NORTHWICH will not be going back to Twickenham this season.

Progressing to the next stage of the RFU Intermediate Cup by beating St Benedicts on their own pitch, something no visiting team has managed since last April, was always likely to be a stern test.

And so it proved.

Instead the Whitehaven outfit, favourites to finish first in North Lancs/Cumbria this season, will visit Durham in the Northern Division final.

Blacks, unbeaten since early October following a 13-match winning run, survived an early scare.

The hosts’ first attack ended with the ball being grounded, only for the match official to rule out the try after spotting a forward pass in the build-up.

Half an hour passed without either side troubling the scorers until Nick Baldwin slotted a penalty for Northwich.

St Benedicts responded swiftly, opting for a lineout when they were awarded a penalty five minutes later.

After securing possession, a dynamic drive to the whitewash proved impossible for the Moss Farm men to stop.

A conversion followed, leaving Blacks 7-3 adrift at the interval.

When the home team repeated the trick on 50 minutes, although this time without adding extras, they had control of the contest.

Northwich toiled to move the ball wide in a battle of attrition, leaving both sets of forwards to slug it out.

A glimmer of hope arrived for Martin Poste’s men with time running out when Baldwin slotted a second three-pointer, only for St Benedicts to reply in kind.

They also become the first team this season to prevent Northwich from scoring a try.

Blacks will be desperate to bounce back at the first attempt when the club celebrates its 50th anniversary next Saturday.

Hoylake, back-markers in South Lancs/Cheshire Division One, are their guests.

Northwich Mike Bradshaw, James, Maddocks, Farley, Chris Bradshaw, Naylor, Heywood, Chris Dale, Poste, Underhill, Baldwin, Richard Dale, Outram, Houghton, Barber Replacements Smith, Vaughan, Harrison Pens Baldwin (2)

Additional reporting by Steve Wood