Well done the All Blacks!

Great to see Warrington Wolves kick off the new season with a win but it took me a while to get used to the club's new away kit on Sunday. New Zealand in black, yes, Widnes in black, yes, but Warrington...?

I do prefer the Wolves' traditional home colours of primrose and blue but I think the black jersey with silver panels will be a big seller and that is partly what counts for clubs these days. One great thing about the black top for supporters was that it was easy to pick out the players' names and numbers on the back - crucial with so many newcomers in the side.

Warrington's prize for winning at Wakefield is the trip to St. Helens in the fifth round. What a chance for players in both camps to renew some old acquaintances, it really does add some extra spice to what will already be a passionate 'derby' affair.

Wolves players Adam Fogerty, Jason Roach, Lee Briers and Chris Morley used to play for Saints. Roachy and Briers live in St. Helens while Danny Whittle not only lives in St. Helens but his dad, Kevin, runs the bars at Knowsley Road.

In the Saints squad, Paul Sculthorpe only left Wilderspool at Christmas while centre Andy Haigh and winger Joey Hayes are Warrington lads and prop Julian O'Neill lives in Warrington.

Saints' new full back Paul Atcheson and prop Brett Goldspink were in the same Oldham squad as Warrington centre Vince Fawcett last season while new Saints winger Chris Smith kept Warrington's Roach out of the Castleford team for a spell last year. Brendon Tuuta is another Castleford link.

So as well as the two teams getting down to the business of winning I am sure there will be a few old scores to be settled too! It makes for an appetising game and my only hope is Warrington can offer Saints a much stiffer contest than on their trips to Knowsley Road over the past three years.

While Warrington earned a safe passage to the fifth round, some former Wolves players shared in mixed fortunes.

Paul Sculthorpe scored two tries on his full debut for St. Helens at Featherstone Rovers.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Graeme Close, Mateaki Mafi, Carl Roden and Damian Whitter who were in the Workington side which was stuffed and dumped out of the cup by amateurs Egremont.

Another to miss out on the Wembley trail is Iestyn Harris. It was interesting to see him playing at full back for Leeds as they crashed out of the cup to Castleford on Saturday. Harris did not want to play full back for Warrington and Leeds, like Warrington, appear to have realised his best position is not stand off or loose forward. I wonder if making him captain at Leeds was a decision to soften the blow of switching him to full back?

I hear on the grapevine that the Wolves have had a letter back from Chris Evans. Warrington's media manager Dave Swanton wrote to Warrington-born Chris at his London office, asking for some publicity help from the mega radio and television star. No such luck! Chris has wished the Wolves good luck for the season ahead but his sporting help is already tied up with Easher Rugby Union Club. Who?

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.