RELIEVED Wisbech Rugby Club coach Ben McCall said his players must develop a ruthless streak if they are to reach the Junior Vase Final at Twickenham.

McCall was forced to endure a nerve-jangling finish at Harecroft Road on Saturday, as what had looked to be a comfortable march into the quarter finals turned into a fourth round scare.

Wisbech raced into a commanding lead but ended up clinging on after gifting Billericay three tries in the final 20 minutes. Despite the lapse in concentration, the hosts’ 25-17 victory puts them within four wins of a final at the home of English rugby.

McCall said: “We scored in the first five minutes again and that is becoming a pattern to our game. We seem to get an early try and then go off the gas for 30 minutes. We need to be more ruthless in the early stages and kill sides off.

“Going into half time, the score line wasn’t enough. If we’d have had 30 or 40 points - which we should have done - it would have been a different game.

“It should have been a comfortable win. If we’re playing the game that we can and have played this season, then it would have been easy. That is frustrating.

“We let them back into the game and that is a bit of a worry. I thought when we were 25-0 up we were going to bury them. We just went off the boil.

“I think if they’d have come back from 25-0 down, people would have been after my blood in the bar!

“We are going to come up against stronger sides in this competition and we need to be better. Some of the Northern sides would have destroyed us in that situation.”

As well as their bid for Vase glory, Wisbech are locked in a league battle with Greene King Eastern Counties Division One leaders Cantabrigian. Wisbech, who sit three points behind Cantabs in second, host Woodbridge on Saturday.

McCall said: “The Vase is not the be all and end all but we want to go as far as we can. The important thing is winning the game, whether it’s in the cup or the league.

“A good side can win regardless of their performance. That’s what we’re doing at the minute. Regardless of what we’re doing on the park, we’re still coming away with the wins.

“Now we need to think about how we win.”

• Click on the related link to read a full match report from the game.