INJURY-HIT Darlington Mowden Park have sent out an SOS for two former Blaydon players to turn out on their old stamping ground tomorrow.

Utility back Jonny Golighty and winger James Tyrrell have been working abroad, but Mowden are hoping they might be back in time to play.

Another ex-Blaydon man, flanker Ricky Bagier, is away, while the latest casualties are fly half Johann Booysen and centre Matt Howland.

The shoulder injury Booysen picked up last Saturday will keep him out for several weeks and Howland has suffered a worrying recurrence of his old knee problem.

If Golightly is unavailable, Iain Dixon will have to play at fly half alongside Andy Foreman, who will be keen to prove a point to Blaydon, who were reluctant to play him at scrum half even after he scored 20 tries for them one season.

No 8 Matt Holmes is still out with a back injury, but lock Anthony Peck returns to the squad and Eni Gisende is expected to be available.

Mowden intend to play Newcastle Academy boy Tim Visser at centre, despite his sending off last week as they believe his dismissal for kneeing an opponent was sufficient punishment. They will take the video to the RFU hearing as they claim it shows the incident was innocuous.

Mowden will see no more this season of Ross Batty, who has played everywhere for them from prop to wing.

Newcastle have decided the former England Schools prop's future lies at hooker and have sent him, along with Tynedale prop Jonny Williams, to the International Rugby Academy in Palmerston North to learn his new trade. Batty will be staying on for a season of club rugby in New Zealand.

Darlington welcome back skipper Paul Lee for the visit of National Three North leaders Nuneaton, but have suffered a blow with the news that prop Dan Miller is unlikely to play again this season.

It was hoped he would be fit by now after his knee operation, but he is still having problems and is to see a specialist again next week.

Paul Scott should be available for the rest of the season, but misses tomorrow's game, forcing coach Phil Lancaster to resume bench duties.

Scrum half Rob Stewart was given the all-clear this week to resume training after his broken arm, while David Glendenning has recovered from illness but is unable to displace Lee Davies from the full back slot.

Davies has taken over the goal-kicking and coach Craig Lee said: "He has been doing well and is growing in confidence.

"We don't want Nuneaton to do the double over us, and we feel if we can get among them and put them under pressure we can upset them.

"So we could start with Joe Naga at lock as he'll put himself about. We'll have Stuart Palmer and Del Lewis on the bench and they give us a new dimension when they come on in the second half."

With Phil Dawson out for four months with a shoulder injury, Apenai Kororua will partner Lee at centre.

Stockton entertain Driffield in North Two East and hope to have centre Steve Thornton fit after a back spasm in the warm-up forced him to miss last week's game.

Hooker Glyn Delmar returns in place of last week's debutant, Matt Austen, while winger Tom Armstrong could rejoin the squad after recovering from a broken hand.

* Newcastle Falcons have made one change for tomorrow's Guinness Premiership match at home to Saracens (3pm), recalling winger Anthony Elliott after his two-month absence with a shoulder injury.

He replaces James Hoyle, who was named yesterday in the England Under 21 squad for next Friday's match against Wales at Worcester. He will be joined by clubmates Toby Flood and David Wilson.

Mathew Tait, who partners Jamie Noon at centre tomorrow, leaves on Sunday with the England Sevens squad, which also inlcudes Newcastle's Ollie Phillips, for IRB tournaments in Wellington and Los Angeles.

* The Under 20s County Championship kicks off on Sunday with Yorkshire playing Durham at Hull Ionians, while Northumberland take on Cumbria at Carlisle.

Durham's home games are against Cumbria at Gateshead Fell on February 12 and against Northumberland at Sunderland on March 26.

* The North Under 16s will play the Midlands at Castlecroft, Wolverhampton, on Sunday and include two Barnard Castle School boys in full back Matthew Lister and lock William Stewart, plus Egglescliffe School hooker Luke Fletcher.

They have the chance to force their way into the England squad, which already includes Barnard Castle's Rory Clegg and Houghton Kepier's Kyle Booysen.

* West Hartlepool, who won 11-3 at home to Chester, will be away to Moseley in the last 16 of the England Colts Cup on February 12.

* Lewis Moody is ready to stake his claim for a role in England's RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales, but the firebrand Leicester flanker admits: ''There is a lot of pressure on me.''

As Moody prepares to launch his comeback next Saturday, England head coach Andy Robinson has been dealt a double injury blow.

Gloucester have confirmed their 47 times-capped prop Phil Vickery will undergo a back operation and will not play in this season's Six Nations, while Bath back Olly Barkley faces six weeks sidelined with a dislocated thumb.

Moody was sent off for punching during England's 40-3 victory over Samoa in November, an offence which landed him a nine-week ban.

His second suspension of the season expires tomorrow and he will start Leicester's clash against Guinness Premiership leaders Sale Sharks at Welford Road.

With Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley and Pat Sanderson also in the mix, Moody must impress Robinson this weekend.

''It is frustrating being out for any duration of time, and you have to train your mind around how you deal with the time off and take control of your emotions," he said.