Round one of the Shield has been played, and this Saturday sees the first games in the Bill Beaumont Cup.
Looking at the problems encountered by Staffordshire for their game at Cumbria, county selectors are very much up against it in terms of getting the players they need for the tournament. Not only are players mentally and physically drained after the end of their club season, often the start of the competition clashes with rearranged league fixtures.
So it proved with Staffs. Only being able to take 17 players to Workington as a result of losing Stoke players who had to play a rearranged league fxture, meant that the squad were on a hiding to nothing before kick-off, and so it proved.
A 76-3 loss was the outcome - the side will need to regroup before this Saturday's match at Longton against Notts, Lincs, and Derbys.
On to the Bill Beaumont Cup - reigning champions Lancashire begin their defence against Northumberland at Vale of Lune on Saturday - the last time these sides met in Lancashire was in 2009, when the Red Rose county demolished North by 11 tries to two in a 80-12 romp.
Lancashire head coach Mark Nelson is cautious as always before a BB Cup campaign, wanting to ensure his side remain in Division One. These groups are always so tight, and any one of either Lancashire, Yorkshire, or Cheshire could go to the final from the north - Northumberland, in the first year back in the top-flight, may find it too much of an ask.
The other fixture sees Cheshire host Yorkshire at Macclesfield. The home side will be missing their Caldy contingent, due to their National League Two play-off fixture, while Yorkshire can count on players from Championship sides Leeds, Rotherham and Doncaster for the tournament.
The southern Division One group features last year's surprise beaten finalists Hertfordshire taking on North Midlands at Old Albanians, home of coach James Shanahan. The other fixture is Cornwall v Gloucestershire at Redruth, the venue of Hertfordshire's first ever victory over Cornwall last year, as they marched to Twickenham.
Results of all this weekend's fixtures and reactions will be posted as they come in.
Looking at the problems encountered by Staffordshire for their game at Cumbria, county selectors are very much up against it in terms of getting the players they need for the tournament. Not only are players mentally and physically drained after the end of their club season, often the start of the competition clashes with rearranged league fixtures.
So it proved with Staffs. Only being able to take 17 players to Workington as a result of losing Stoke players who had to play a rearranged league fxture, meant that the squad were on a hiding to nothing before kick-off, and so it proved.
A 76-3 loss was the outcome - the side will need to regroup before this Saturday's match at Longton against Notts, Lincs, and Derbys.
On to the Bill Beaumont Cup - reigning champions Lancashire begin their defence against Northumberland at Vale of Lune on Saturday - the last time these sides met in Lancashire was in 2009, when the Red Rose county demolished North by 11 tries to two in a 80-12 romp.
Lancashire head coach Mark Nelson is cautious as always before a BB Cup campaign, wanting to ensure his side remain in Division One. These groups are always so tight, and any one of either Lancashire, Yorkshire, or Cheshire could go to the final from the north - Northumberland, in the first year back in the top-flight, may find it too much of an ask.
The other fixture sees Cheshire host Yorkshire at Macclesfield. The home side will be missing their Caldy contingent, due to their National League Two play-off fixture, while Yorkshire can count on players from Championship sides Leeds, Rotherham and Doncaster for the tournament.
The southern Division One group features last year's surprise beaten finalists Hertfordshire taking on North Midlands at Old Albanians, home of coach James Shanahan. The other fixture is Cornwall v Gloucestershire at Redruth, the venue of Hertfordshire's first ever victory over Cornwall last year, as they marched to Twickenham.
Results of all this weekend's fixtures and reactions will be posted as they come in.
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