Captain Neil Wardingley is aiming to go one better in the RFU Senior Vase final 13 years after Bromley lost on their last trip to Twickenham.

The skipper is just one of two surviving players from the Bromley team which lost 16-10 to West Yorkshire side Heath in 2002, the other being twin brother Jack.

Bromley make a long-awaited return to the home of rugby on May 3 where they will face West Leeds for the chance to be crowned Vase champions.

And one man is keener than most to ensure the cup ends up in the London Three South East side’s trophy cabinet after suffering heartbreak in 2002.

Neil told News Shopper: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for us and there will be a lot of support in what I presume will be quite a large crowd for us.

“It’s a fantastic honour and something you’re going to live with for the rest of your life.

“My twin brother and I are the only surviving members of the 2002 team, so that makes it extra special for me to make the final twice with one club.”

Bromley booked their Twickenham spot with a nail-biting 22-16 win over Withycombe thanks to two tries from James Powell and one from Tom Davey.

Neil believes the squad has undoubtedly improved during his time at the club, something which fits a growing trend in the sport.

The captain said: “We’ve definitely improved as a team, it’s really come on.

“It’s progressed in the same way rugby has in the last 13 years.

“When we played in the final last time, we had a really big pack. We now play quite an expansive, open game of rugby and move the ball around a lot.

“We don’t know a lot about West Leeds, but they’re in a national final so they’re going to be a very good team and we’ll have to be at our best to win.”

Bromley were in contention to win the London Three South East title for much of the season but slipped to finish sixth.

They ended the campaign with four straight league defeats and Neil admits their attention was on other matters.

He said: “We’ve really focused on the cup and it has paid dividends to get to the final.

“If I’m honest minds were probably on the final in the last league game where we lost to Gillingham Anchorians.

“We were sixth in the league and couldn’t finish anywhere other than sixth, so it was just getting that last game under our belt and then focusing on the big finale to our season.”

Neil believes the likes of Powell and Pat Moore in the centre will be important players on the Twickenham stage, while forward Ben Smith’s ball carrying ability summarises their attacking instincts.

And having played there before, the captain wants to ensure his team-mates don’t get overwhelmed by the occasion.

He added: “We’re going to go for a team meal on the Saturday to get all the boys together.

“We’re going to treat it like a normal game but really enjoy the experience.” 

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