Last weekend the Red Rose men snatched a crucial win over bitter rivals and reigning champions Yorkshire in the fourth minute of added time, when former Tiger and current Lancashire skipper Stephen Nutt crashed over for a try by the posts, with the conversion sealing a dramatic 23-21 win.

Unfortunately ‘Nutty’ will miss the final Pool game at Park Lane against Northumberland – kick-off 3pm – as he will be attending a friend's wedding.

For Lancashire there is still all to play for, as opponents Northumberland still have a mathematical chance of topping the Group and pipping them to a place in the final, after they beat Warwickshire, 20-13 last weekend.

However, not only would they have to beat Lancashire, Yorkshire would have to rout Warwickshire to deny them their place at rugby’s HQ.

The triumphant Red Rose side included current Tigers Matt Riley and Juan Crous in the starting 15, alongside Nutt and another very recent former Tiger, Petrus Du Plessis, while on the bench were promising Sedgley youngster Dean Williams and recent signing Garth Dew. In their opening Pool game, Lancashire dispatched Warwickshire, 28-66.

As for the Tigers, they have announced the re-signing of Tongan centre Lisiate Tafa along with former Sale Sharks’ flanker Adam Newton, with one or two more acquisitions still to be secured.

“We’ve now formalised the majority of next season’s squad and this week we’ll be getting them in, measuring, weighing and testing them before giving them their individual fitness programmes for the summer so that they come back for pre-season training in the best possible shape,” said head coach, Rich Senior.

●  At last Friday’s gala Players’ Dinner, the following awards were made: First Team Players’ Player of the Year, Glen Townson; Coaches’ Player, Chris Wilkinson; Second Team Trophy, Matt Lamprey; Coaches’ Player Chris Leader;  Third Team Trophy, Chris Orrell; Fourth Team Trophy, Ian Richardson; Tourist of the Year, Ian Aldred.