Experienced prop Neil Dickinson has been described by Wharfedale coach Jon Feeley as “one of the greatest servants any club could have".

The Greens’ stalwart again showed his worth when he appeared as a replacement for the injured Joe Altham in last Saturday's 39-24 win over Henley – Wharfedale’s fifth successive SSE National League One win.

Dickinson, 44, has made over 200 league starts and appeared more than 100 times as a replacement for his club.

“Dicko is remarkable,” said Feeley. “He doesn’t just come in and hold up one side of the scrum, he gets around the park too and does a really good job for the team.

“He is great to have around and the lads have such great respect for him in the dressing room.

“It is hard to imagine anyone being a better servant for their club at this level of rugby.”

Dickinson will be on the replacements’ bench again on Saturday when Wharfedale visit Blaydon, and joining him there will be Leeds Carnegie prop Ben Hooper, who has been brought in to provide additional front-row cover in the absence of injured skipper Chris Steel.

Wharfedale have made just one change to their starting line-up, with Jack Barnard earning a start at blind-side wing forward after his impressive performance as a replacement against Henley when Josh Burridge was injured.

Feeley said: “For his sheer hard work, tackling and support play, he would have been a contender for man of the match.”

Burridge has recovered from concussion and takes a place on the bench, where utility back Will Bell has been drafted in to provide cover as Wharfedale, with eight wins from 11 games, look to build on their best-ever start to a National League One season.

It won’t be easy as Blaydon are unbeaten in seven games - a sequence which saw them record six straight wins before drawing at Old Albanians last Saturday. Their home victories included one over promotion favourites Doncaster.

“It will be a tough test, and we know exactly what to expect,” said Feeley. “Blaydon is a tough place to go and play. They are a strong and physical side who look to exert pressure on their opponents before capitalising on the errors they force.”

Despite another entertaining performance against Henley, Feeley wasn’t totally happy. “I would give us six and a half out of ten,” he said.

“The lads were disappointed in the changing room, and that shows you how far we have come as a team.

“With limited possession, we were clinical in the first half, which was pleasing, but as far as giving too many penalties away, I will have to look at the video.

“We haven’t been an ill-disciplined team but the amount of defending we had to do in the first half up the slope cost us in the last ten minutes. Credit to Henley – they kept going right until the end.

“You have to work out and accept what the referee is doing in each game.”

Man of the match Tom Davidson said afterwards that, with only 30 per cent possession, it showed what the Dalesmen were capable of in attack.

He said: “We are enjoying the freedom that we have been given and we were really clinical in the first half.

“But the amount of defending we had to do, due to indiscipline, left us legless in the last 20 minutes.”

Wharfedale: Christian Geogiou, Scott Jordan, Joe Donkin, Tom Davidson, Josh Prell, Tom Barrett, Philip Woodhead,Joe Altham, Dan Stockdale, Jake Armstrong, Richard Brown, Richard Rhodes, Jack Barnard, Aaron Myers, Rob Baldwin. Replacements: Ben Hooper, Neil Dickinson, Josh Burridge, Dan Solomi, Will Bell.