Rugby league: Exeter Centurions eye South West Cup final win

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Exeter Centurions players are looking to upset the odds again when they take on favourites Cornish Rebels in the South West Cup final on Saturday.

The Centurions know what it takes to pull off a shock in the final as they saw off unbeaten favourites North Devon Raiders in the final in 2012.

The city side, who travel to Launceston for the final (2.30pm), are confident they can repeat that success.

Centurions veteran Lee Kirkman said: “I keep hearing that we have been written off, but then I have heard that before.

“This club won the cup as even bigger outsiders in 2012, and that was the perfect performance, so there is no reason why we won’t do it again.

“We have worked hard in training, we have had some big results on the field, and if we fire on the day then we can be beat anybody.”

The Centurions took apart the Devon Sharks in a thrilling semi-final 50-18, and it could have been more if the visitors had not taken their foot off the gas.

Kirkman said of that display: “There were some big performances from everybody in the team that day.

“Sam Harris was outstanding and stopped everything that was thrown at him, Ben Cowley ripped through a usually-solid Sharks defence time and again, with Alex Stevens and Charlie Hinton supporting him solidly.

“Everybody from one to 17 earned the club the right to be in the final.

“Dan Mathers, Dean Meldon and Keiron Morris put in their usual hard shifts making the hard yards, and Leo Hood showed the glamour that is helping to rebuild the Centurions from also-rans into genuine contenders for silverware.”

The Rebels did beat the Centurions 50-20 in the league just a fortnight ago, and Kirkman said they know they have to improve significantly from that day if they are to win.

“It was a poor result in the league against Rebels. We tried to take them on at their game instead of concentrating on our own, and this was our downfall,” he said.

“If we play to our own strengths, do what we do in training, then they will have to worry about our game because we know it works.”

Article source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/436210/McCall-happy-to-escape-with-win

Rugby league: Exeter Centurions eye South West Cup final win