Rivals eye Mowden players as shake-up leads to break-up

10:25am Tuesday 27th May 2008

THE Darlington Mowden Park team which so narrowly failed to gain promotion to National Two is in danger of breaking up.

Skipper Jamie Connolly and Iain Dixon have already signed for West Hartlepool, along with backs coach Kevan Oliphant.

More are expected to follow unless West decide that a big influx will upset too many of the players who earned their promotion to North One.

Blaydon also have their eyes on a number of Mowden players, including prop Robbie Kalbraier and back row men Scott Riddell and Aaron Myers, who is believed to be reconsidering his decision to join the Marines.

Although the financial position has improved, Mowden appear to be feeling the backlash of a management shake-up.

After losing the promotion play-off by one point at Cinderford the rumblings behind the scenes contributed to Director of Rugby Andy Howells quitting.

Club secretary Kevin Robinson was appointed head coach and Oliphant was offered a position which he declined, prompting his exit from a club he had served for ten years as player and coach.

It was when Oliphant and the late Dave Mitchell were recruited from West by former chairman John Parkinson that Mowden began their rapid rise up the leagues.

But Parkinson was ousted in the middle of last season, when the players took a pay cut because of financial problems.

They resolved to stick together and turned the season around after being closer to relegation than promotion in December.

Goal-kicking fly half Jon Benson, another former West man, is expected to stay as he is on a twoyear contract and he could be influential in the recruitment of new players.

Oliphant will help Tim Sawyer at West with the coaching, while 34-year-old Connolly could also have a coaching input.

Dixon joins his elder brother Andrew at the club where he began in the minis before playing for TDSOB then Blaydon prior to joining Mowden.

New Zealander Connolly will be having his third spell at West, having first joined in 1996. Inbetween he has had stints at Worcester, Italian club L'Aquilla and Redcar.

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