Expect no favours, warns Borthwick

May 9 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

NORTHUMBERLAND coach Tom Borthwick has warned his team not to expect any favours from neighbours Durham as they close in on a dream Twickenham final in the County Championship tournament.

Northumberland made the perfect start to the competition by notching a 38-0 win on the opening day against Cumbria, while Durham lost 41-16 to pre-tournament favourites North Midlands.

Another victory for Borthwick’s charges at Alnwick tomorrow (3pm kick-off) would set up a final weekend eliminator against the North Midlands – with a place at Twickenham and promotion to the Bill Beaumount trophy next season the prize for the victors.

Although they made an impressive start to the competition against Cumbria Borthwick thinks the number of club team-mates playing each other in this weekend’s clash means it will be nothing like as straightforward for them this weekend.

“There is always an extra incentive when you’re playing against players that you are playing alongside for your clubs, and with it being a local derby there will be a bit of an edge to the game,” he said.

“We’re not reading too much into what happened last weekend. We did well but North Midlands are a good side and I’m sure Durham will be keen to get their tournament back on track too.

“It’s like any derby game in club rugby – the first 20 minutes will be absolutely crucial so I’ll be hammering home the message that we have to start well against Durham, which I’m sure the players will take to heart too.”

Although a prestigious competition to be involved in it also presents challenges for the coaches chosen to lead their counties because they only get a few training sessions to work on tactics with players who are thrown together at the end of an often long and arduous season.

Winger Hamish Smales made a big impact on his return to the region, scoring three tries for Northumberland rack up a big score against Cumbria.

Borthwick said: “We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the campaign to be honest. Hamish and Jack are both very quick and they had a big impact but I’m sure they’d be the first to admit that there was plenty of hard work done by others.”

NORTHUMBERLAND (v Durham, home): J Smales (Tynedale), H Smales (Launceston), C Raynor (Darlington Mowden Park), B Duncan (Tynedale), A Fenby (Blaydon), G Beasley (Tynedale), R Samson (Tynedale), J Williams (Tynedale), M Fieldhouse (Tynedale), R Harden (Tynedale), D Guthrie (Blaydon), G Smith (London Scottish), A Murray (Tynedale), G Rastall (Tynedale), J, Smithson (Blaydon) Reps: P Cole (Morpeth), F Shaw (Northern), P Winter (Blaydon), M Hall (Blaydon), P Southern (Tynedale), D Whitehead (Blaydon), G Beasley (Tynedale)

DURHAM: S Moore (Middlesbrough & Leicestershire), G Foreman (Hartlepool Rovers), I Dixon (Darlington Mowden Park), D Astle (Durham University & Leicestershire), M Horrocks (Durham University & Tynedale), M Gupta (Durham University & London Irish), Andrew Foreman (Darlington Mowden Park), G Nesbit (Westoe), A Dixon (West Hartlepool), J Oselton (Darlington), P Bird (Westoe), R Boyle (Durham University & Harrogate), A Waddingham (Durham University & Sale Sharks), Aaron Myers (Darlington Mowden Park), G Smith (Westoe) Reps: K McKeown (Gateshead), J Nichols (Durham City), P Eggleshaw (Durham University & Nottingham), J Thomas (Durham University & Harlequins Wanderers), D Tate (Gateshead), P Shepherd (Billingham), L Richardson (Darlington)