DANNY GETS SUSSEX CALL

A Worthing 17-year-old scrum-half could find himself with Sussex at Twickenham before even having made the Worthing 1st XV bench. He is Danny Peach, whose age until recently prevented him even registering as an eligible Powergen League player.

Danny is No 2 behind Chichester's No 9, Simon Bradford, so could find himelf on the pitch in a Sussex jersey in front of his own club supporters this weekend.

Worthing RFC host Sussex's home games in the new-format championship which begins this Saturday against Hertfordshire (3pm).

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The Sussex manager is previous Worthing chief coach and head of rugby, Ian Davies, who joined Haywards Heath this season.

Davies explained: "I've known Danny since last season when I was at Worthing. I didn't have any qualms about throwing him in because he's a quality player with a big future ahead of him.

"I came across him at Worthing a couple of years ago and for a 17-year-old his confidence is fantastic. He's got a lot of pace, works hard at his his passing and all the other aspects of his game. He's a smashing kid and if he doesn't go a long way it won't be for the want of trying on his part."

Danny is the son of Martin Peach, who with his taller and leaner brother Alan, is a stalwart former club player. Ian Davies

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Sussex are in the second tier of the competition, called the County Shield which still has its own Twickenham final. All they have to do is win their South group to meet the North group winners at rugby HQ on May 29.

Sussex travel to Berkshire on May 14, then host Middlesex at Worthing RFC on May 21.

Davies says he is less optimistic about Sussex reaching Twickenham than before his Worthing contingent ran into injury trouble and the team itself found itself involved in a taxing extra league game '” the play-off they endured but lost on Saturday against Bridgwater & Albion.

Worthing men out of contention automatically therefore are Simon Alcott, Andy Phillips and Ben McGowan, all with shoulder injuries on Saturday. Davies would have picked No 8 Rowan O'Gorman but he has returned to Christchurch, New Zealand '” and taken Alcott with him to gain vital playing experience down there. Joni Nacagilevu has also returned home now.

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More Worthing players are out of the reckoning. Already injured (broken arm) is Sussex and Worthing captain Jodie Levett, but Davies has decided that the rigours of the past weeks also render Worthing acting captain Mike Imrie, their scrum-half, and lock Charlie McGowan as too jaded for serious playing involvement for Sussex this time.

Even so, Worthing have four of the five backs backs, a half-back and a front row in the starting line-up this Saturday: Duncan Taylor (Worthing); Terry Butler (Worthing), James Mackie (Haywards Heath), Jamie Stewart-McDonald, Ben Coulson; Ben Dudley (Worthing), Simon Bradford (Chichester); Ryan Storer (Worthing), Gordon Denslow (Haywards Heath, capt), Raynne Bruce (Newbury), Matt Templeman (East Grinstead), Rick Ure, Damien Lyall, David Wattam, Glenn Rankin (Haywards Heath).

Bench: Sean Bennett, Danny Peach, Louis Kirchell (Worthing), David Hemsley (Lewes), John Salisbury, Andrew Cook, Owen Ashton (Haywards Heath).

Davies is confidently naming Stewart-McDonald but, after needing 16 stitches to a cut forehead and eyebrow on Saturday evening, he must be doubtful for Saturday. He will be with Worthing next season, however: he is to begin a sports coaching science course at University College, Chichester.

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I asked Ian Davies about league rugby matters. He said he intends to stay at Haywards Heath, after taking up a coaching job this summer in Japan. But he pointed out that, now they are relegated, he, as an Angmering resident, will have to travel further for Heath's home game against Worthing than their away trip.

How well would the current Worthing side have done in National 3 this season? "They would have been able to play only two of their Kiwis (Duncan Taylor, Jamie Stewart-McDonald, Joni Nacagilevu, Rowan O'Gorman] but I think they'd have done quite well.

At Haywards Heath, it was tough. We had too many early injuries and our squad wasn't big enough to cope."

How difficult will it be for Worthing to get promotion next season?

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"Richmond will have more money and Dick Best will be their coach. But I can't see London Scottish letting Richmond go up without them, so they will probably be spending too. Ealing are promoted and they've got money, and Staines put 50 points on Portsmouth to twin their runners-up play-off, so they sound pretty good. It's going to be a tough job."