Lancashire name squad for Yorkshire clash
Lancashire coach Mark Nelson
©Lancashire RFU
Lancashire have named their squad ahead of a clash with Yorkshire that will almost certainly decide who progresses through to represent the North Division at Twickenham next Saturday.
Although Cheshire can theoretically still progress, all eyes will be on Fylde this Saturday in the final pool game of the Bill Beaumont Cup.
And Lancashire will go into the match with the same front row that played against Cheshire and they have also made changes in the back line.
"This game is tee'd up as a semi-final, although Cheshire have a chance to go through," Lancashire coach Mark Nelson explained.
"We have to win, it's as simple as that. With the fixtures we were given, we always knew that we would have to win all our games."
"Against Cheshire and Durham we had two away games against defensively-minded teams, and had to travel to two tough grounds. The conditions were difficult at Blaydon in terms of the wind, but we have two very creditable wins, and have conceded only two tries."
Looking at the team selected to line-up on Saturday, Nelson admitted his front row selection was difficult.
"It was a tough call for Dan Birchall and Tom Lavelle to miss out, but we have our original front row (Black, Loney and Lewis) from the Cheshire game in there. Simon Griffiths has been passed fit for Saturday, so he is on the bench.
"We've mixed things round on the wings, so Anthony Bingham starts, and we've got lots of experience on the bench with the likes of Paul Arnold, who has 35 county appearances now.
"We're hoping to get a big crowd to the game, as it's a semi-final and a great opportunity to watch a Roses game on home soil, which only happens every two years."
Lancashire: 15 Warren Spragg (Fylde), 14 Anthony Bingham (Rossendale), 13 Chris Briers (Fylde), 12 Scott Rawlings (Fylde), 11 Jordan Dorrington (Fylde), 10 Chris Johnson (Fylde), 9 Ryan De La Harpe (Fylde); 1 Ben Black (Sedgley Park), 2 Alex Loney (Fylde), 3 Adam Lewis (Fylde), 4 Jonathan Nugent (Bergerac), 5 Gareth Rawlings (Fylde), 6 Evan Stewart (Fylde) (Captain), 7 Steve McGinnis (Loughborough Students), 8 Matt Lamprey (Sedgley Park)
Replacements - 16 Simon Griffiths (Fylde), 17 Pete Altham (Preston Grasshoppers), 18 Louis McGowan (Caldy), 19 Paul Arnold (Fylde), 20 Phil Mills (Preston Grasshoppers), 21 Steve Collins (Sedgley Park), 22 Niall Crosley (Hartpury College)
