Crooks looks for school glory

Bob Crooks is the only man who has two teams in the Daily Mail Finals at Twickenham tomorrow and he and Saracens couldn't be happier.

John Fisher of Purley and Campion from Hornchurch are among the Zurich Premiership club's state partner schools and Crooks, director of development, has worked closely with the John Fisher boys en route to the Under 15 final, six of them being members of the Saracens Academy.

The 35-year-old former Southend forward has also kept more than a passing eye on Under 18 challengers Campion where he has been concentrating on younger players, two of whom, James Roberts and John Beith, are part of the first-team squad. The partnership with schools - formulated two years ago by Crooks and Saracens chief executive Mark Evans - plus the academy has proved invaluable to Saracens' evolution.

A third of the playing staff have now come through the academy and include first-team hooker James Parkes and second row Stuart Hooper from Ivybridge, another partner school. Saracens help the schools with funding, resources and coaching plus they nominate a top player to drop in on the schools when he can.

In this week's build-up to the Finals, England flanker Richard Hill fine-tuned the John Fisher forwards and commented:'They are a good team, have some exceptional players and a lot of pace outside the pack.' Hill played at No.8 for the Bishop Wordsworth team from Salisbury, who lost 4-3 to King Edward's, Stratford, in the first Under 18 final in 1991 and said: 'My main advice to the boys was to try to enjoy the experience of playing at Twickenham, win or lose.' Hill's charges are unbeaten this season, having scored more than 1,000 points, but will have their hands full in their first meeting with Surrey rivals Epsom College.