DURHAM beat Staffordshire 16-13 at Gateshead to complete a clean sweep of their pool games in the County Championship Plate and will face Sussex at Hartlepool Rovers on Saturday in the semi-finals.

Staffordshire camped in the Durham 22 for the last ten minutes and Durham's team manager Jim Ainslie said: "They hammered away at us in the closing stages and to describe our defensive work as heroic is no exaggeration.

"I don't know how we kept them out. It shows the character of the side and what a great spirit the coaches have generated."

Despite tries by Durham University centre Rob McDermott and Durham City wing Jimmy Atkinson, Durham trailed 13-10 at half-time but Middlesbrough full-back Simon Moore's two penalties secured victory.

Victories for Yorkshire and Lancashire in the Bill Beaumont Cup set up a Roses showdown at Sedgley Park on Saturday, when the prize will be a place in the final at Twickenham on May 28.

Yorkshire beat Cheshire 21-20 at Harrogate, with Doncaster No 8 Oliver Cook enjoying a debut to remember with a 50-yard gallop for a try after his brother, lock forward Dan, had opened the scoring with an early touchdown. Another debutant, Leeds fly-half Tom Whittaker, kicked three penalties and a conversion.

In the County Championship Shield, Northumberland made it two wins from two when they beat Notts, Lincs & Derby 43-10 at Scunthorpe.

They now face a trip to Coventry to take on Warwickshire in a game that will decide who wins the Northern section and stages the Shield final.

Toby Flood has been voted the Argon Properties Newcastle Falcons player of the season after scoring six tries and 154 points in his 25 appearances. England Saxons flanker Ben Woods collected the Northern Rock players' player of the season award.

Former Wasps and Ireland boss Warren Gatland has hinted he is interested in taking over as coach of Auckland Blues.

Current Blues chief David Nucifora is being strongly linked to replace Australia coach John Connelly, who is set to step down after the World Cup.

Gatland, the Chiefs assistant coach, would prefer to open contract talks with his current employers.

But he admitted that the only Super 14 job he was interested in was with the Auckland franchise after current Chiefs boss Ian Foster extended his contract.

''I've had talks with a couple of clubs in Europe and a Super 14 franchise and I've said to them my preference is to stay in New Zealand and hopefully do a deal with Waikato,'' the former All Blacks hooker said.