Young guns in U-20 county side (From Craven Herald)

Dalesmen's five for Yorkshire

4:40pm Thursday 5th February 2009 in Sport By Bill Marshall

Wharfedale have strong representation in the Yorkshire squad for this season’s National Under-20 Championship.

Five of the Dalesmen have been named in the overall squad – Peter Altham, Tom Cokell, Tom Davidson, Chris Howick and Joel Gill.

And two of them – winger Davidson and prop Peter Altham – are in the party to face North-umberland at Tynedale on Sunday (2.15). Davidson starts, while Altham is on the bench.

Yorkshire’s long-standing national supremacy was dented again last season when they were beaten by Gloucestershire in the final at Twickenham – a disappointment which is sure to sharpen their determination for the campaign which starts this weekend.

The White Rose side swept unbeaten through the Northern section of the competition last season, but there is real optimism in the camp of their arch-rivals Lancashire this term, and the trip to face Northumberland is sure to test the team from the Broad Acres.

“We have six of last season’s squad still available and five from this season’s under- 19 team who have stepped up,” says team manager Keith Dyas.

“We were beaten in our annual game against Durham University at Pontefract, which is about par for the course, but we managed a win in very difficult conditions against a Rotherham XV.

“Tony Posa and Craig West are coaching the side again after getting the team to the final last season and we’re hoping to give a good account of ourselves again.”

Key game for Lancashire will be the visit to Wharfedale RFC on March 1 for the crucial Roses game against Yorkshire, but a win over Cumbria at Liverpool St Helens on Sunday is the immediate objective.

Cheshire, of course, are another side to have toppled Yorkshire in the final and they will be aiming to have a big say in the Northern group shake-up when they launch their campaign in Durham.

Lancashire completed their preparations with a 21-5 win over a Sale President’s XV at Heywood Road and there is no shortage of optimism in the Red-Rose camp.

“I believe the squad has more strength in depth than previously, even without players of the calibre of Carl Fearns and Jordan Davies (England and Sale Sharks) and Dean Williams (Sedgley Park),” says team manager Alan James.

“There are three survivors from last season – fly half Dominic Kohler (Sedgley Park), winger Sean Hall (Preston Grasshoppers) and Sale hooker Ryan Jackson.

Yorkshire Under-20s: James Keinhorst (Old Otlien-sians); Will Simpson (York), Jason Avison (Yarnbury), Tom Davidson (Wharfedale), Alex Orr (Sandal); George Drake (Loughborough Coll), Gareth Newman (Sandal); John Aikman (Pocklington), Tom Doughty (Dinnington), Ben Harris (Huddersfield), Daniel Chamberlain (Morley), Nick Carter (Harrogate), Joe Pickets (Leeds Carnegie), Will Marshall (Rotherham). Replacements: Jamie Broadley (Rotherham), Oliver Hardisty (unattached), Kieran Dannett (Darlington Mowden Park), Joe Maude (York), Peter Altham (Wharfedale), Tom Gilchrist (unattached), Gareth Deadman (Dinnington).