Quintet have chance to shine for best of English community game

Ben Harris and Nick Sharpe of Huddersfield, Steve Parsons and Kyle Dench of Harrogate, and Hull's Rob Kitching are among the 30-strong squad to face an Ireland Club XV and France Amateurs.

Players are drawn from 15 different clubs to represent the best of the community game in England. Twenty of those players are newcomers to the scene with only six members of the squad that returned unbeaten from a tour to Korea and Japan last year, included.

Team manager Danny Hodgson said: "Given the recent weather, the decision to start our scouting programme right at the start of the season has proved very wise.

"We have liaised closely with the directors of rugby across the country and had great support and co-operation from them. Every club has been watched and recommended players carefully monitored.

"The fact that we've had everyone on board this season has broadened the selection process and that's one of the reasons why we have so many players who haven't been with us previously.

"I reckon we're as strong as we could hope to be given that there will always be players who are unavailable for one reason or another."

The final selection process for the game against the Ireland Club XV will take place on Saturday, when the squad will be cut to 22.

The Counties will be looking for their first win over the Irish when they meet them at Stourbridge RFC on Friday, February 26, having previously lost in 2008 and 2009. There is also added incentive for the team when they travel to Lille on March 19, having lost to France at Twickenham the last time they met.

Squad: J Williams (Tynedale), M Johnson (London Scottish), S Heard (Redruth), T Warren (Esher), J Graham (Tynedale), B Gerry (Stourbridge), J Inglis (Esher), M Owen (Macclesfield), T Bason (Blackheath), B Harris (Huddersfield), D Legge (Cambridge), N Sharpe (Huddersfield), D Fox (Cambridge), A Nash (Rugby), S Stitcher (Esher), T Powell (Cambridge), T Richardson (Stourbridge), L Baldwin (Blackheath), J Brown (London Scottish), R Laidlaw (Rosslyn Park), D Howells (London Scottish), S Parsons (Harrogate), S Jewell (Esher), M Riley (Sedgley Park), J Harrison (Tynedale), K Dench (Harrogate), S Ulph (Esher), R Kitching (Hull), F Neale (London Scottish), P Hodgkinson (Ealing).