JAKE MURPHY says Cornwall must not let the pressure of being defending champions get to them when they take on Cheshire in the County Championship final at Twickenham on Sunday (12noon).

The Duchy have never claimed back-to-back titles before so the team could make history this weekend.

But Plymouth Albion’s 2015/16 captain Murphy says the players just have to concentrate on their performance rather than thinking about writing their names in history.

“It’s the second year in a row I have been up there, so I know what to expect,” said centre Murphy, who helped Cornwall beat Lancashire last season. “But there is that pressure as defending champions.

“Yet you’ve just got to try not to buy into those things (like trying to make history). If you put too much emphasis on that then you’ll take your eye of the main target, which is a performance.

“We need to go there and put on a good performance and then we’ll see at the end of the 80 how we got on.

“I think the squad has been getting better week by week.

“You want to enjoy the occasions but you want to get the result as well.”

Murphy has started all Cornwall’s County Championship games this year after missing the last five matches of Albion’s season with a broken bone in his hand.

“I was gutted to miss the club stuff, especially with the way the boys finished – that was outstanding and I was really proud of them,” said Murphy.

“But, personally, it’s good that the county stuff comes at the end as it has given me a chance to get out on the pitch again, which I’ve enjoyed.”

Murphy was a key player for Albion last season, starting 21 matches and scoring six tries.

However, his future is up the air following the club’s takeover last month.

When asked about his plans, Murphy said: “My plans are just to play at Twickenham on Sunday and then we’ll just see.

“It’s no different to most years, the summer will roll on and we’ll see what happens.

“I would love to be pulling on an Albion shirt again next year but we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Cornwall have been boosted by news that tight-head prop Christian Judge has been passed fit to feature on Sunday. He will start on the bench after recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in Plymouth Albion’s final match of the season at Richmond.

Meanwhile, Albion back Matt Shepherd has been added to the England Counties squad to tour Canada.

Shepherd, who last week signed a new deal at Plymouth, will join fellow Cornwall players Tom Cowan-Dickie, who has been linked with a move back to Albion after a season at Redruth, and Craig Williams in the England tour party, who will play three matches in Canada between June 3 and June 11.

Cornwall

15     Matt Shepherd                     Plymouth Albion

14     Lewis Vinnicombe                 Redruth

13     Jake Murphy                        Plymouth Albion

12     Nielson Webber                    Redruth

11     Robin Wedlake                     Plymouth Albion

10     Billy Searle                          Plymouth Albion

9       Greg Goodfellow                  Chinnor

1       Tom Cowan-Dickie               Redruth

2       Rupert Freestone                 Plymouth Albion

3       Craig Williams                     Redruth

4       Ben Hilton                          Launceston

5       Tony Whittle                       Camborne

6       Kyle Marriott                       Redruth (Captain)

7       Sam Matavesi                     Plymouth Albion

8       Herbie Stupple                   Plymouth Albion

Replacements

Richard Brown                      Redruth

Christian Judge                     Plymouth Albion

Damien Cook                         Camborne

Chris Fuca                             Redruth

Jon Dawe                               Plymouth Albion

Sam Parsons                         Redruth

Lewis Webb                           Taunton