BLAYDON, the last team to win at Tynedale two years ago, will be looking to end the Corbridge club’s 33-game unbeaten home run in today’s National Two showdown (2pm).

The hosts will be without Tim Visser and Rob Miller, who are both in Newcastle Falcons’ starting line-up at Leicester, while Blaydon will have Joe Shaw at full back.

Of their other players on loan from the Falcons, Sean Tomes is still out with a shoulder injury, while Ross Batty is expected to be on the bench as Newcastle have preferred Rob Vickers among their replacements.

Andrew Baggett has been recalled at fly half in place of Richard Windle, and with Chris Clark at scrum half, Blaydon will be hoping that conditions allow them to play a fast, open game.

The Tynedale pitch was reported to have cut up badly in last week’s rain, and while they also prefer to use their pace, their lightweight pack have shown they can dog it out against bigger opponents.

Skipper Dave Guthrie will have impressive student Steven Trench alongside him in Blaydon’s second row, and Jason Smithson returns at No 8. Adam Dehaty will be on the bench as he has been working away and hasn’t featured in this week’s three training sessions.

Blaydon are waiting to hear from EDF National Trophy third-round hosts Nottingham whether they insist on playing on a Sunday.

That’s what the National One club have been doing since moving in with Notts County, but the sale of their Beeston ground appears to have hit the buffers because of the recession, pitching the club into financial trouble.

The fact that they are fully professional told in the end when Blaydon visited them in the cup two years ago and competed on equal terms until well into the second half.

Darlington Mowden Park will hand a debut to Catterickbased Fijian Luke Rokovada at No 8 for the visit of fourthplaced Macclesfield in National Three North.

He could have another newcomer, New Zealander Richie Byrne, alongside him as Richard Ellis faces a minor knee operation, Michael Ellery has gone down with flu and Kieron Dannatt is unavailable.

Byrne has been in England for two years and has played in the south, but has not seen much action this season. With George Carpenter unavailable, he is likely to play unless Chris Dodd is considered fit to return.

Andrew Tonkin will cover back row and hooker from the bench and skipper Danny Brown is also on the bench to allow Ralph Appleby a start, while in the backs centre Adam McKenzie returns after Scotland Under-20s duties.

Former Mowden No 8 Jon Dye, who has hardly played for three years because of injury, will be on the Westoe bench for North One’s top-ofthe- table battle at home to Hull.

Left-winger Mateo Malupo scored five tries when Westoe were thrashed 63-8 at Hull in September, but that was on a warm, sunny day and things will be very different at South Shields today.

Also seeking revenge are West Hartlepool, who hope to overturn their 22-20 defeat at Stockport as clubs move into the second half of their league programmes.

Most have a two-week break after today, but West stage their annual Boxing Day derby against Hartlepool Rovers on Friday, when flanker Aaron Myers could be involved after recovering from his broken arm.

Scrum half Dave Tighe will be out for two months after an ankle operation, so Darren Thomas takes over, while Jamie Connolly returns at centre, with Gareth Kerr switching to the wing for the injured Colin Cheslin.

Middlesbrough have named the same side as last week for the rearranged EDF Intermediate Cup third-round tie at Darlington.

Hooker Rob Goddard is available for Darlington, so Dave Tunstead reverts to prop with Bill Smith switching to lock as Steve Taylor drops to the bench.

■ Tynedale’s Matthew Fieldhouse, a product of Hexham’s Queen Elizabath High School, is to replace Paul Beattie as Community Rugby Coach for Sunderland.