FORMER Durham School star Christian Balshen, who was released by Newcastle Falcons at the end of last season, is back in Heineken European Cup action with Swansea.

While the Falcons failed to qualify for the top European event - they are at home to Grenoble on Sunday in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup - Balshen has become first-choice hooker with the Welsh club and will play at home to Leinster this weekend.

Known to his mates as Billy, he came off the bench to play against Leinster last season and started the Falcons' Heineken match at home to Newport.

Along with prop James Isaacson, winger Michael Stephenson and scrum half Hall Charlton, he was one of four recent Durham School products in the Newcastle squad.

But after enduring a tough time against Wasps' bull-necked hooker Trevor Leota, he didn't feature again and was discarded largely on account of being too light at 15st.

"Our scrum took a bit of a battering against Wasps," recalls Balshen, whose family home is in Brancepeth.

"Rob Andrew told me that because he wanted to have a mobile pack he needed more weight in the front row.

"I was the smallest hooker at the club, and once Rob signed Steve Brotherstone there wasn't much future for me. I had another year on my contract but I asked to be released and went to New Zealand in June to play for Waitakere.

"Inga Tuigamala set it up for me as he also played for them and everyone else in the team was Samoan. I played in their last six games and did a bit of coaching, but I wanted to find another club back home and my agent told me that Swansea were interested.

"I flew back on September 2, went on against Neath to replace Garin Jenkins and they offered me a contract. The chance to learn from Jenkins was one of the main reasons I joined, but he has damaged his neck, so I'm first-choice at the moment."

Balshen, who will be 23 next month, went into the Newcastle Academy after leaving school and spent four years with the club. But he thinks Swansea are just as professional and feels he has made a good move.

They lost their opening Heineken match 47-12 at Montferrand last Sunday, but as struggling Bristol are also in their group they haven't given up hope of qualifying.

"It's a fantastic lifestyle," said Balshen. "I'm getting paid for doing something I've always wanted to do, and although I was born in Newcastle I'm happy to be playing in Swansea."

* Middlesbrough and Darlington have filled a blank weekend by arranging a friendly at Acklam Park tomorrow.

Boro will try two ex-colts at half back, with Danny Bishop switching from full back to fly half to partner Tim Bivens.

First-choice scrum half Peter Wright will be on the bench, along with ex-Yorkshire prop Peter Davidson, and newcomer John Vaughan, an Australian centre.

James Lofthouse is unavailable for Blaydon's National Division Three North match at home to Liverpool St Helens, so Nick Gandy will play at fly half.

Director of Rugby at Northumbria University, Gandy played at full back in the students' comfortable win against Loughborough on Wednesday.

Otherwise the team is unchanged, but Tim Bartles, a Dutch international back row, will be on the bench