Derby aiming to tame the visiting Elks in County Cup showdown

DERBY RFC are looking to get 2009 off to a winning start this weekend when they take on Ilkeston RFC in the Derbyshire County Cup.

The sides will meet in a first-round tie at Haslams tomorrow, with a 2pm kick off.

While Derby are looking to move away from the bottom end of the Midlands Two East table, with two wins and a draw from their last five games, the Elks are flying high in Midlands Three East, where they lie second.

Elsewhere, Burton travel to Wednesbury tomorrow in the first round of the Staffordshire County Cup.

Wednesbury are rooted to the bottom of Midlands Three West with no points and a negative points difference of 298. In contrast, the Crofters are in superb form and sit top of Midlands Two West.

Burton coach Karl Ashfield and his selection committee have decided to give several fringe players a run-out for the cup tie.

Burton under-21s beat Derby under-21s 19-15 in an exciting annual encounter on Monday.

TEAMS

Derby v Ilkeston, home, 2pm kick off: P Maddocks, E Spencer, B Marlow, M Robertson, J Cartlidge, T Good, P Robinson, T Smith, P Wilcox, M Dodds, E Atherton, D Goodman, R Robinson, S Hobbs, J Macrae. Reps: B Coombes, P Burrows, J Mills, R Maddocks.

Ilkeston v Derby, away, 2pm kick off: M McGuire, Jason Falls, C Charlton, A Stoker, R Garland, S Mahoney, B Newton, R Burne, C Kemsley, J Connolly, G Taylor, S Rudkin, A Cook, Jono Falls, D Taylor. Reps: D Chapman, G Pringle, S Quinn, D Mahoney, C Coupland.

Burton v Wednesbury, away, 2pm kick off: (From) J Philliskirk, D Archer, L Brooks, C Dutton, D Banton, I Gilmour, B Peach, W Peach, L Peach, S Edwards, S Cramp, T Barker, C Ariss, R Wakelin, W Forrester, S Spencer, D Taylor, G Cole, J Edwards, C Neethling, C Atchison, M Tivey, S Saunders, J Hooper, R Scragg.

Derby 2nd XV v Leicester Lions, away, 2.15pm kick off: R Milton, M Rollasson, M Cornfield, S Sharma, L Gandalfo, D Hutchinson, S Greenhalgh, S Burkey, K Mason-Moore, M Erwin, S MacDonald, C Mansley, S Hudson, B Smith, P Archer. Reps: J Hollis, T Swainston, T James, D Fitchett, R Lucas.

Derby 3rd XV v Ashbourne 3rd XV, home, 2.15pm kick off: R Paylor, M Skelton, A Fearn, C McCully, C Lowe, J Acton, H Burrows, D Britton, J Smith, S Smart, T Leicester, A Acford, M Pountney, G Lyon, C Caswell. Reps: J Budzynski, R Cawley-Nash, N Ritchie, F Collins, P Sharratt, T Kitson.