Last updated 09:17, Tuesday, 13 May 2008

A NORTHUMBERLAND side bristling with past and present Tynedale players made a successful in this season's Rugby Union County Championship.

Happy Hamish: Hamish Smales who scored four tries against Cumbria.

Northumberland started favourites in their County Shield game against Cumbria at Mint Bridge on the strength of the superior level from which their players were drawn.

They justified that assessment with a 38-0 victory.

The match was a triumph for the Smales family from Whittonstall with winger Hamish justifying his trip North from Launceston in Cornwall with four tries.

Brother Jack, who still plays for Tynedale, scored the other two Northumberland tries.

Tynedale fly-half Gavin Beasley landed four conversions.

"The extra intensity we displayed and the extra pace we had wide out were the difference," said Northumberland coach Tom Borthwick, who of course steered Tynedale to the National League Division Three title this year.

"Hopefully the performances by the Smales boys will have helped put them back in the mix for an England Counties XV place on the forthcoming tour to America and Canada

"The forwards laid the foundations and we scored early on, which was important at Mint Bridge.

“We scored three tries playing into a breeze in the first-half and led 19-0 at half-time.

"Cumbria made some changes and came more into the game after the interval, but we came back and scored three tries in the last 20 minutes.”

He had particular praise for several of his Tynedale players, who played key roles in the victory.

He said: “I thought our props Rupert Harden and Johnny Williams both carried the ball well, while flanker Andrew Murray had a very effective game and was responsible for three of the tries with his distribution and decision making.”

Northumberland had seven Tynedale players in their starting line-up with three on the replacement bench .

As well as the six Tynedale players already mentioned, the Northumberland squad included Tynedale men Ben Duncan, Grant Rastall, Ross Samson, Matthew Fieldhouse, Peter Southern and Grant Beasley.

And that’s not to mention ex-Tynedale players Paul Mooney, now with Otley, Graeme Smith with London Scottish and Paul Winter with Blaydon.

Many Tynedale players are again involved in tomorrow’s clash with Durham at Alnwick.