Kick off 3.00pm at Mint Bridge ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Week 4 and the “warm up games” against teams who will be looking to be challenging at the top of the table are over for the moment, and it is the first of three key games against teams around us at the wrong end of the table, (one win from eleven and that was against one of the others), to tell us where we are, and the results will probably go a long way to telling us if it will be comfortable in mid-table, or looking over our shoulder at the end of the season.

First up is Burnage, who like us are no wins from three, after falling just short 29v22 away at Wirral last weekend, to pick-up a first bonus point, but give their hosts their first win of the season. So will like us be keen to go one better and get their first win of the season.

They had previously played two of the teams we have also met, losing 66v7 away at Stockport on the first weekend and then 7v45 at home against Blackburn on the second weekend.

Last season they finished 12th with 5 wins. This will be their first visit to the new Mint Bridge, but we met in the 2012/13 season when they secured a double in the first and last games of a season, where too many teams did the same, and we completed the second of two consecutive relegations.

After the tough opening against Sandbach, the games against Stockport and Blackburn have been more promising, coming close to snatching an unlikely victory a fortnight ago, and apart from an amazing ten minute spell of scoring from Blackburn, not so far away from picking something up there.

TEAM : A number of changes from the first three games

Dan Reid moves to hooker in place of Robbie Collinson, with Jack Blocksidge on the bench for his debut if he gets on. In the second row no Alex Ryder who went off injured last week or Liam Hayton, so a debut for Barney Coxon. The back row remains the same.

Lewis Kincart starts at scrum half again, but no Glen Weightman, so Mark Carruthers moved from the centre to No.10 and his place is taken by Danny Barker, who came on as a replacement last weekend.

Possible first appearances of the season off the bench for Nick Carlton (whose last appearance was against Penrith in January) and Dan Greenwood.

WEATHER : After a wet day today (Thursday) the forecast suggests it should be dry with sunny spells on Saturday afternoon

SUNDAY : The fixture list suggests the Wasps have their first game of the season against Darlington Ladies at Mint Bridge – but check for details as last season a lot of games were cancelled due to the travelling team struggling to raise a team.