Newcastle keep tabs on Fenby
BLAYDON winger Andrew
Fenby has trained with the Newcastle
Falcons first team squad
this week, having scored nine
tries in his last two outings for
the Development XV.
He will be on duty for Blaydon
in their National Two match at
Wharfedale tomorrow, but the
Falcons' caretaker boss Steve
Bates hopes to make more use of
him before the season ends.
"Andrew is a very exciting
player with an excellent try-scoring
record, and very much someone
that I would like to have
more of a look at," said Bates.
"I need to check the registration
situation as he is obviously
a Blaydon player, but he looks a
quick, powerful lad and he has
been training more and more
with us this month.
"We will have a look at him
playing sevens for us over the
next couple of months, and we
will continue to work with him
from there."
Bates has insisted a strong Falcons
side will take the field at
Kingston Park for Sunday's
Guinness Premiership game
against London Irish.
The Falcons go in to the game
on the back of their European
Challenge Cup quarter-final success
over French side Castres,
but Bates is resisting the urge to
ring the changes.
"We thought we might give a
run to some of the guys who
have been pushing in the
Development XV, but with
one or two exceptions we
have decided to stick with
a lot of the combinations
from the Castres game," he
said.
"Next weekend at
Sale Sharks might
see a slightly different
emphasis
given that we
have a Sunday
to Friday turnaround
before
the European
semi-final."
Looking back
on the performance
which clinched his
side's European
semi-final trip to Worcester Warriors,
Bates said: "The basics
went pretty well, although there
were a couple of areas identified
for some work this week."
England centre Jamie Noon is
doubtful after leaving the field
half an hour into Saturday's
game. He had aggravated the
shin injury he suffered at Leeds
two weeks earlier.
"The impressive form Tom Dillon
showed in coming on from
the bench at least means that we
have good quality cover," said
Bates. "Tom has played well all
season in the Guinness A League,
did an excellent job down at
Gloucester earlier in the season
and showed some very good
touches against Castres.
"I am very keen to keep Mat
Tait at full back, as that is
where I see him playing longterm."
■ Jamie Noon will swap his
rugby kit for a mountain
bike in July, as he cycles
coast-to-coast for the
British Heart Foundation.
The Falcons star
will ride the 240
miles from St
Bees in Cumbria
to Robin Hood's
Bay over four
days starting
from July 7.
"Myself and a
few mates will be taking on what
is a tough course, but it's all for a
great cause. The fact that we will
be finishing near my home town
of Whitby makes it even more
special," said Noon.
To sponsor Jamie and his fellow
riders log on to www.justgiving.
com/jamienoon and follow
the instructions.
■ For the first time in several
seasons, Stockton enter their
final few matches free of relegation
worries when they entertain
fellow mid-tablers Alnwick tomorrow.
Stockton stick largely to the
squad who have rattled up 200
points in their last four matches
but experienced prop Simon
Brown returns after missing the
Durham Junior Cup games
against Yarm and Winlaton.
■ The Rugby Football Foundation
(RFF) made £239,548 worth
of grants and interest-free loans
to 18 clubs following their March
panel meeting.
Chief beneficiaries in the
North-East were Morpeth, who
received a £44,000 loan and £6,000
for their changing room development.
Hartlepool Rovers were
handed a £43,000 loan and £6,000
grant for health and safety improvements
to their changing
room building. Gateshead were
given a £6,000 grant for full pitch
training lights
For further information, application
forms and contacts for advice
on capital projects go to
www.rfu.com/microsites/rff.
9:17am Friday 11th April 2008
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