Nick Nurse is ready to break the mould at the All-Star game.

The Brighton Bears coach will send his players out at Newcastle Telewest Arena on Sunday and tell them to play some defence.

This is the 14th All-Star occasion and no team has ever scored less than 125 points.

Nurse, who has been selected to lead the southern conference selection, said: "I will get the players to play hard and you will probably see more defence than normal.

"This is a great showcase for the BBL but the way the game has been played has not always been a great advert."

Nurse's line-up includes Sterling Davis, Albert White and Randy Duck.

Plans to bring the fixture to Sussex next season appear doomed. Bears director Romek Kriwald had put the Brighton Centre forward as a possible venue.

The league are adamant they want the match played in January, when the Centre is being used for the annual ice show.

Sussex has a second All-Star coach in Worthing Thunder's Gary Smith, who will lead the south in the NBL's match at Solent on March 2.

He is expected to call-up Sean Hampton, Paul Mundy-Castle and Gaylon Moore but has bigger things on his mind when Thunder bid to put their season back on the rails at Sutton tomorrow from 7.30pm.

Chris Wright is likely to be in the Thunder line-up after moving from Bears.

Sussex fans can enjoy international action at The Triangle in Burgess Hill tomorrow (8pm) when England play the first leg of a friendly double header with Hungary.

England stars likely to be on view include Andy Betts of AEK Athens, Bree's Julius Jospeh and Yorick Williams, now with Aris Thessalonika.

Refiloe Lethunya is now expected to play and Nurse may delay his trip to Newcastle to re-open talks with to the 6ft 8ins forward.

Admission is £6 with discounts available for groups of ten or more. More details from Bears (01273 626943).

Brighton Cougars host Barking in an NBL Shield quarter-final at Portslade. Sports Centre tomorrow (7.30pm).