Match Preview

The second game at the new Mintbridge, and things don’t get any easier. After starting against the team in second, this weekend it is the team at the top of the table, who have dropped just one point this season, and that was in probably there most impressive result.

Wins against struggling Morley and Birkenhead Park are no surprise, and Billingham and Sandal had not started the season as well as they would have wanted, but to go to Hull, who only lost at home twice last season (to the team who finished 1st and 2nd), and who a fortnight earlier held the Grasshoppers to a 10 all draw, and win 19v28, shows they are a team on the up, after finishing just behind us in the table last season.

So there will be no room to give them a head start, as has happened in too often this season

TEAM : A fortnight off to repair some of the injuries, also sees two of the long term injury absentees due to make their season debuts, with Zane Butler on one wing and Kris Bratton on the other. Brett Ashley moves into the centre, with Damian Armstrong. Dini Noyo moves to scrum half, where he had an excellent first half at Harrogate, after Mattie Kaye was forced off. Mattie starts on the bench - when did the club last have a choice between three quality scrum halves ?.

Upfront Ben Leacock returns after being unavailable for the Harrogate game, and is joined in the second row by Will Montgomery who missed that game with injury. Liam Hayton is back starting from the bench. Chris Downham returns at No.8.

Danny Barker completes a strong bench – hopefully there will be no need to use it this weekend, until the coaches choose to.

WEATHER : Not Good ! Very wet and windy – a good test for the new facilities