Wikipedia

1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup

The 1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup was the 27th edition of England's top rugby union club competition. Saracens won the competition, for the first time by defeating Wasps, who lost in the final for the third time.[1][2] The first two rounds were unsponsored and by the third round Tetley's Brewery took over the sponsorship; the previous nine years had been sponsored by Pilkington. The final was held at Twickenham Stadium.[2][3]

1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
Tournament format(s)knockout
Date13 September 1997 – 9 May 1998
Tournament statistics
Final
VenueTwickenham Stadium
Attendance65,000
ChampionsSaracens (first win)
Runners-upWasps
← 1996–97 (Previous)
(Next) 1998–99 →

Draw and results edit

First round (13 September) edit

Team One Team Two Score
Aspatria Stockton 23-13
Barking Swanage & Wareham 26-18
Basingstoke Weston-super-Mare 10-39
Birmingham/Solihull Westleigh 22-10
Bridgwater Metropolitan Police 18-30
Broadstreet Walsall 25-17
Camberley Barnstaple 38-16
Cheltenham Okehampton 138-0
Coney Hill Preston Grasshoppers 5-16
Haywards Heath Plymouth 26-25
Henley Cambridge 64-12
Hornets Havant 28-72
Launceston Bicester 58-6
Lewes Wimbledon 12-11
Lichfield Manchester 10-28
Longton Widnes 22-38
Maidenhead Amersham & Chiltern 14-36
Matson Bishop Stortford 8-3
North Walsham Esher 19-18
Northern Derby 49-3
Norwich Bracknell 14-25
Nuneaton Sedgley Park 11-7
Old Coventrians Huddersfield 13-35
Olney St Ives 18-20
Sandal Chester 30-22
Scunthorpe Doncaster 6-23
Selley Oak Syston 31-19
Sevenoaks Cheshunt 32-13
Sheffield Old Northamptons 38-14
Sherborne Clifton 19-30
St Benedict’s Wigton 9-24
Staines Redruth 35-25
Sunderland Kendal 8-27
Sutton & Epsom Banbury 23-25
Tabard Harlow 23-0
Taunton Canterbury 34-12
Tynedale Hinckley 32-8
Vagabonds (IOM) Old Brodleians 18-15
Vale of Lune Ampthill 27-25
Whitchurch Stourbridge 28-35
Winchester Ruislip 20-0
Winnington Park Stoke 64-12
  • Cheltenham's 138 – 0 win over Okehampton was a record score for the competition.[2]

Second round (4 October) edit

Team One Team Two Score
Aspatria Widnes 27-18
Birmingham/Solihull Otley 9-10
Bracknell Metropolitan Police 35-14
Broadstreet Huddersfield 41-3
Cheltenham Sevenoaks 20-18
Havant Matson 19-10
Haywards Heath Launceston 20-22
Henley Camberley 3-16
Kendal Harrogate 9-5
Lewes North Walsham 10-42
London Welsh Clifton 65-17
Lydney Amersham & Chiltern 67-0
Morley Selly Oak 41-5
Northern Tynedale 5-22
Nottingham Doncaster 20-24
Preston Grasshoppers Manchester 8-33
Rugby Vagabonds (IOM) 46-0
Sandal Nuneaton 22-16
Sheffield Vale of Lune 42-20
St Ives Barking 6-53
Staines Banbury 32-12
Stourbridge Taunton 69-5
Tabard Rosslyn Park 0-31
Weston-super-Mare Newbury 17-36
Wharfedale Wigton 35-10
Winchester Reading 12-26
Winnington Park Liverpool St Helens 24-26
Worcester Leeds 28-11

Third round (1 November) edit

Team One Team Two Score
Barking Exeter 13-17
Bedford Staines 76-15
Blackheath Sandal 32-3
Broadstreet Bracknell 15-21
Camberley Kendal 32-20
Coventry Sheffield 83-19
Doncaster Tynedale 24-11
Fylde Aspatria 48-5
Havant Rugby 22-32
London Welsh Waterloo 36-34
Lydney London Scottish 3-45
Moseley Liverpool St Helens 79-10
North Walsham Rosslyn Park 11-27
Orrell Newbury 16-26
Otley Manchester 24-25
Rotherham Launceston 67-15
Stourbridge Reading 24-58
Wakefield Morley 53-14
West Hartlepool Cheltenham 41-5
Wharfedale Worcester 8-29

Fourth round (3 & 4 January) edit

Team One Team Two Score
Bath London Scottish 24-23
Blackheath Saracens 31-59
Bracknell Rotherham 3-26
Camberley Newbury 10-11
Coventry Leicester 14-50
Fylde Rosslyn Park 20-5
London Welsh Gloucester 18-34
Manchester London Irish 13-36
Moseley Sale 11-18
Newcastle Exeter 34-10
Northampton Bedford 31-26
Richmond Doncaster 58-8
Rugby Reading 26-17
Wasps Harlequins 31-26
West Hartlepool Wakefield 23-13
Worcester Bristol 14-12

Fifth round (24 January) edit

Team One Team Two Score
Bath Richmond 17-29 aet
London Irish Rotherham 27-14
Northampton Gloucester 30-11
Sale Newbury 38-11
Saracens Leicester 14-13
Wasps Fylde 34 -8
West Hartlepool Rugby 42-11
Worcester Newcastle 0-10

Quarter-finals (28 February & 1 March) edit

Team One Team Two Score
London Irish Wasps 7-41
Northampton Newcastle 17-7
Richmond Saracens 30-36
West Hartlepool Sale 21-36

Semi-finals (28 March) edit

Team One Team Two Score
Northampton Saracens 10 – 25
Wasps Sale 15 – 9

Final edit

9 May 1998
Saracens48–18Wasps
Try: Sella  
Constable  
Johnson  
Grewcock  
Ravenscroft  
Bracken  
Wallace  
Con: Lynagh 5
Drop: Lynagh		Try: Volley  
Roiser  
Con: Rees
Pen: Rees 2
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Chris White (Gloucestershire)
15   Gavin Johnson
14   Brendon Daniel
13   Philippe Sella
12   Steve Ravenscroft
11   Ryan Constable
10   Michael Lynagh
9   Kyran Bracken
8   Tony Diprose (c)
7   Francois Pienaar (player/coach)
6   Ben Sturnham
5   Danny Grewcock
4   Paddy Johns
3   Paul Wallace
2   George Chuter
1   Roberto Diego Grau
Replacements:
16   Marcus Olsen
17   Andy Lee
18   Matt Singer
19   Richard Wallace
20   Adrian Olver
21   Greg Botterman
22   Alex Bennett
Player Coach:
  Francois Pienaar
15   Gareth Rees
14   Shane Roiser
13   Mark Denney
12   Rob Henderson
11   Laurence Scrase
10   Alex King
9   Mike Friday
8   Joe Worsley
7   Paul Volley
6   Lawrence Dallaglio (c)
5   Simon Shaw
4   Mark Weedon
3   Will Green
2   Simon Mitchell
1   Darren Molloy
Replacements:
16   Andy Gomarsall
17   Paul Sampson
18   Ian Dunston
19   Trevor Leota
20   Adam Black
21   Buster White
22   Andy Reed
Coach:
  Nigel Melville

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Lynagh and Sella bow out on Saracens' false dawn". ESPN.
  2. ^ a b c Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1998). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998–99 (27th ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 84–98. ISBN 0-7472-7653-6.
  3. ^ "Times Archives". Oxfordshire Libraries.
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