AFTER 15 years as captain, Dave Guthrie is fit to return to the Blaydon side and make his final home appearance in today’s National Two match against bottom club Waterloo.

Needing five points to make virtually certain of survival, Blaydon are further boosted by the availability of Newcastle’s Peter Browne and the return of Scott Riddell alongside him in the back row.

Martin Shaw, Ben Mercer and Andrew Fenby also return in the backs, while Rory Clegg is again at fly half and another Falcons man, Ross Batty, is selected at hooker after playing in the back row last week.

Blaydon are four points ahead of Westcombe Park, who occupy the fourth relegation spot and visit Blackheath today. As the Crow Trees men also have a superior points difference, they are hoping the issue will be settled before their final game at Stourbridge next week.

Wharfedale are not quite out of the woods, but will be safe if they win their final game today at home to Cinderford.

Tynedale face the trek to Cornwall to play Mount’s Bay with prop Rupert Harden and scrum half Ross Sansom playing their final games before joining Gloucester and Edinburgh respectively.

Darlington Mowden Park visit National Three North leaders Nuneaton needing to win to retain any hope of avoiding relegation.

The only change after last week’s excellent win against Kendal sees Charles Massarella brought in at full back for Matthew Lister. Michael Ellery is fit again but has to be content with a place on the bench after playing for the Newcastle Development XV.

Percy Park entertain Bridlington in the promotion play-off for a place in North Two East, while Stockton have a 2.30 kick-off in their final Durham and Northumberland division one match at home to Sunderland.

■ Former England winger Rory Underwood and Durham cricketer Liam Plunkett will formally open the new Acklam Park clubhouse tomorrow at around 1pm.

Both began their careers at the Middlesbrough club, which is staging a Twenty20 cricket match featuring a Durham County XI and a rugby match against the Anti-Assassins.

The cricket starts at 11am and it is hoped Liam Botham will play for the home side, while Boro also include ex- Durham bat James Lowe.

Boro’s Paul Norris and Peter Wright will miss the rugby match through injury.

The visitors’ squad includes Newcastle’s Ross Batty and Mowden’s Danny Brown, Dan Miller, Adam Mackenzie and Lawrence Oliver. Some of Blaydon’s ex-Mowden contingent are also named, including Peter Phelan, Charlie Rayner and the Clark twins, James and Chris.