Bees aiming for anniversary upset

Orgee hopes the Bees can cause another major upset

Birmingham & Solihull will try to turn giant-killers again on Saturday, five years to the week that they upset Wasps in the Powergen Cup quarter-final.

This time the Bees host a formidable Leeds Carnegie team in the last eight of the EDF Energy National Trophy.

Lock Ed Orgee is one of five survivors from the Cup run of 2004 when Newcastle ended their hopes in the semi-final.

"It's difficult to compare the games as Wasps were European champions when we played them," Orgee said.

"It was my birthday so it was an extra special present. For most of us who played beating Wasps will be the highlight of our playing careers and it is still something we talk about when we get together."

The majority of the players weren't around five years ago so what we achieved against Wasps won't have much relevance for them

Bees lock Ed Orgee

Alongside Orgee, the other veterans of the victory at Adams Park are his fellow lock Alex Davidson, fly-half Mark Woodrow, number eight Jim Jenner and prop forward Matt Long.

"This is a new era for the club," Orgee insists. "The majority of the players weren't around five years ago so what we achieved against Wasps won't have much relevance for them.

"Leeds have to come to us but they will be strong favourites in most people's opinion because they are unbeaten so far this season."

The giant Orgee, 32, is in his second spell at Sharman's Cross Road after spending a period playing professionally in France for La Rochelle.

He is convinced the Bees can compete with National One runaway leaders Leeds despite sitting a division below them in National Two.

"We believe we are playing National One rugby in National Two," he said, "so it's an opportunity for us to show that we can hold our own."

The Bees go into the quarter-final without the services of their player-coach Russell Earnshaw who is in Dubai assisting England's preparations for the Rugby World Cup Sevens next month.

They will want to erase memories of their last meeting with Leeds in a knockout competition when they lost 81-17 at Headingley in the sixth round of the Cup in 2004.