Rugby Union: Bedford seal their title

A BAD week for Frank Warren ended on a positive note yesterday when Bedford secured the Allied Dunbar Premiership Two title with a 29- 16 victory at Orrell. After losing a court battle to rival boxing promoter Don King and seeing the club's 100 per cent league record tarnished by the deduction of two points for fielding an ineligible player against Fylde in January, Bedford's owner has some cause for satisfaction even though there are doubts as to whether they will be playing at Goldington Road next season.

London Scottish stay a distant second after a 24-18 home success against Moseley and third-placed West Hartlepool kept up the pressure by out-duelling Coventry 42-31, despite a hat-trick of tries from the visiting flanker Julian Horrobin. Ambitious Rotherham slipped up 15-14 at Wakefield and Fylde slumped 22-12 at Waterloo - their 17th defeat in 18 outings. Blackheath won the battle of the clubs immediately above Wakefield and Fylde by beating Exeter 26-15 at Rectory Field. Fourth-placed Rugby kept alive their promotion hopes with a 54-20 win at Reading in Jewson League One while Rosslyn Park shaded visitors Newbury 22-21. In League Two South, another once-proud club, Met Police, came a cropper when they went down 93-8 at Henley.

The Tetley's Bitter County Championship final at Twickenham on Saturday 18 April will be contested by sides who have each won the trophy twice - Cornwall, 21-9 conquerors of Gloucestershire at Redruth, and Cheshire, who sprang a 33-21 surprise over Yorkshire at Otley.

Watsonians narrowly retained their lead in the Tennents Premiership with a 45-20 play-off success at Hawick. They are clear of West of Scotland, who saw off visitors Currie 37-18, on points difference but have played one fewer match. Shannon, chasing a fourth successive Irish league title, held on to their one-point lead with a 37-6 home victory over Blackrock College. Young Munster, 21-13 winners at Dungannon, are second but have no more games to play while third-placed Garryowen lost 30-27 at Lansdowne and have only an outside chance of overhauling the leaders.

In the Super 12, a try by the Springbok wing James Small five minutes into injury-time secured Western Province a thrilling 35-33 home win over New South Wales. Otago ran in eight tries as they thrashed Gauteng 57- 27 in Invercargill and Northern Transvaal beat ACT 24-7 in Brakpan.