WISBECH’S second string were dumped out of the Senior Vase on Saturday as the rugby club sacrificed dreams of cup glory in a final desperate bid to beat the drop.

A weakened team were thumped 73-0 by a brutal Lowestoft & Yarmouth side - ending any faint hopes of an appearance in the final at Twickenham.

But Wisbech rested a host of key players, choosing to preserve them for the two league games which will decide their fate in the London North-East Division Three.

Coach Ben McCall said: “It was a hard decision but it was a necessary sacrifice. The league is far more important to us.

“We can’t afford to go down and it will not be from lack of effort if we do. The players have given 110 per cent and they would rather stay in the league than go through two or three rounds of the cup.

“We couldn’t afford to lose players to injury at this stage. I spoke with the chairman (Jeremy Pallant) and the captain (Tom Long) and we came to the decision that it wasn’t worth the risk.

“When we put it to the side everyone could see the logic. It was a testament to the second string that it was only 73-0.”

Wisbech welcome Norwich to Harecroft Road tomorrow before returning to high-flying Lowestoft & Yarmouth on the last day of the season. They are currently two points from safety after struggling rivals Campion won their crucial rearranged fixture.

McCall said the side had started training three times a week in a final push to defy the 13-point deduction which they were handed for fielding an ineligible player during their win over Newmarket in November.

“I would say that tomorrow is the best starting 15 we will put out on the pitch since I’ve been here,” said McCall, whose team will be boosted by the return of key players Will Pettit and Chris Newns.

“As a former Norwich player, I’m looking forward to it. But I’m also looking forward to beating them. We are going to go out there and try to run them ragged.”