Origin game seeks aggressive appeal

The attempt to transplant the phenomenon of Origin rugby to Britain faces its toughest test at Wigan tonight.

Lancashire versus Yorkshire has a long way to go before it rivals New South Wales against Queensland, but it made a reasonable start with a five-figure gate for the match at Headingley last year.

That has encouraged an expansion to two games this time and the players tonight need to demonstrate that the concept can carry the added attention. If events follow the Australian model, that could be best achieved by what the Lancashire coach, Ian Millward, calls "a bit of old-fashioned stuff at the start." He has been building up the prospect of early aggression and has given the likes of Barrie McDermott the go-ahead to respond in kind.

There is little doubt that when it comes to playing rugby, Lancashire are the better equipped. For instance, Millward has had to accommodate Andy Farrell, Paul Sculthorpe and Kevin Sinfield – arguably the three best loose forwards in the country – in his side; Yorkshire's Brian Noble has to make do with Lee Gilmour, a reluctant forward at best.

Noble is not short of young players with much to prove. The Leeds winger Mark Calderwood had a dreadful patch early in the season and says that his club-mate and opponent tonight, McDermott, did most to rebuild his confidence. "But he won't be my friend in this match," he says.

Yorkshire need to make up the gap in ability with superior team-work and team-spirit, just as they did when Roses contests were last in vogue in the 1980s.

YORKSHIRE: L Pryce (Bradford); M Calderwood (Leeds), D Hodgson (Wigan), J Senior (Leeds), K Pratt (Leeds); D Orr (Castleford), R Sheridan (Leeds, capt); N Fozzard (Warrington), M Diskin (Leeds), A Farrell (Leeds), J Peacock (Bradford), A Hay (Leeds), L Gilmour (Bradford). Substitutes: N Sykes (Castleford), P King (Hull), L Harland (Castleford), R Burrow (Leeds).