North Midlands Under-20s will make a delated start to their Jason Leonard National Championship campaign against East Midlands at Dudley Kingswinford on Sunday March 18 (2.15pm) knowing that victory will secure them a home tie in the quarter-finals.
Warwickshire’s decision to withdraw from the competition after they were beaten by East Midlands meant that North Midlands were given a walkover and five match points.
Those points were enough to secure North Midlands a place in the national quarter-finals before they had kicked a ball and left Sunday’s match to decide who will entertain the runners-up from the North group and who will have to travel to the North champions in the last eight next month.
Warwickshire’s withdrawal means that North Midlands will go into Sunday’s match without the benefit of playing a competitive match this season but they have played warm-up matches against Cheshire and Staffordshire.
The county selectors have cast their net far and wide and 16 different clubs are represented in the 26-strong squad that has been named to face East Midlands.
North Midlands Under-20s
Backs: Rob Bengry (Luctonians), Lewis Turner (Hereford), Will Debenham (Harper Adams University), Ollie Allsopp (Birmingham Moseley), Dan Pemberton (Whitchurch), Arthur Morgan (Kidderminster Carolians), Callum Jones (Luctonians), Sam Hollingsworth (Birmingham Moseley), John Byrne (Birmingham Moseley), Rhys Harrhy (Newport).
Forwards: Kai Owen (Coventry), Tim Daly (Stourbridge Lions), Bruce Robinson (Worcester University), David Kane (Cleobury Mortimer), Mark Matthias (Church Stretton), Ethan Priest (Bromsgrove), Charlie Hill (Newport), Harry Dawson (Moseley Oak), Tom Mortimer (Harper Adams University), Matt Lawrence (Hereford), Matt Addison (Harper Adams University), Sam Shepard (Moseley Oak), Matt Sprigg (Bromsgrove), Jacob Wrafter (Stourbridge), Jack Coffin (Moseley Oak), Charlie Wright (Bridgnorth).