Cornwall Women selectors have announced their side to play Durham Women in the Gill Burns Division 2 final on Saturday morning at 11 am at the Allianz Twickenham Stadium.

It will be a first for the Cornwall Women to play at the home of England rugby, in 2022 when they won the Gill Burns Division 3 title that final was play at the Richmond Athletic Ground.

The side sees some changes to the team that defeated North Midlands in the semi-final.

In the second row Jess Humber starts in place of Caitlin Milliken who reverts to the bench, likewise for Rosie Ninnis who sees Michaella Roberts start at No.8.

On the bench Rhiannon Thomas returns with Maddie Webber missing out.

Megan Arnold continues to captain the side in the absence of Amy Bunt, with Amy Warman vice-captain.

After training this evening the Cornwall Women’s team will travel on Friday to their hotel just outside of London. The team are due to arrive at Twickenham at 9:30 am on Saturday morning to prepare for the match and pre-match protocol.

Gill Burns County Championship Division Two Semi-Final

North Midlands 12 Cornwall 19

By Gareth Davies, Stourbridge RFC,

Cornwall Women will play at Twickenham for the very first time after edging out North Midlands in a thrilling Gill Burns County Championship Division Two semi-final.

Victory for Jo Holden’s side will see June 6 become Super Saturday for Cornish rugby as both senior men and women’s teams play at headquarters against Lancashire and Durham respectively.

And while the men eased through against reigning champions Kent on Saturday, the women were made to work hard for their victory 24-hours later in a game played at Stourton Park, home of Stourbridge RFC.

In a tense, low scoring first half, Cornwall fell behind when giant home number eight Mia Maduagwu crashed over from close range.

But the Black and Gold wrestled the initiative from the hosts, themselves looking to play at the home of English rugby for the first time, after the turnaround.

Replacement Jessie Humber’s converted try levelled the game up at 7-7 and then straight from the restart, Cornwall got the ball in hand and Hannah Mills scored a stunning individual try.

Back came North Midlands and prop Sarah Price reduced the arrears down to two points before Alex Hutchings’ try nine minutes from time sealed a famous Cornwall victory.

After securing the Tamar Cup with victory over Devon seven days previously, Cornwall chief Holden made two changes to her starting line-up – one in the pack and the other in the back division.

Ivybridge pair Mills and Elizabeth Langton replaced Rhiannon Thomas who missed out altogether and Abby Masquelier, with the later named on the bench.

As expected, the game was a real cat and mouse affair in the opening exchanges with neither side able to gain a proper foothold in proceedings, although Cornwall shaded territory and possession.

North Midlands, through their two ball-carrying forwards Jasmine Faulkner-Harper and Maduagwu, who were both playing on home soil, were the hosts’ go forward options, but Cornwall repelled anything thrown at them.

The game’s momentum seemed to swing in Cornwall’s favour when full-back Kitty Morgan was sent for a 10-minute sabbatical by merry whistle blower Ewan Leadbetter. However, Cornwall couldn’t take advantage and being a player down seemed to inspire North Midlands.

And when Morgan returned from the bin, Cornwall found themselves on the back foot, defending their line with gusto until just before the break.

Referee Leadbetter ruled that Suz Franks had got her hands on the ball and knocked it forward out wide, although thankfully for Cornwall, it wasn’t ruled as a deliberate knock-on. From the resulting scrum, eight metres out for North Midlands, Maduagwu picked up and crashed over to break the deadlock.

Alison Livermore knocked over the extras to give North Midlands a 7-0 half-time lead and despite being behind, Cornwall knew they were very much in the game. They also would have felt that Faulkner-Harper and Maduagwu would perhaps tire as the game wore on, thus nullifying a big chunk of home attacking prowess.

After the interval, the game followed a similar pattern to the first period with Cornwall looking comfortable in defence, but not really showing themselves inside the North Midlands 22.

But once they did exert a sustained spell of pressure North Midlands crumbled and after hammering away at the home line, the referee lost patience after a string of penalty offences and sent Lottie Mason to the bin.

This time Cornwall did capitalise on a numerical advantage and replacement Jessie Humber barged over for Cornwall’s first points in the 50th minute. Penryn’s Georgia Hall kicked the extras to tie the scores.

They made it back-to-back scores as from Livermore’s scuffed restart, Langton got her hands on the ball and burst upfield. On half-way, the ball was spread to Cornwall’s left through the hands and into the grasp of Hannah Mills, who put her foot firmly to the floor – outpacing the would-be North Midlands defence to go in under the posts for a magnificent try.

Hall made it a seven point score and Cornwall had turned the game on its head in just three minutes.

Their nine point lead lasted until just shy of the hour mark when it was cut to two by prop Sarah Price who finished off a line-out move Livermore’s conversion crucially failing.

The tension was palpable for the healthy crowd in attendance and with the game on a knife edge, it was very much a case of the next try being decisive.

Thankfully for those of a black and gold disposition, it went the way of Cornwall when Hutchings broke free from a scrum and went in out wide. Hall couldn’t take Cornwall into a two score lead with a converted home try, only good enough to tie the game and send it to extra time.

And that never looked likely with Cornwall close to putting the icing on their cake as Mills went clear again out wide only to put her foot on the whitewash. Replacement duo Michaella Roberts and Masquelier also had chances with the former unable to hold the ball with the line gaping, whilst the Penryn speedster was bundled into touch by Faith Adams just three metres out.

The clock ticked into the red and Mills gave away a penalty for crashing through the centre of a home ruck and despite this giving North Midlands one final chance, a handling error presented Cornwall with the ball and full-time was then signalled.

Cue jubilant scenes full of elation and emotion for Cornwall’s players, coaching staff and loyal supporters, who will now travel to Twickenham next Saturday hoping for a Duchy double, on rugby union’s grandest stage of all.

Cornwall (Launceston unless stated) Hicks, Franks, Smith, Crutchley (Truro), Mills (Ivybridge), Rowe (Truro), Warman; Cole, J Arnold, Upcott, M Arnold, Milliken (Camborne), Ninnis (Penryn), Langton (Ivybridge), Hutchings. Replacements: Varker (Helston), Webber (Camborne), Penrose (Truro), Roberts (Ivybridge), Humber (Ivybridge), G Hall (Penryn), Groves (Truro), Masquelier (Penryn)

Tries: Humber (50), Mills (52), Hutchings (71)

Conversions: G Hall 2/3

North Midlands: Morgan (Kidderminster), Lower (Dudley Kingswinsford), Adams (Birmingham), Donaldson (Birmingham), Carter (Kidderminster), Livermore (Sutton Coldfield), Smith (Dudley Kingswinford); Price (Bridgnorth), Mason (Telford Hornets), Faulkner-Harper (Stourbridge), Currie (Sutton Coldfield), Mason (Kidderminster), Godding (Clee Hill), Maduagwu (Stourbridge). Replacements: Massam-Vallely (Greyhound), Suggitt (Birmingham), Qalovaki (Telford Hornets), Kemp (Kidderminster), R Hall (Greyhound), Tolley (Stourbridge), Middleton (Clee Hill), Fletcher (Sutton Coldfield)

Tries: Maduagwu (37), Price (58)

Conversions: Livermore 1/2

Referee: Ewan Leadbetter

Attendance: 500 (estimated)