Newton Abbot . . . 17 pts Caldy . . . 25 pts

ALL-CONQUERING Caldy are just one step away from a Twickenham final.

They overcame the effects of a nine-and-half-hour journey to Devon, having been snarled up in the Midlands snow, to march into the EDF Intermediate Cup semi-finals at mud-clogging Newton Abbot on Saturday.

Newton Abbot can take great credit for their performance on and off the field - the Devon club were fine hosts and their team produced a gritty performance to come back from 0-25.

Non-stop rain meant that the hosts' first and second team pitches were unplayable and the game took place on a Somme-style' Colts pitch which made up for its lack of size with a prodigious slope.

With the rain still falling, the game finished with scenes that were akin to Fran Cotton's famous '77 British Lions photo in New Zealand.

The other quarter final results saw Broughton Park pull off a fine 31-17 win over higher league opposition Kendal and South Leicester lost 7-43 at home to the much-fancied Cornish side Mounts Bay. The Dunstablians v Haywards Heath game fell victim to the weather.

The travelling Caldy faithful had plenty to cheer about within five minutes as the Caldy forwards set up the platform from the line-out for Marcus Coast to score. Simon Mason converted (0-7).

Just after the half hour, Mason kicked a penalty (0-10).

Three minutes into the second-half, Gareth Bansor touched, Mason completing the conversion from the touch line (0-17). Mason added another penalty kick.

Once again the forwards produced some excellent set-up play and Mason produced a superb cross-field kick. This rehearsed move saw the ball drop into the hands of Matt Holt on the charge and he bulldozed over the line to score (0-25).

Caldy at this stage were able to make changes and bring on their replacements, including Karl Porschke at scrum-half, Jack Parker and Matt Green as prop replacements and 18-year-old Caldy Academy player Matt Lamming for his 1st XV debut.

A good try from Avery allowed the home side to reduce the arrears and the conversion made it 7-25. Some cohesion and concentration seemed to go from the Caldy side, whose defence had been excellent all afternoon and Avery bagged another try for 12-25.

In the final minutes of normal time, the home side produced a push over try from a five metre scrum for 17-25, but the damage had been done earlier in the game and Caldy never really looked like letting this one slip.

It is back to North One League business on Saturday, when title-chasing Caldy face a lengthy trip to South Shields to take on North East club Westoe.

In September, Caldy handed third-placed Westoe a 47-0 drubbing.