April 29, 2008

Lancashire are always especially determined to do well now that the premier section of the Rugby Union County Championship carries the name of one of their most-respected sons and after being beaten in last season’s final by Devon, they are keener than ever to bring the Bill Beaumont Cup back to Red Rose territory.

They go into their opening game against Warwickshire at Preston Grasshoppers on Saturday (May 3, 3pm) with changes to their management team and eight new faces in their lineup, four starting the game.

Dave Hodgson takes over from Maurice Parker as Chairman of Selectors and Steve Rigby is the new Team Manager.

One thing the side should not be short of is fire power with the arrival from Durham of Fylde wing Oliver Brennand. He has finished top try-scorer in National Clubs Association statistics with 22, two ahead of his team-mate Nick Royle.

Says Fylde Director of Rugby and Lancashire coach Mark Nelson: "Both are natural finishers, coming from innate ability rather than specific coaching. It's their opportunism that makes them so dangerous as they're unpredictable and difficult for opponents to defend against. They both have amazing strike records - Brennand 42 tries in 47 games, Royle 71 in 68 games."

Another new recruit – and a colleague of Royle and Craig Aikman in the England Counties XV in France earlier in the season – is Wharfedale scrum-half James Doherty. He captained Yorkshire Under 20s while studying at Leeds University, but started his rugby at Fleetwood and played for Lancashire Schools from Under 13 to Under 18.

"Playing senior county rugby gives James a chance to increase his visibility and playing for his home county gives him that chance," says Rigby. "Now we have both Oliver (Brennand) and Nick (Royle), we have two wingmen who are in great form at the moment and that gives us the confidence to feel that we will be an attacking force."

Lancashire also have a new captain in 22-year-old Waterloo centre Jason Duffy, who began his representative career with the County as skipper of the Lancashire Under 13s against Oxfordshire at Chipping Norton.

County rugby has dark memories for Duffy – he broke his ankle playing against Yorkshire – but the summer tour to Canada with Lancashire was a much happier experience.

"The ten days spent with Lancashire's senior squad last June were the best days of my life" he recalls, clearly hopeful that the bonding experience enjoyed in then will stand his team in good stead in the championship.

One of the eight debutants in their squad for Saturday is No 8 Seb Moss from Manchester, son of former Lancashire stalwart Phil Moss, who served Orrell with such distinction.

A bonus for early arrivals at Preston will be the postponed final of the Blacksticks Blue Under 16s Junior Challenge Cup between Ormskirk and Preston Grasshoppers, which kicks off at 1pm.

Yorkshire, who open their campaign with a game against Cheshire at Macclesfield (3pm), have seen their challenge in the competition over the past three seasons extinguished by the ‘old enemy’ in what have proved to be ‘winner take all’ Roses clashes.

Once again, the White Rose men look to National Division Two sides Otley and Wharfedale for a substantial part of their 28-man squad, which given the success of the Cross Green side in winning promotion back to National One should enable them to make a decent fist of their bid to improve.

As ever, the build-up to selection involves establishing exactly who is fit and the final line-up will not be named until after training at Morley on Thursday. One setback is a back injury to England Counties XV and Otley lock Richard Snowball.

It is also the time of year when the Yorkshire Cup invariably makes an impact and the final between Wharfedale and Doncaster tomorrow night will be watched with keen interest.

One interesting name in the squad is that of Otley scrum-half Dave McCormack, another former England Counties player, but previously a solid performer in the Lancashire cause during his time at Sedgley Park.

"On past experience, we want to check on exactly who is fit and available before naming a team," says Manager Graham Siswick. "Basically, we have the majority of our players from National Two with a sprinkling from National Three.

Like Yorkshire, Cheshire are looking to benefit from the extended momentum of the club success enjoyed by their two major contributors, Manchester and Caldy.

"Things are fine and I’m fairly optimistic," says Team Manager Dave Partington: "We’ve had a few injury problems recently – centre Tom Hughes from Longton was our ‘find’ last year and he’s out with a shoulder injury – but we have a strong contingent from the successful Manchester club and we’re going to try and ride that wave. I’m looking forward to seeing if we can capture that. James Bramhall at scrum-half and Andre Wilson at centre have really done things for them this season and they’re coming into a back line that’s at least as good and offers different things, so I’m optimistic.

"One advantage is that we’ll be playing Yorkshire first up at home in a week when they will have players involved in their Cup final. That can’t help the selectors, so I’m just glad to be playing them when we are.

"The fact is that all these sides are thrown together from bigger squads than any of us would prefer because of the timing because there is no time to prepare. And there are always outside influences – we have a stag weekend to contend with this week and an end-of-season excursion to Barcelona for some of the Manchester lads when we play Lancashire."

Durham have developed close links with Durham University in recent seasons and that tie-up is evident again in the lineup for their opening County Championship Shield game against North Midlands at Stourbridge.

Centre David Astle, a former Leicestershire Under 18 player, teams up with fly-half Matthew Gupta, a London Irish member, on his debut, while the two student debutants in the pack both have strong rugby pedigrees.

Lock Richard Boyle is the son of former England player Steve, while in the back-row, Lewis Calder, a Scotland Under 20 player, is the son of Jim and the nephew of Finlay.

Replacements Alex Waddingham, Ollie Reeve, Joe Thomas and Matthew Horrocks complete the list of student debutants and take the tally to eight.

The squad also includes a trio of brothers - Dan and Joe Osleton, who team up in the front row, full-back Paul Shepherd and replacement Craig and Iain and Andrew Dixon.

Westoe’s Gareth Nesbit leads the side, which has 10 players wearing the maroon jersey for the first time.

Having won the County Championship Plate last season to gain promotion to the Shield, Durham are relishing the challenge, especially since it rekindles friendships and rivalries with old friends Cumbria and Northumberland.

Cumbria trained last night at Penrith and have another session at Kendal tomorrow in preparation for the visit of Northumberland to Mint Bridge on Saturday.

They had a squad of 30 players from which they will select, with Team Manager Kevin Johnston once again dealing with the frustrations that all officials in his position share at this time of year.

"We’ve plenty of forwards, but we’re a bit short of backs because of injuries and unavailability," he says: "At the start of the preparations we were hoping for a strong representation from Kendal, Penrith, Aspatria and Carlisle, but things have changed for one reason or another. That said, we’ve lads coming from Hull, Morley and West Park St Helens and of all goes according to plan we should be OK.

"If, as expected, Northumberland draw heavily from Tynedale and Blaydon, then our lads face a big step up in the calibre of player they are accustomed to facing. But if they have any ambitions to play at a higher level, games like this give them the chance to test themselves and see at first hand the levels they have to reach.

"We have three or four lads who played for the Under 20s last season and I think that will be the way forward in future. These youngsters are keen to play for their county and I can see more of the younger end coming through in the future."

Not for the first time, Cumbrian Tom Borthwick faces his native county with Northumberland looking for an away win.

The Tynedale coach has the benefit of having 10 players from his promoted club side in the County side and with Blaydon, Morpeth and Darlington Mowden Park also contributing, Borthwick should be dealing from a strong hand.

Nor is enthusiasm for the county side restricted to ‘local’ talent. Launceston’s Hamish Smales has made himself available, as has London Scottish lock Graeme Smith, who comes into the squad with the unavailability of Tim Swinson, who is needed by Newcastle Falcons.

"We have a few injuries and unavailabilities through sevens commitments, but the biggest concern is the loss of kitman Albert Stevenson, who has broken his hip," says Team Manager Willie Allen: "I’m under strict instructions as to what the job entails."

Lancashire (v Warwickshire at Preston Grasshoppers, Saturday, May 3, 3pm): M Riley (Sedgley Park); N Royle (Fylde), C Briers (Sedgley Park), J Duffy (Waterloo), O Brennand (Fylde); S Nutt (Fylde), J Doherty (Wharfedale); N Flynn (Manchester), P Ince (Waterloo), P Du Plessis (Sedgley Park), L McGowan (Rotherham), R Banks (Fylde), J Crous (Sedgley Park), D Palmer (Birkenhead Park), S Moss (Manchester).

Replacements: J Jones (Waterloo), J Nugent (Waterloo), C Tyms (Fylde), D York (Waterloo), R Kenyon (Fylde), A Davies (Waterloo), D Wilson (Preston Grasshoppers).

Durham (v North Midlands at Stourbridge, Saturday, May 3, 3pm): Simon Moore (Middlesbrough & Leicestershire); Paul Shepherd (Billingham), David Astle (Durham University), David Tate (Gateshead), Iain Dixon (Darlington Mowden Park); Matthew Gupta (Durham University & London Irish), Gareth Foreman (Hartlepool Rovers); Gareth Nesbit (Westoe) captain, Dan Oselton (Moseley), Joe Oselton (Darlington), Paul Bird (Westoe), Richard Boyle (Durham University & Harrogate), Lewis Calder (Durham University), Arron Myers (Darlington Mowden Park), Michael Taylor (Hartlepool Rovers).

Replacements: Andrew Dixon (West Hartlepool), Raimee Elliot (Westoe), Joe Thomas (Durham University), Alex Waddingham (Durham University), Ollie Reeve (Durham University), Matthew Horrocks (Durham University & Tynedale), Craig Shepherd (Billingham). Travelling Reserve – Ian Cox (Horden).

Cheshire (v Yorkshire at Macclesfield, Saturday, May 3, 3pm): from - Ben Coulbeck, Andre Wilson, Gareth Wynne, James Bramhall, Henry Platt, Matt Owen, Paul Ralph, Jonathan Keep, Matt O’Regan (Manchester), Craig Ross, Marcus Coast, Gavin Woods, Matt Holt, Neil Dowridge, Derek Salisbury, Richard Bradshaw, Sam Dickenson, Ian Murray (Caldy), Tom Eaton (Stockport), Sam Cottrell (Esher), Ben Latham, Jeremy Bostock (Macclesfield), Christian Jones, Jon Sewell (Birkenhead Pk), Nick Pearson (Sheffield Tigers), Matt Simpson (Leeds Met Carnegie)

Northumberland (v Cumbria at Kendal, Saturday, May 3, 3pm): from: G Smith (London Scottish), D Whitehead, D Guthrie, J Smithson, P Winter (all Blaydon), C Raynor, R Batty (Darlington Mowden Park), A Rogers, P Cole, J Thornton (all Morpeth), F Shaw (Northern), H Smales (Lauceston), P Mooney (Otley), B Duncan, J Smales, G Beesley, R Beesley, M Young, R Sanson, J Williams, P Southern, R Harden, A Murray, G Rastell, M Fieldhouse (all Tynedale).