1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup

English rugby union competition 1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup England knockout 13 September 1997 – 9 May 1998 Twickenham Stadium 65,000 Saracens (first win) Wasps 1996–97 1996–97 Pilkington Cup 1998–99 1998–99 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.http://en.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/story/224281.html Lynagh and Sella bow out on Saracens' false dawn ESPNCleary Mick Griffiths John Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998–99 1998 Headline Book Publishing London 0-7472-7653-6 84–98 27th 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.https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public-site/reference-online Times Archives Oxfordshire Libraries Draw and results First round (13 September) Team One Team Two ScoreAspatria Stockton 23-13Barking Swanage & Wareham 26-18Basingstoke Weston-super-Mare 10-39Birmingham/Solihull Westleigh 22-10Bridgwater Metropolitan Police 18-30Broadstreet Walsall 25-17Camberley Barnstaple 38-16Cheltenham Okehampton 138-0Coney Hill Preston Grasshoppers 5-16Haywards Heath Plymouth 26-25Henley Cambridge 64-12Hornets Havant 28-72Launceston Bicester 58-6Lewes Wimbledon 12-11Lichfield Manchester 10-28Longton Widnes 22-38Maidenhead Amersham & Chiltern 14-36Matson Bishop Stortford 8-3North Walsham Esher 19-18Northern Derby 49-3Norwich Bracknell 14-25Nuneaton Sedgley Park 11-7Old Coventrians Huddersfield 13-35Olney St Ives 18-20Sandal Chester 30-22Scunthorpe Doncaster 6-23Selley Oak Syston 31-19Sevenoaks Cheshunt 32-13Sheffield Old Northamptons 38-14Sherborne Clifton 19-30St Benedict’s Wigton 9-24Staines Redruth 35-25Sunderland Kendal 8-27Sutton & Epsom Banbury 23-25Tabard Harlow 23-0Taunton Canterbury 34-12Tynedale Hinckley 32-8Vagabonds (IOM) Old Brodleians 18-15Vale of Lune Ampthill 27-25Whitchurch Stourbridge 28-35Winchester Ruislip 20-0Winnington Park Stoke 64-12 Cheltenham's 138 – 0 win over Okehampton was a record score for the competition. Second round (4 October) Team One Team Two ScoreAspatria Widnes 27-18Birmingham/Solihull Otley 9-10Bracknell Metropolitan Police 35-14Broadstreet Huddersfield 41-3Cheltenham Sevenoaks 20-18Havant Matson 19-10Haywards Heath Launceston 20-22Henley Camberley 3-16Kendal Harrogate 9-5Lewes North Walsham 10-42London Welsh Clifton 65-17Lydney Amersham & Chiltern 67-0Morley Selly Oak 41-5Northern Tynedale 5-22Nottingham Doncaster 20-24Preston Grasshoppers Manchester 8-33Rugby Vagabonds (IOM) 46-0Sandal Nuneaton 22-16Sheffield Vale of Lune 42-20St Ives Barking 6-53Staines Banbury 32-12Stourbridge Taunton 69-5Tabard Rosslyn Park 0-31Weston-super-Mare Newbury 17-36Wharfedale Wigton 35-10Winchester Reading 12-26Winnington Park Liverpool St Helens 24-26Worcester Leeds 28-11 Third round (1 November) Team One Team Two ScoreBarking Exeter 13-17Bedford Staines 76-15Blackheath Sandal 32-3Broadstreet Bracknell 15-21Camberley Kendal 32-20Coventry Sheffield 83-19Doncaster Tynedale 24-11Fylde Aspatria 48-5Havant Rugby 22-32London Welsh Waterloo 36-34Lydney London Scottish 3-45Moseley Liverpool St Helens 79-10North Walsham Rosslyn Park 11-27Orrell Newbury 16-26Otley Manchester 24-25Rotherham Launceston 67-15Stourbridge Reading 24-58Wakefield Morley 53-14West Hartlepool Cheltenham 41-5Wharfedale Worcester 8-29 Fourth round (3 & 4 January) Team One Team Two ScoreBath London Scottish 24-23Blackheath Saracens 31-59Bracknell Rotherham 3-26Camberley Newbury 10-11Coventry Leicester 14-50Fylde Rosslyn Park 20-5London Welsh Gloucester 18-34Manchester London Irish 13-36Moseley Sale 11-18Newcastle Exeter 34-10Northampton Bedford 31-26Richmond Doncaster 58-8Rugby Reading 26-17Wasps Harlequins 31-26West Hartlepool Wakefield 23-13Worcester Bristol 14-12 Fifth round (24 January) Team One Team Two ScoreBath Richmond 17-29 aetLondon Irish Rotherham 27-14Northampton Gloucester 30-11Sale Newbury 38-11Saracens Leicester 14-13Wasps Fylde 34 -8West Hartlepool Rugby 42-11Worcester Newcastle 0-10 Quarter-finals (28 February & 1 March) Team One Team Two Score London Irish Wasps 7-41Northampton Newcastle 17-7Richmond Saracens 30-36West Hartlepool Sale 21-36 Semi-finals (28 March) Team One Team Two ScoreNorthampton Saracens 10 – 25Wasps Sale 15 – 9 Final 9 May 1998 Saracens 48–18 Wasps SellaConstableJohnsonGrewcockRavenscroftBrackenWallace Lynagh 5 Lynagh VolleyRoiser Rees Rees 2 Twickenham Stadium, London 65,000 Chris White (Gloucestershire) _thinredborder _collar _thinredborder _blackstripe 000000 000000 000000 000000 ff0000 Saracens _blackgold stripes _goldstripe ffffff ffffff ffffff 000000 000000 Wasps 15South Africa Gavin Johnson 14New Zealand Brendon Daniel 13France Philippe Sella 12England Steve Ravenscroft 11Australia Ryan Constable 10Australia Michael Lynagh 9England Kyran Bracken 8England Tony Diprose (c) 7South Africa Francois Pienaar (player/coach) 6England Ben Sturnham 5England Danny Grewcock 4Ireland rugby union Paddy Johns 3Ireland rugby union Paul Wallace 2England George Chuter 1Argentina Roberto Diego GrauReplacements: 16England Marcus Olsen 17England Andy Lee 18England Matt Singer 19Ireland rugby union Richard Wallace 20England David Brain 21England Greg Botterman 22England Alex BennettPlayer Coach:South Africa Francois Pienaar 15Canada Gareth Rees 14England Shane Roiser 13England Mark Denney 12Ireland rugby union Rob Henderson 11England Laurence Scrase 10England Alex King 9England Mike Friday 8England Joe Worsley 7England Paul Volley 6England Lawrence Dallaglio (c) 5England Simon Shaw 4New Zealand Mark Weedon 3England Will Green 2England Simon Mitchell 1England Darren MolloyReplacements: 16England Andy Gomarsall 17England Paul Sampson 18England Ian Dunston 19Samoa Trevor Leota 20England Adam Black 21England Buster White 22Scotland Andy ReedCoach:England Nigel Melville See also Anglo-Welsh Cup References 1996-97 Category:1997–98 rugby union tournaments for clubs Category:1997–98 in English rugby union