new looking side has gelled quicker than anticipated I am fully confident that we are capable of putting on a good performance against Italy.

“This will be a big game for Lauren Cattell starting at fly-half and Amber Reed in the centre. Despite her young years, Lauren has taken everything in her stride and she certainly has the potential to be a very good player. Amber has also shown herself to be big and powerful and her running game and distribution are real positives. Teaming up with Silly Tuson in the centres I think they have the potential to be quite a combination.”

England head into Tuesday’s match on the back of an impressive 61-0, 11 try victory over Spain in the opener. Italy are set to be much tougher opponents pushing France to a 22-19 victory at the weekend.

Smith added: “We won’t be underestimating Italy at all. They put on a really good performance against France and we know they will be tricky. They are a big, robust side with a good offload game and some attacking flair. We will certainly be looking to ensure that our scrum and line-out platforms work effectively to create some good ball for our backs, who have the pace to be very dangerous.”

England 

15. Danielle Waterman (VC) (Worcester), 14. Lydia Thompson (Worcester) 13. Sally Tuson (Bristol), 12. Amber Reed (Bristol), 11. Ruth Laybourn (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 10. Lauren Cattell (Chesham), 9. George Rozario (Lichfield), 1. Rosemarie Crowley (Lichfield), 2. Vicky Fleetwood (Lichfield), 3. Laura Keates (Worcester), 4. Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 5. Rowena Burnfield (Richmond), 6 Sarah Hunter (C), 7 Gemma Sharples (Worcester), 8 Harriet Millar Mills (Lichfield). Replacements: 16. Emma Croker (Richmond), 17.Rochelle Clark (Worcester), 18. Kate Newton (Bristol), 19.Emily Braund (Lichfield), 20 Fiona Fletcher, 21.Fiona Davidson (Richmond), 22 Kim Oliver (Bristol), 23 Katherine Merchant (Worcester), 24 Emily Scarratt (Lichfield), 25 Ceri Large (Worcester).

England Women’s European Cup Schedule

Spain v England, May 12, WON 61-0.

Italy v England, May 15, KO 5pm BST

France v England, May 19, KO 630pm

Fijian-born Cama was up for the award for the second year running, having lost out to South Africa’s Cecil Afrika last season.

Once again he has been a key factor behind New Zealand’s excellence and the creative spark behind their 10th World Series success.

"It feels awesome. It’s just a reward for all the hard work from the boys. Without them it would have been impossible to receive this award. I want to thank them as well," Cama said.

"I concentrate on my game and I control what I can control, but to get this is an awesome feeling. Once you have been there for a while you know and understand what’s going on and that’s where the experience comes in.

"For me I just like going out there and enjoying the game, enjoy myself and do what I do best."

Cama fought off stiff competition from compatriot Frank Halai and England’s Mat Turner to win the coveted individual accolade.

As well as finishing the season with 34 tries, Cama’s impeccable drop-kicking helped him to 390 points for the season, the leading mark.

He also ends the season second in the all time point-scoring charts with 1,627, behind only England’s Ben Gollings.

Cama becomes the fourth New Zealand player to win the prize, following Orene Ai’i, Afeleke Pelenise and his captain DJ Forbes.

IRB Sevens Player of the Year – Roll of honour

• 2004 Simon Amor, England
• 2005 Orene Ai’i, New Zealand
• 2006 Uale Mai, Samoa
• 2007 Afeleke Pelenise, New Zealand
• 2008 DJ Forbes, New Zealand
• 2009 Ollie Phillips, England
• 2010 Mikaele Pesamino, Samoa
• 2011 Cecil Afrika, South Africa
• 2012 Tomasi Cama, New Zealand