Last updated at 12:20, Monday, 16 April 2012

Cumbria have held their first squad session as they start preparation for the County Plate competition which has its final at Twickenham at the end of May.

Heine Jonker

The management team came up with a squad of over 30, boosted by several players who performed creditably in the midweek trial game at Workington’s Ellis Sports Ground.

Eleven of those who appeared in the game between the County President’s XV and the Zebras Select did enough to earn an initial call-up to the squad.

Head coach Malcolm Brown said: “Once again we have been able to pull together a very competitive squad of players.

“It is particularly pleasing to see some of our outstanding younger players forcing their way into the squad following a successful season with their clubs.”

Brown is working under team manager Mark Richardson, and alongside coaches Mike Scott and Dan Bowman, with a specific target of going all the way to Twickenham.

The opening game in the Plate is on Saturday, April 28 at Workington against Staffordshire followed by a trip to Mansfield on May 12 to take-on Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire.

Brown said: “Those are both winnable games and if we are successful we would have a home game at Aspatria in the semi-final. It’s 15 years since Cumbria played at Twickenham and this must represent a really great opportunity to go back there.”

The Cumbria squad is as follows – Backs: Jack Clegg, Andrew Miller, Heine Jonker (all Aspatria); Tom Gardner, David Hanabury, Gregg Smith (all Wigton); James Ellar, Phil Fell, Mike Hawley, Paul Newton (all Penrith); Mike Fearon (Workington); Paul Lancaster (Whitehaven), Kurt Maudling (St. Benedict’s), Matt Sayle (Hawcoat Park).

Forwards: Graeme Andrews (Aspatria); Andrew Bell, Andy Brown, Mark Deans, Matthew Atkinson, Robert Marrs, John Story (all Wigton); Rob Dawson, Gary Hodgson, Ryan Johnston, Ian McDowell, Mike Raine, James Thornton (all Penrith); Jamie Jardine, Scott Wood (St. Benedict’s); Chris Tweddle, Andrew Bowe, David Todhunter (Workington); Graham Marshall (Keswick); Cornie Els (Furness).

First published at 11:30, Monday, 16 April 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk