ERMYSTED'S first XV will make an appearance at English rugby union's headquarters at Twickenham. The team duly booked its place at the home of English rugby for the Schools Under-18 Vase final after a tense 10-5 semi-final victory in the Midlands.

They will meet Wilmslow in a curtain raiser to the main final between Barnard Castle and Warwick School on March 28.

Ermysted's turned back the challenge of Langley Park School from Beckenham on a day when driving rain and a strong end-to-end wind had a major say in the pattern of both semi-finals, played back to back at Wolverhampton.

Such was the strength of the elements that no side in either match managed a score against the wind.

Langley Park had just a 5-0 lead at half-time against Ermysted's but that never seemed likely to be enough, as coach Fraser Thomson said afterwards.

"I felt we would probably need three scores in the first-half to be safe and one try was not enough for all the territory and the pressure we had," he said.

"We also created a few moments in the second-half, but we could not find the clinical finishing that we talked about beforehand."

Michael Beer put Ermysted's level and a touchline conversion off the crossbar from Mark Simpson gave Ermysted's the edge. In injury time Simpson added a penalty to wrap up the win.

"We were expecting a tough game from the Langley Park forwards and we needed to take them on up front in the first-half and make sure that we could do that." said coach Ian Douglas. "It took a while to dig out the crucial score but I never thought that it might not come.

"It's a just a fantastic feeling for the lads and their never-say-die attitude, although you have to feel for Langley Park, who've had a tough old day. Hopefully we can go all the way now."