Houghton travel to Newton Ayecliffe this Saturday for the first league game of the 2019-20 campaign.

After a very successful preseason which has seen excellent numbers at training and four victories for the squad. The whole club is on a buzz with the embedding of the Colts to create a new look senior section.

Prop forward Evaldas Gurskis returns as does Ryan Main to hooker, they are accompanied by Allan Scott in the frontrow. Big Chris Watson partners Adam Eadington in the secondrow after some very solid performances over preseason. Unfortunately for Houghton regular backrow supremoes Glen Atkinson and Newton Turton are both missing. So this sees starting positions for Durham County under eighteen players Michael Carr and Kieran Smith. The flankers will be looking for good performances to force the coaches hand in future games.

The backline sees very little change after some excellent performances by every player sees a consistent selection. Tom Birtley partners Alex Tuckwell at halfback, a powerful centre partnership of James Ross and Jack Sneezham continues. Along with the flying three quarter trio of Graeme Bennet, Ryan Graham and Mbongeni Moyo have been selected having scored some thirteen tries between them.

The replacements bench sees frontrowers Arthur Mason and regular captain Matt Marchant who is selected after recovering with a back niggle. They are joined by scrumhalf replacement Danny Bradley and experience player coach Ryan Pink.