Good luck to the Lancashire Senior County squad in their very tough Bill Beaumont County Championship challenge they face against Yorkshire at West Park RUFC in Leeds (ko 15.00). The winners will vie for a place in the Final at Twickenham to be determined by the other result in the Northern Division.
Lancs have made a number of changes in the 22 that beat Leicestershire convincingly last Saturday at Firwood Waterloo. Sedgley Park players were involved in a league game last week and the Lancs selectors have brought in 7 of their squad for this match.
Of the Fylde contingent in the extended squad, Scott Rawlings and Sam Kyle-Clay who played last week miss out. Perhaps the most imaginative and surprising selection is at fullback where Sam Carleton makes his starting debut for the County – ahead of his senior debut for Fylde – such is his promise and potential. His older brother Tom is unavailable for selection due to work commitments.
They face a very strong Yorkshire squad which features a handful of players from National One clubs and a large group from highly performing Hull RUFC and Hull Ionians.
15 Sam Carleton (Fylde); 14 Henry Hadfield (Fylde), 13 Ollie Glasse (Sedgley P), 12 Matt Riley (Sedgley P), 11 Rhys Henderson (Sedgley P); 10 Chris Johnson (Sale FC), 9 Matt Sturgess (Fylde); 1 Simon Griffiths (Sale FC), 2 Ben Gregory (Fylde), 3 Peter Altham (Preston G), 4 Bob Birtwell (Sedgley P), Olli Parkinson (Fylde), 6 Harlan Corrie (Fylde), 7 Toby Harrison (Preston G), 8 Mark Goodman (Sedgley P).
16 John Blanchard (Sedgley P), 17 Matt Gallagher (Sedgley P), 18 Matt Garrod (Fylde), 19 Matt Lamprey (Preston G), 20 Greg Smith (Fylde), 21 Sam Stott (Preston G), 22 Jordan Dorrington (Preston G).
Yorkshire squad:
15 Andrew Lawson (Leeds Tykes); 14 Keane Naylor (Hull RUFC), 13 Lewis Minikin (Hull Ionians), 12 Steve Johnson (Hull RUFC), 11 Rian Hamilton (Wharfedale); 10 Callum Irvine (DMP), 9 Will Hardwick (Leeds Tykes); 1 Loma Kivalu (Hull RUFC), 2 Ben Stephenson (Hull Ionians), 3 Ben Bell (Hull Ionians), 4 Joe Makin (Hull Ionians) (c), 5 Sam Brady (Harrogate), 6 George Mewburn (Hull Ionians), 7 Will Smith (Leeds Tykes), 8 Dec Thompson (Harrogate).
16 Dave Laverick (Hull Ionians), 17 Steve Maycock (Harrogate), 18 Ben Boothman (Hull RUFC), 19 Lewis Bradley (Huddersfield), 20 Phil Wickham (Otley), 21 Tom Davidson (Wharfedale), 22 Reece Dean (Hull RUFC).
