TWICKENHAM FINAL FOR WORTHING BOYS?

PLENTY OF the Worthing Rugby team so crestfallen after missing promotion could find their season ending in a day of a lifetime playing at Twickenham. Seven are in the Sussex team who have the chance to reach the County Shield Final on May 29 if they can beat Middlesex on Saturday.

The scene on Saturday will be Worthing Rugby Club's own Roundstone Lane and the host-club players will include 17-year-old scrum-half Danny Peach, who has yet even to play for his club's 1st XV, yet made his full Sussex starting debut on Saturday. The others are four of the five first-choice backs '” Ben Dudley, Ben Coulson, Duncan Taylor and Terry Butler '” plus Ryan Storer at prop, and Sean Bennett as front-two benchman.

Support for Sussex's opening home match, also at Worthing, was unexpectedly poor, a week after the promotion play-off at Roundstone Lane but Sussex team coach Ian Davies thought the second of two big games in a fortnight may have suffered.

But he said: "Hopefully the crowd will come because some vocal support will help the guys become the first Sussex county side to play at Twickenham."

For full report, see this week's Worthing Herald.