IS playing at Twickenham worth leaving your best mates in Dublin to celebrate your stag weekend without you?

That's the question Devizes prop Dan Masters has been asking himself all week after he and his Somerset teammates defeated Dorset and Wilts on Saturday to qualify for the sem-finals of the county plate.

In the lowest tier of this season's RFU county championship, Somerset are only a semi-final victory over Notts, Lincs and Derby away from the county plate final at Twickenham.

They qualified for the last four as the best runner up out of the three plate pools, and if they win what should be a close contest on Saturday at Newark Rugby Club, they will be part of county finals day on May 29 at the home of English rugby.

"It's a case of two once-in-a-lifetime opportunities coming along on the same weekend," Masters said this week.

"I'm pretty sure I'll never have the opportunity to play for my county in a final at Twickenham again, but I'll never have another stag weekend either."

Masters played the entire second half of Saturday's hard fought victory over Dorset and Wilts at Bridgewater, and two late tries from hooker Ben Rudkin and Tom Thie not only sealed the win, but improved their points difference (+23) sufficiently to give them the edge over Eastern Counties (0) and Essex (-7).

The three sides have all recorded two wins and a loss in their pool matches, and before Saturday's South West derby, both Somerset or Dorset and Wilts stood a chance of going through, depending on the magnitude of victory.

Two first half penalties from Chippenham scrum-half Andy Williamson, playing at 10 forthe twin counties, gave the visitors a 6-5 lead at half-time, cancelling out an unconverted try from Somerset second row Andy Glenn.

But an influx of subs at the break eventually enabled the favourites to overhaul Dorset and Wilts, who also benefited from the input of Chippenham full back Dave Martin and teammate John Angel, Wootton Bassett prop Robin Smith and Devizes back rower James Gaiger.

Masters had a moment of glory over his Devizes teammate late in the game when he effected a turnover after Gaiger had been tackled away from his support players.

"Playing different positions we were not directly competing, and it was quite hard to get one up on him, but when the opportunity came, I was quite happy to look him in the eye, smile, and rip the ball off him," Masters said.

But the Dorset and Wilts bling side flanker recalled a different version of events.

"He did pinch the ball off me, and with the win he had the best of the day, but he should have been sin binned for hands in the ruck really," Gaiger said.

Masters did know his last 'lads' trip as a bachelor to Dublin before marrying Canadian fiancee Colleen Libich could be compromised by the Twickenham final, but pointed out he is really a winner either way.

"If we lose the semi then I can have a great weekend in Dublin, but if we win I will just have to take it easy over there, play at Twickenham, and I still get to marry my beautiful wife.

"If we do win the final you can be sure I'll be making up for some lost drinking time on the Sunday night though," he said.