Mowden hope Rosslyn game will be fun for all the family

There was a gap of three divisions between the clubs 15 years ago, when the Londoners headed north in the fourth round of the Tetley's Bitter Cup and were beaten 23-11in front of a crowd of 1,500.

Led by the outstanding back row of the late Dave Mitchell, Tony Irwin and Darren McKinnon, with Phil Harvey and Kevan Oliphant at half back, Mowden roared into a 17-0 half-time lead and hung on to book a trip to Harlequins in the last 16.

Rosslyn Park had slipped from their former heights and while they might still aspire to regain them they will have to settle for another season in National One.

Although they lie second, six places above Mowden, they have no chance of overhauling Ealing for the one promotion place.

After winning their last home game against third-placed Coventry, this is another chance for Mowden to claim a big scalp on what they have designated a family fun day with the gates opening at noon.

They had no game last Saturday, but it was another bleak day for Darlington as they lost 75-13 away to Hartlepool Rovers after leading 13-3.

They fielded an experienced front row, including skipper Paul Shepherd and Dan Miller, otherwise many of those who started the season were missing and once the floodgates opened the young backs were unable to cope with Rovers' running game.

Jack Harrild, pressed into service at scrum half, kicked two penalties and converted a penalty try awarded when a driving maul was collapsed.

It took until the 22nd minute for Rovers to score their first try and it was a further eight minutes before they took the lead. After that it was one-way traffic.

Darlington are at home to Medicals tomorrow, while the Under 16s are away on tour as they prepare for their county cup final, reached through a 36-7 win away to Mowden Park.

Darlington can rest assured that they will not have to resist further pressure to switch to Yorkshire One as Middlesbrough are content to stay there, even though Durham and Northumberland One offers the easier route into North One East.

Boro moved up to third in their first season in Yorkshire One when they won 40-5 at Wath upon Dearne, but they are 28 points adrift of Malton and Norton.

Club spokesman Terry Fitzpatrick said: “Yorkshire One is seen as more of a challenge. It provides a level of rugby which allows our young players to develop and prepares them better for the future, when we hope to re-establish ourselves at a higher level.”

Winger Rhys Kilbride scored four tries at Wath, his first two owing much to the work of his former Northallerton colleague, lock Richie Lonsdale. He made a break to set up the opener after three minutes then put in a crunching tackle, from which the ball ran loose on Boro's 22. Kilbride seized it and set off on a diagonal run before straightening to race over.

In the second half Boro scored three tries in eight minutes through Kilbride, skipper Rob Bellerby and fly half Simon O'Farrell. Kilbride's fourth left a scoreline which was very unflattering to Wath considering their amount of possession.

Stockton won 35-20 at Ryton, where they did well to trail only 13-11 after playing uphill into the wind.

Jeremy Good kicked two first half penalties and skipper Steve Taylor drove over to capitalise on a 50-metre break by flanker Liam Healey, who later broke an arm.

Five minutes after the interval a series of drives was finished by lock Jonny Cheetham, Good converting from wide on the left before adding his third penalty.

He was also on target after prop Tom Nelson burrowed over and replacement back row man Sean Jones scored his first senior try.

Northallerton fielded only four of the team which won the previous week's National Junior Vase quarter-final and lost 71-0 at Stocksbridge. Iain MacLeod twice went close to scoring and there was some good tackling by John Logan and Peter Barraclough.

North will be at home to Thornensians tomorrow, when the seconds hope to resume after cancelling last week's fixture because so many players were needed by the firsts.