Match Preview

KO 2.15pm Saturday 26th at Mint Bridge
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What can I say about Bowdon that has not been said before (seven days ago)?

Since then they have lost another game, but from reports, they played far better than their league position would suggest, and were in touch with us for most of the game, and despite our team playing well, they only got the important fourth bonus point try late on. So the team will need to be at its best again this weekend.

Playing the same opposition two weeks running is unusual, but I thought it had happened before in (fairly) recent seasons. It happened in the 2005/06 season when Darlington Mowden Park were played away on the 4th March, then in a re-arranged home game the following weekend. We also played Fylde in consecutive home and away fixtures in 2001, but that does not really count as there was 126 days between them, as one was the last game of the 2000/01 season and the other the first of the 2001/02 season. Prior to that I think it has happened a few times since 1950, and slightly more often before then.

TEAM : A bit of a changed line-up this weekend, but only two who start were not in last weekend squad:

Liam Hayton moves to the front row (only his 7th start there), and Reece Tomlinson comes off the bench into the second row. Dane Blenkharn comes into the back row in place of Greg Wrathall.

James Gough come in at scrum half for a first appearance since Manchester in late November, and Dan Lowther moves to fullback, with Danny Barker regaining his place in the centre, and Chris Park starting on the bench.

Chris is joined on the bench by Dan Greenwood and Chris Evans.

WEATHER : Looks better than normal, cloudy but dry.

NEXT WEEKEND : This is the last game of the Winter kick-offs so next weekend, again at Mint Bridge, against Birkenhead Park, should be a 3.00pm start.

2ND TEAM Are away at Windermere in a friendly - with another returnee in the front row team

- Mark Hodgkiss