Match Preview

2.15pm Saturday (29th) AWAY +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A first trip away from Mint Bridge of the year with the first away game for six weeks.

Despite losing the five points for the now re-arranged game with Bowden, we are still in second, four points clear of Manchester, and now have a game in hand over them. We do still have to visit them, as well as Glossop, and next week’s opponents Birkenhead Park, who like Bowden we are yet to play this season.

This week’s trip is to Broughton Park in the Manchester area, who sit in eleventh spot with four wins. Three wins coming at home, against Bowden and Wilmslow, plus last weekend, Penrith 24v22. Their only away win coming at Carlisle, but they also have five losing bonus points, and five try scoring, three from their wins, plus one from both their losses against Vale of Lune.

The game at Mint Bridge looked won at 21v10 at half time then 24v10 after 53 minutes, but Park came back with two converted tries for a narrow 24v22 deficit, and looked the more likely to win, before the team dug deep, and Greg Wrathall was driven over for a late try to confirm a 31v22 win.

Looking back further, the teams seemed to have played regularly until the mid-1950s, then there was a big gap until the 1980s when again regular fixtures took place, until League rugby arrived in the mid-1990s. We then only played once (in the Cup – a big win for them at home in 2006 – a season we rarely lost at home, or won away), before we met in the League in 2013.

We got the double in 2015/16, as we headed in opposite directions, with us finishing top and them bottom, but prior to that they won three of the four games, with wins by two points at home, one at Mint Bridge, then six at home.

We have now returned to this level in opposite directions

TEAM : A few changes from last week. Hugh Davies starts instead of Dan Reid. Matt Houghton is back, replacing Dan Greenwood. Mark Carruthers comes in on the left wing replacing Kris Bratton. Liam Hayton joins Dan Lowther and Dane Blenkharn on the bench.

WEATHER : Heavy rain around lunchtime but should be dry later on

No suggestion of a repeat of the 2013 game, when the teams were offered the chance to come off during a big lightning storm overhead.