NORTHALLERTON are preparing for their greatest day when they grace Twickenham for the first time in the National Junior Vase final on May 3.

They are hoping to rise to the occasion just as they did when visiting another famous ground at Webb Ellis Road, Rugby, named after the man who first picked up a ball and ran with it.

North beat former Premiership club Rugby Lions 27-17 in last Saturday's semi-final and issued a big thank-you to physio Deb Morgan for getting some key players fit.

Vice-captain Lee Peake will cut short a trip to watch the England cricket team in the West Indies to play in the final, while Doug Mulholland will ask to be released from his cricketing duties with Darlington.

With nothing at stake in their final two Yorkshire Three games, North will not be taking any risks away to Bramley Phoenix tomorrow and at home to Baildon next week.

They will then have two weeks to get everyone fit for the final against Battersea Ironsides, which kicks off at 11am. A big following is expected and it is hoped that chants of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” will be heard at Twickenham, just as they were after Saturday's win.

The fact that Battersea are unbeaten in Surrey One this season will not worry North because Rugby Lions had not lost at home for more than two years and had reached the final of this competition last season.

They must have been confident after wiping out a 12-0 deficit to draw level at 17-17 with 13 minutes left, but North coach Alec Porter restored the players he had substituted at half-time and it did the trick.

Two interception tries were crucial, but first man of the match James Hopkin brushed off the home full back to score in the corner after Jeremy Deas had broken through two tackles.

After 15 minutes skipper Joe Terry anticipated a miss-move by the hosts and intercepted in his own half to race under the posts with Alec Porter junior adding the conversion for a 12-0 lead.

Mulholland went on from the bench to replace injured full back Fraser Deas and after a Rugby try his long kick to the corner set up Northallerton's third. Iain Swall stole the line-out ball and sent his brother Phil over for a 17-7 half-time lead.

Four replacements were sent on, but Rugby scored next from a driving maul after 55 minutes, adding the conversion and a penalty with 13 minutes left to level the scores.

Superior fitness told in tht end and the Lions began to make mistakes. Hopkin intercepted on halfway and drew the last defender before passing to Porter, who converted his own try and made sure of victory with a long-range penalty a few minutes from time.

After their week off, Darlington Mowden Park get back into action tomorrow with a trip to Loughborough, where they can expect a fast-paced game against the students.

Mowden had to hang on to win the home encounter after storming into a comfortable early lead and will want to establish some forward control. So the return of lock Ben Gledhill after suspension should help and it is hoped Darren Fearn, the prop on loan from Sale, will have recovered from the injury which kept him out of the defeat by Rosslyn Park.

Darlington face a tough game at Morpeth, although the Northumberland club will be concentrating on preparing for their play-off after seeing their chances of the automatic promotion place virtually disappear.