Match Preview

Do you remember the last time ? Until seven minutes into injury time (still not 100% sure where the referee found them), the team looked as if it was going to break its long run of away defeats, before a late Billingham score. To say the team this weekend is much changed from four years ago is no understatement. Dini is the only survivor in the backs and Duncan in the forwards.

The home game that season was equally dramatic, with Kendal building 22v5 and 34v10 leads, to be pulled back to 34v31, before winning 41v31. Billingham had given some squad players a game, and supporters turned up in Hawaiian fancy dress. Again Dini (playing scrum half) was the only back who plays again this weekend, but Duncan was joined by Liam Hayton, James Thompson, and Garry Holmes, with Ben Leacock on the bench, meaning there were a few more familiar names up front.

This is the last on the first round of games, and Billingham are currently in fourth position (we seemed to have played a lot of top four clubs this season) with their only losses coming against Huddersfield, Rossendale, Hull, but more surprisingly Cleckheaton, in their only loss at home. All their wins have been with a try scoring bonus point, but they have not got any when they have lost, so the answer is to stop them scoring – sounds simple !

TEAM : A fairly settled team. Danny Barker is not available so Damian Armstrong moves into the centre and Leo Mercer come in on the wing
Otherwise the same team as selected for the game that failed to go ahead last weekend

WEATHER : Four years ago (also in December) the game had to be re-arranged after a frozen pitch, and was rather damp on the Saturday before Christmas when the game was played. The good news is the forecast for this weekend looks a lot better with no overnight frost and a warmer dry afternoon