"Losing players for a variety of reasons is the nature of the game these days at county level and you just have to get on with it," says a Partington; "Overall, I was fairly pleased with the way we competed last week. The intensity and physicality was pretty steep, with a lot of big hits. It was a very demanding game. When you come up against players from Division One level, it takes players from Division Three and below – good players though they are and some on the way up - 15 minutes to adapt to the pace and intensity of the game.

"I was pleased with lots of the elements of how we played on Saturday. I wasn’t unhappy with any aspect of our performance, other than we didn’t win. All we can ask for is that players produce their club form, plus a bit, and I think we got that. Against Lancashire we need a bit more and to nail our chances, but we’ll get better.

"We will finalise the team on Thursday, but I’m not aware of any injuries from last weekend. While we have the Manchester lads away, we have players returning. Marcus Coast is back in the frame after being ruled out with family illness last weekend, Stockport’s Tom Eaton is back from a weekend break and Longton’s Tom Hughes had no after effects from a shoulder injury have come in at short notice for Coast last week.

"Eaton will be at fly-half and Esher’s Sam Cottrell will be his half-back partner with Gareth Wynne and James Bramhall in Spain. In the pack, Chris Jones from Birkenhead Park will take over from Henry Platt at hooker."

Lancashire have only one Spanish absentee in the shape of try-scorer Seb Moss and his absence creates an opening for Waterloo’s John Nugent.

Craig Aikman, Alex Loney and Matt Riley were all unavailable last weekend.

Coach Mark Nelson is expecting a serious test. He says: "New Brighton is not a happy hunting ground for us and they are always very close games, with Cheshire always up for it.

"Getting people focused was one of the big things against Warwickshire. Whenever scratch sides are involved, there will be mistakes and there will be opportunities that don’t occur in league games.

"The trick is to cut those out and be able to exploit them when they come your way. There’s a lot of randomness in county rugby because of the limited preparation time and the fact that players come from different clubs.

"We need to look at our set piece play and get more organisation into our defensive work."

One name on the Lancashire teamsheet that is bound to raise an eyebrow at New Brighton is that of Waterloo fly-half Alex Davies, who previously cut his teeth with Cheshire Under 20s.

Fly-half Richard Wainwright will be the only Yorkshire player strutting his stuff on The Ramblas this weekend, leaving coach Bob Hood with a decision to make on the No 10 shirt. A switch of Wharfedale’s Andy Baggett from centre is one option available, with Otley’s John Buchanan and Tom Rock from Leeds Carnegie now available to fill the centre slot.

Up front, back-row forward Richard Wigham (Hull Ionians), hooker Ben Steele, prop Simon Bunting (Rotherham) and flanker Dan Hyde (Otley) come into the frame after being unavailable last weekend.

"We made a good start last weekend, but we are looking to build with a tough game at Nuneaton and a Roses match that could decide the division," says Team Secretary Graham Siswick: "We need to get stronger."

Warwickshire hope to be able to include Coventry pair Myles Dorrian and Dai Maddocks in their squad for Nuneaton.

Fly-half Dorrian and Barbarians prop Maddocks were both forced to sit out the 35-25 defeat by Lancashire at Preston Grasshoppers last Saturday after they sustained minor injuries in Coventry's final National League One game of the season against Nottingham the previous week.

Both have made themselves available for county duty this season and will have fitness checks before Warwickshire finalise their side.

Injuries rob Cumbria of their half-back pairing of Paul Newton (ankle) and James Gough (knee) for their game against North Midlands at Stourbridge and they are awaiting SOS calls to fill the vacancies with specialist players.

A hefty reverse at home to Northumberland last weekend, coupled with North Midlands comfortable win over Durham, leaves Cumbria facing a difficult task if they are to avoid their final game against Durham at Darlington becoming a relegation decider, but Team Manager Kevin Johnson is staying positive.

"Last weekend was more like playing a club side with so many players from Tynedale involved. They were a very good side." he says: "They were very well drilled and a yard quicker at the breakdown, which made a big difference.

"You only have to look at the teamsheet to see the situation and on Saturday, what was evident on the teamsheet was evident in the game.

"We had opportunities and had we taken them we might have finished with two or three tries, but they defended very well and stole possession from us at crucial moments. Despite the scoreline, the lads gave a good performance."

Two home games in a season is something of a treat for Northumberland and after winning at Kendal last weekend, they will be confident against their derby rivals Durham at Alnwick.

Team selection is complicated by a hamstring injury to Morpeth hooker James Thornton, although with Matt Hall (Blaydon) recovered from an ankle injury and John Coffy (Gosforth) and Mathew Fieldhouse (Tynedale) also in contention, filling the vacancy will not be difficult.

Andy Fenby (Blaydon) may be back in the frame if he is not whisked away for England Sevens duty, while prop Johnny Williams (Tynedale) may come into the reckoning if he is not needed by Newcastle Falcons.

"Our all round pace told last week and the lads clearly enjoyed it," says Team Manager Willie Allen: "It’s nice to have two home games and we’re looking forward to the next two weekends."

Durham had a string of changes to cope with last weekend at North Midlands and they make seven changes to the starting line-up for the trip to Alnwick.

Wingman Gareth Foreman (Hartlepool Rovers) and centre Iain Dixon (Darlington Mowden Park) come into the threequarter line, while Andrew Foreman (Darlington Mowden Park) takes the scrum-half berth.

Up front, Andy Dixon (West Hartlepool) hooks, with Dan Osleton (Darlington) switching to prop, while Aaron Myers (Darlington Mowden Park) and Graham Smith (Westoe) join a re-shaped back-row.

Lancashire (v Cheshire at New Brighton, May 10, 3pm): Steve Nutt (Fylde); Nick Royle (Fylde), Richard Kenyon (Fylde), Jason Duffy (Waterloo), Oliver Brennand (Fylde); Alex Davies (Waterloo), James Doherty (Wharfedale); Nick Flynn (Manchester), Peter Ince (Waterloo), Petrus Du Plessis (Sedgley Park), Roger Banks (Fylde), Louis McGowan (Rotherham), John Nugent (Waterloo), Dan Palmer (Birkenhead Park), Juan Crous (Sedgley Park).

Replacements: James Jones (Waterloo), Alex Loney (Nottingham), Alex Davidson (Waterloo), D York (Waterloo), Craig Aikman (Fylde), Steven Briers (West Park St Helens), Matt Riley (Sedgley Park).

Durham (v Northumberland at Alnwick, May 10, 3pm): Simon Moore (Middlesbrough); Gareth Foreman (Hartlepool Rovers), Iain Dixon (Darlington Mowden Park), David Astle (Durham University & Leicestershire), Matthew Horrocks (Durham University & Tynedale); Matthew Gupta (Durham University & London Irish), Andrew Foreman (Darlington Mowden Park); Gareth Nesbit (Westoe) captain, Andy Dixon (West Hartlepool), Dan Oselton (Moseley), Paul Bird (Westoe), Richard Boyle (Durham University & Harrogate), Alex Waddingham (Durham University & Sale), Aaron Myers (Darlington Mowden Park), Graeme Smith (Westoe).

Replacements: David Tate (Gateshead), Lee Richardson (Darlington), Paul Shepherd (Billingham), John Nichols (Durham City), Keiron McKeown (Gateshead), Joe Thomas (Durham University), Phil Eggleshaw (Durham University & Nottingham)

The Bill Beaumont Cup and the County Championship Shield finals both take place at Twickenham on Sunday, June 1, alongside the England v Barbarians.

The County Championship Plate final is scheduled for Saturday, May 24, at the home ground of the winners of the second Plate semi-final.

Results & Fixtures

May 3: Bill Beaumont Cup, North: Cheshire 13 Yorkshire 20 at Macclesfield, Lancashire 35 Warwickshire 25 at Preston Grasshoppers. South: Devon 19 Somerset 13 at Barnstaple, Middlesex 18 Gloucestershire 22 at Staines. County Championship Shield: North: Cumbria 0 Northumberland 38 at Kendal, North Midlands 41 Durham 16 at Stourbridge). South: Cornwall 66 Oxfordshire 8 at Redruth, Eastern Counties 33 Hertfordshire 23 at West Norfolk. County Championship Plate: Pool 1: Staffordshire 24 Essex 21 at Lichfield), Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire 21 Leicestershire 22 at Newark). Pool 2: Hampshire 54 Buckinghamshire 0 at Basingstoke), Sussex w/o Dorset & Wilts. Pool 3: Kent 45 Berkshire 14 at Westcombe Park.

May 10: Bill Beaumont Cup: North: Cheshire v Lancashire (New Brighton), Warwickshire v Yorkshire (Nuneaton). South: Gloucestershire v Somerset (Lydney), Middlesex v Devon (Staines).

County Championship Shield: North: North Midlands v Cumbria (Stourbridge), Northumberland v Durham (Alnwick). South: Hertfordshire v Cornwall (Hertford), Oxfordshire v Eastern Counties (Chinnor).

County Championship Plate: Pool 1: Staffordshire v Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire (Stafford), Leicestershire v Essex (Syston). Pool 2: Buckinghamshire v Dorset & Wilts (Buckingham), Sussex v Hampshire (Horsham). Pool 3: East Midlands v Kent (Bedford Athletic).