Shropshire have called up Shrewsbury hooker Robert Sankey, Newport lock Simon Price and Ludlow full-back Will Sparrow for their crunch Iskitz Three Counties Championship match against Greater Birmingham at Telford Hornets’ Town Park ground on Wednesday March 14 (8pm).
The winners of the final group match in this season’s competition will meet defending champions Worcestershire & Herefordshire in the final at Ledbury on May 20.
Sankey, Price and Sparrow come into the side among six changes to the team beaten 22-18 by Worcestershire & Herefordshire in the opening match of the tournament five week ago.
Bridgnorth lock Sam Downing, Newport openside flanker George Gribble and Newport wing Tom Riley, who all came off the bench in the opener, will start this time with Newport full-back Scott MacKenzie dropping to the replacements’ bench to accommodate Sparrow.
The Iskitz Three Counties Championship is contested annually by the three Domestic Unions of the North Midlands and provides county representative rugby for players outside the National Leagues.
Iskitz, the Malvern-based international kit suppliers, are generously sponsoring the competition for a fourth season.
Shropshire
15 Will Sparrow (Ludlow); 14 Tom Riley (Newport), 13 Dave Hartshorne (Newport), 12 Brett Doughty (Shrewsbury), 11 Nathan Smart (Newport); 10 Peter Thomas (Newport), 9 Rhys Harrhy (Newport); 1 Connor Madden (Bridgnorth), 2 Robert Sankey (Shrewsbury), 3 Stu Edwards (Bridgnorth), 4 Sam Downing (Bridgnorth), 5 Simon Price (Newport), 6 Liam Deery (Shrewsbury), 7 George Gribble (Newport), 8 Joaquin Jiminez (Newport).
Replacements: Luke Kendall (Newport), Sam Woodhall (Bridgnorth), Gaz Ellis (Oswestry), Jim Alderson (Ludlow), John Keary (Newport), Jack Pennells (Newport), Scott MacKenzie (Newport).