HUDDERSFIELD Rugby Union Club’s eager players and fans will have to wait until Saturday evening to find out who they will face in the end-of-season play-offs.

The runners-up spot in Midlands I, and with it the reward of a long trip to Lockwood Park, is still wide open following Saturday’s round of fixtures, when second-placed Broadstreet lost 15-17 at home to South Leicester, and were consequently overtaken by third-placed Luctonians, who put themselves in pole position with a 36-10 win over Newport.

That put Luctonians onto 27 points, one ahead of Broadstreet, who also have a massively worse points difference to Luctonians.

Fourth-placed Longton were well beaten by champions-elect Loughborough Students to leave a thrilling two-horse race for the chance to meet Huddersfield in the big showdown.

So it all comes down to Saturday’s final set of fixtures of the season, when both Herefordshire outfit Luctonians and Broadstreet, who hail from Coventry, have away games.

Luctonians probably have the hardest job when they go to Kenilworth, who themselves are sixth in the table, while Broadstreet travel to Dunstablians, who are third bottom of the Midlands I division.

With their vastly superior points difference, (plus 330 against minus 30) Luctonians only need a point at Kenilworth to book their spot against Huddersfield, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 26 at Lockwood Park.

Huddersfield finish their North I programme this Saturday with a home game against Altrincham Kersal when they will be looking to complete another double this season, having already beaten them 49-24 in Cheshire at the beginning of December.

England’s most successful-ever captain Martin Johnson was yesterday installed as the national side’s team manager and coach.

Not only does he replace the sacked Brian Ashton, but he has also been given a budget to recruit additional coaching resources and build an England set-up capable of challenging for the next World Cup in 2011.