Bridgnorth geared up for regional RFU final

The All Blacks will nudge into the national semi-final if they win their RFU Midlands Intermediate Cup regional decider at Leek tomorrow.

The home side will fancy their chances, too, having won both of their Midlands Two West North league fixtures against Bridgnorth this season.

But skipper Griffiths has played for the club since he was nine and the 27-year-old insists this is the strongest line-up he has been a part of.

He said: "Everyone who is coming to watch us is enjoying it and telling us how well we are doing, we have found a nice place and we want to continue with that.

"We are really happy with how things are going and this is definitely the best side I have ever been involved in. We are as confident as we will ever be.

"The important thing is to get the job and we all want to go to Twickenham, but let's not forget there's a cup at stake, too."

Revenge is highly in the Bridgnorth's players minds when they undertake their "personal battles" after they cross the white line at Leek.

But key trio Darren Brick, Jimmy Gore and Mike Preece all face the league leaders for the first time in All Black colours this campaign.

Griffiths reckons they could make all of the difference this time after two narrow defeats, 28-26 and 3-0, at the hands of the table-toppers.

He said: "We want to prove that we are better than them and we certainly believe that we are, we are pretty confident that we can go there and beat them.

"It looks like they are going to win the league and they have beaten us twice along the way, but we have three players they haven't faced as yet.

"Darren, Jimmy and Mike are all available so we have got our strongest side out and, if we are going to beat them, this is the team when will do it.

"We need to win our personal battles out there and we are a team who are scoring points for fun, at the moment, so we are full of confidence.

"We are playing well and the lads are bouncing off each other, so that's what we will take into the game."

Bridgnorth are firmly up for the cup and have won 11 out of 12 games in the league although they are still only fourth, a point off third-placed Moseley Oak.

Griffiths said: "Third place is where we want to be come the end of the season and it's still there for us. Our form has been too little, too late for promotion.

"That was never our plan, anyway, it was always likely to be more next year. In fact, there was a three-year plan for us to go up a league."