WITH the rugby union season having reached the halfway mark, Jason Meadows takes a look at how the area's clubs have fared during the first part of the campaign.

FURNESS

THE Blues of the Strawberry Grounds have had a great first half of the season, with some great victories leaving them second in the Cumbria League.

Having lost only two of their nine league matches, they are surely in line for promotion in the second half of the 2017/2018 season.

Skipper Corne Els has led his troops well, with Joe and Will Mallinson always on hand to help where required.

Rhys Studt has been his normal industrious self playing a few different roles for the team, with the return of Sam Dutton being a massive fillip for the squad.

Rugby league old heads Paul Dean, Steve Neale and Craig McKinnon have played their part, as has Adam Jackson’s all-round game play.

Rhys and Iestyn Humphries have been game-changers in the back line, with new face Ryan Pottigieter putting in some hard yards.

Furness will be looking for more to cheer in the new year as they look to climb back into the Cumbria/Lancashire League next season.

MILLOM

THE Wilson Park club are under new guidance for this Cumbria League season, with Adam Redhead now coach.

With new ideas and training regime, the club have been growing in strength and are now back running two teams, although their league standing may suggest otherwise.

Although they have not won a game this first half of the season, the results have been close, with a number of opposition sides stating as such.

With a continuation of that hard work, they are sure to get a few wins under their belt.

Trevor Dixon leads the squad as club captain, with Steve Watson and Ian Cummings keeping things ticking over in the forwards.

There is plenty of development going on with lots of young guns coming to the fore; scrum-half Robbie Pattinson is really starting to grow into the open age game along with Kyle Barnes, Joe Thomlinson and Kieron Coulson.

Chris Park and Ryan Carter in the backs are helping bring on the young lads around them and brighter second half of the season is ahead for Millom.

HAWCOAT PARK

HAWCOAT'S first team have found it tough this season in the North Lancs/Cumbria League, having lost all but one game and drawn one so far in this campaign.

A good number of the defeats have only been by the odd point though, something captain Brad Morrow will be looking for his troops to turn around.

The club's sizeable squad has been utilised to the maximum with a number of the second team stepping up to fill gaps caused by work commitments.

Rodney Odondi and Alfie White have managed to solidify their roles in the firsts with stalwarts James Howden, Chris Burns, Ash Mowat and Adam Grainger going all-out in search of victories.

Coaching team of Dean Marwood and Paul Burns have been putting some great sessions on and are convinced they can turn the corner going into the second half of the season.

HAWCOAT PARK A

THE Maroon and Whites' second string are having a better season, having made it to the quarter-finals of the Brooke Edgley Shield and are sitting joint-third in the Sale Sharks Division Four North merit league table with a game in hand.

Martin Kennedy leads the side still with Dave Whynne looking after the back line. With players moving up to help out the first team, the squad has been pushed to its limits, but with news faces James Dallimore, Colin Wright and Adam Archer in place they are doing okay.

Luke Shaw has been a revelation this year with his big carries, as have colts Joe Dalton and Harry Higgins as they make the transition to open age. If the team can get more bodies to training, there will be no stopping the side in the New Year.

WINDERMERE

WINDERMERE have won as many as they have lost in the Cumbria League, but look to be growing in stature with the forwards starting to control set pieces and breakdowns at will.

Jamie Hardman continues in his role as club captain, with Dan Harrison providing support to the team both on and off the pitch.

The recent return of Jimmy Crawford after a long injury lay-off is big for the team, as is the inclusion of big second row Josh Dawson. Johnny Benson's move to number eight from the engine room has been a revelation, keeping the game tight.

Bertie Hodgson has been having a good season at fly-half, with partner in crime Dan Nield getting the backs up and running. The team with look to get into the positives by way of wins against losses, which is something they seem sure to do.