WEST Hartlepool have kicked off a lively debate by being drawn away to Hartpury College in the quarter-finals of the EDF Energy Intermediate Cup on February 28.

Their Gloucestershire hosts had scarcely been heard of during West’s time as a Premiership club, but now the students are going for a Twickenham hat-trick.

Hartpury have a very strong link with Gloucester and it has been claimed that they made a mockery of last season’s EDF Senior Vase by beating Wheatley Hills 83-5 in the final.

The previous year they won the Junior Vase, and they reached the last eight of the Intermediate Cup by beating Dorking 51-17 last Saturday.

When Hartpury decided to enter league rugby they were obliged to start in Gloucestershire Three and have thrashed most opponents in working their way up to Western Counties North, in which they have won all 12 games this season, amassing a huge points difference.

One visitor to West’s website said: “They are not a rugby club, they are a professional team in all but name, littered with junior internationals.

They are the cuckoos in the nest.”

This prompted a reply from the college principal, Malcolm Wharton, who said: “None of our team is paid to play. We have eight Gloucester Academy students, but they don’t play in our Saturday team.”

One of those students is Teessider Charlie Simpson- Daniel, who scored both tries for Cinderford last Saturday as they beat Hull Ionians 10-3 in the EDF National Trophy.

Drawn away for the fourth successive round, West are hoping that the experience of players like Jamie Connolly, Iain Dixon, Paul Vinnicombe and Iain Dixon, who have all played at a higher level, will stand them in good stead.

Following their first promotion for ten years, they are sitting comfortably in sixth place in North One, which is two levels further up the league structure than Hartpury.

The other Intermediate Cup ties are: Portsmouth v Luton, Sandal v Clifton, Sheffield Tigers v Newport (Shropshire), while in the sixth round of the Senior Vase, Percy Park are away to Northampton Old Scouts and York visit Bradford Salem.

North Two East leaders Billingham tomorrow entertain Ilkley, who have only Durham City below them.

Paul Woodhouse starts at scrum half and Mike Evans comes in at centre, with player- coach Chris Hyndman dropping to the bench.

After a lengthy break from action in Durham and Northumberland One, Stockton host Wallsend tomorrow, keen to make amends for a 32- 3 away defeat in early October.

Stockton, who were seriously depleted at the time, have reduced their injury list to three –skipper Mark Skirving and the Armstrong brothers, Tom and Peter. But there is a doubt about prop Dan Youdale, who picked up a knee injury in last week’s comfortable win in a friendly against Acklam. Mark Conway stands by.

Ritchie Brown returns in place of promising winger Shaun McLaren, and fit again Phil Douglas replaces teenager Matt Doherty at blind side.