WITH Scotland getting through to the World Cup quarter-finals and Wharfedale playing nearer to how he wants them to perform, Thurso-born Greens coach Tom McGee was in a chipper mood this week.

"We have combinations now," said the 36-year-old ahead of Scotland's clash with Australia at Twickenham on Sunday.

And it seems that the same is true of Wharfedale after their 45-21 home win over Darlington Mowden Park last Saturday in National League One.

It was the Dalesmen's first win in three attempts at The Avenue this season, and only their second in six overall, lifting them two places to 11th in the table.

McGee said: "It was the defence and our performance in the first half that really pleased me as we led 24-0 at the interval but it was a game that we just had to find a way to win bearing in mind how the season had gone for us."

However, he is also mindful of how the Greens followed up their 41-14 victory at Blaydon with a 33-27 home loss to Cinderford.

"We were fantastic against Blaydon but we were very poor against Cinderford, and our defence will need to be good again on Saturday at Blackheath, who are the form team in the competition right now."

The Club have won five straight matches, three of which have been away from home, since their opening-day defeat at Blaydon, and are third in the table, a point behind Hartpury College and Ampthill.

McGee admits that his team are a work in progress and added: "They have had a lot to take on board from me, and Josh Burridge is still learning his trade, but the line-out worked well last Saturday, and (Yorkshire Carnegie loan signing) Richard Beck is helping us out on that front.

"Also we have one of the best back lines in the competition. Max Van Sertima plays the game with a smile on his face, which is nice to see, but we don't know what he is going to do, so the opposition have no chance!

"Also give Dan Tai three metres of space either side and he will run 80 metres."