DARLINGTON Mowden Park will hand a debut to ex-Newcastle player James Fitzpatrick against another of his former clubs today.

Blaydon are the visitors to the Northern Echo Arena and will be wary of the barnstorming centre who joined them from his original club, Westoe.

While Mowden's selection suggests they want to play a fluent game, Blaydon will try to dominate through their experienced forwards and have brought in hooker Matt Thompson.

He played for Mowden for most of their first season in National One before leaving for Ealing.

Fitzpatrick, still only 29, recently had a brief foray into Rugby League with Newcastle Thunder.

He was with the Falcons from 2011-14 then joined Leeds Carnegie, who also supply two more members of the Mowden team in fly half Sam Allan and flanker Brandon Staples.

A product of Woodhouse Grove School, near Leeds, Staples is at blind side with Canadian international Matt Heaton at seven, forcing Joe Craggs to switch to lock.

Finding big, nasty locks has never been easy for Mowden and Craggs's switch suggests they are keen to play the same high-speed game which saw them heap 50 points on Blaydon last year.

The tables were turned at Crow Trees late in the season, despite Rory Duff putting in a man of the match performance, only to find himself back on the bench the following week.

Duff is at No 8 today in place of injured skipper Ollie Hodgson, his former Middlesbrough team-mate, while a third ex-Boro man, Peter Homan, comes in on the wing.

Another Teessider, winger Tom Kill, is still feeling his way back after injury, as is player-coach Garry Law.

Grant Connon is still taking time out after his injury troubles, but his brother Max is at full back for Blaydon. The youngest of the trio, Brett, is unavailable so Andrew Baggett is at fly half with Tom Small and Tom Bramwell at centre.

Tynedale entertain Harrogate in National Two North and will be looking to avenge a 27-19 defeat away to the Yorkshire club at the end of last season.

In Three North, Billingham again have to travel following the opening day win at Ilkley. They go to Hull and have Lewis Roxby starting in the back row, with Michael Whinn switching to No for Danny Dixon.

West Hartlepool hope to build on their opening win in North One East when they visit promoted Malton and Norton.

Gavin Painter returns at fly half, with Zac Southern going to full back. Luke Mallinson is on the wing for Eldon Myers, who is unavailable, as are Tim Blades and Jay Corbett. They are replaced by Ross Wood and Joe Rafferty.

Durham City will renew ancient rivalries between two clubs striving to regain former glories when they go to Percy Park.

Barnard Castle's tough start in Durham and Northumberland One takes them to Gateshead, while Middlesbrough are at home to the club now known as Horden and Peterlee.

Stockton travel to Gosforth's new home at Broadway West without front row man Dan Muirhead plus centres Steven Tampin and Jonny Horner, who are unavailable. Flanker Jonny Cheetham is out with concussion.

Experienced duo Steve Thornton and Simon Crozier plug the midfield gap, while Martin Dixon returns in the back row.