against Nottingham the previous week.

Both have made themselves available for county duty this season and will have fitness checks before the County finalise their side.

Warwickshire won promotion by winning the County Championship Shield last season and have had a tough introduction back to the top flight of the three-tier competition.

"It doesn't get any easier, but noone said that it was going to be easy when we won promotion," said Warwickshire's head coach John Widdowson. Kick-off at Liberty Way is 3pm.

* HOLDERS Nuneaton play OCs Coventry in the final of the Bob Coward Warwickshire Colts Cup at Butts Park Arena on Monday (7pm).

* FIVE Kenilworth players - Elliott Brown, Matt Cooper, James Hersey, Jai Purewal and Aleks Stanojevic - helped the Wooden Spoon team to a surprise victory in the Sunshine Sevens tournament at East Grinstead RFC.

Captained by Blackheath's Dwain Brown, the Wooden Spoon team overcame St. Mary's College, the Junior Irish Exiles and Hove to reach the semi-finals where they got the better of an all-Fijian Kaiviti Crusaders side containing full internationals, Akapusi Qera of Gloucester and Leicester's Seru Rabine.

Up against Ruck U Spartans , containing Premeirship Academy players and Under-18 internationls, in the final the Spoon side snatched a 15-12 win with a try from the final move of the game.

The tournament was played in support of the Wooden Spoon charity which supports disadvantaged children in the UK and Ireland. Said Purewal: "We really can't believe that we won and are still pinching ourselves.

"To come out on top from 32 teams is a significant boost for raising the Wooden Spoon profile within the game."

* COVENTRY are running two front row clinics later this month focusing on position-specific development.

Run in conjunction with Esporta and Warwickshire Sport and Racquets Club, a senior clinic for players over 19 will be held on Monday, May 26.

A second clinic for players between 15 and 19 follows over three days between May 27-29 (10am-noon).

Both clinics will deal specifically with skills improvement for all three front row positions and there will also be a gym session on core strength exercises needed in the off-season.

Registration is through the Esporta club (024 7630 6600).

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