DURHAM will hope to emulate their Under 20s in reaching Twickenham after opening their Bill Beaumont County Championship campaign with a 62-5 win against Cumbria at Hartlepool Rovers' New Friarage ground.

Although the U20s lost their final 14-7 against Yorkshire on Saturday, the seniors made a flying start with ten tries, mostly from excellent back play in a fast, open game.

Five tries came from Billingham players with winger Martin Hopley and No 8 Danny Dixon scoring two each and replacement back row man Anthony Jackson also touching down.

Blaydon winger Frazer Wilson, who suffered a serious injury on county duty three years ago, quickly shrugged off the memory by grabbing the first of his brace with the game only a minute old.

Mowden Park lock Talite Vaioleti smashed through the Cumbrian defence to score and hooker Tom Larder also fought his way over, with fly half Josh Bragman's four conversions making it 38-0 at half-time.

After the re-start, Cumbria camped in Durham's 22 for five minutes, but they couldn't force a way through the resolute defence.

Dixon's second, followed by a try for teenage West Hartlepool centre Liam Checksfield, took the score to 50-0 before visiting centre, Tom Pickthall, squeezed in at the right corner after 59 minutes.

Replacement Andrew Baggett kicked Durham's last two conversions.

Durham travel to Lichfield on Saturday to face Staffordshire then go to Oakham the following week to face Leicestershire.