Fylde welcome its old friends and rivals from Nuneaton RFC to the Woodlands on Saturday (ko 15.00) for a very important National Three (North) fixture. The two clubs have enjoyed many games over a long period and Saturday's contest is likely to be predictably competitive. Nuns are one of the pre-season promotion favourites so the game will be a benchmark for both clubs as to their respective progress. Their narrow home defeat to Leicester Lions in the opening game of the season was a setback but they had more luck in their high scoring 41-30 win over Loughborough Students last Saturday.

Nuns have see-sawed between National Two and Three (North) several times and last season suffered their most recent relegation back to level four in the RFU league system. The last time the two clubs faced each other was in the 2005/6 season when Nuns won both matches, by 19-29 at the Woodlands and by 25-10 at Liberty Way. However, over the years Fylde has a very good record and will be looking to improve this once more on Saturday.
 
Nuns moved to their ground in Liberty Way in 1995 and a couple of years ago agreed a ground sharing arrangement with the town's football club, Nuneaton Borough.

Their head coach is the highly regarded Kiwi former Coventry DoR & accomplished player Mike Umaga who was appointed in the summer of 2007. Despite the setback of relegation at the end of his first season in charge, he's relishing the challenge of reviving the club's playing fortunes, but insists it will be done by living within means and with more emphasis on the club's home-grown talent. Umaga said: "We have been living beyond our means and we can't afford to do that any more. The club needs to secure its future and we are about laying foundations. We need to be self-sufficient, and that's a massive statement from the whole club." A major strengthening of the coaching staff sees the return of former Leicester and England prop Darren Garforth who will work with the forwards alongside former flanker John Munro.

Newcomers include the talented 17 year old on loan Leicester Academy fly-half Rickie Aley, prop Brook Davies (Sutton Coldfield), hooker Nicky Smith (Kenilworth), former Mini-Junior & Colts centre Richard Johnson and fellow centre Alex Taylor (ex-Esher & Rugby Lions).

Players who left the club at the end of last season include Glenn Southwell (back row), moving to a junior club; no 8 Ryan Banks has moved to Dubai; scrum-half Alex Wright, centre Jody Peacock and locks Matt Soloman & Mike Pearson, all joining N3N rivals Leicester Lions; lock Ben Griffiths and prop Keith Fowles have joined Stourbridge; and prop Virgil Hartland has retired.

Nuns have a competent but not heavyweight pack which features props Tim Pickard & Adam Bray, influential flankers Gary Holmes and skipper Ian Critchley, lock Dan Hurst and former Coventry & Stourbridge no 8 Matthew Aston.

Their backline is very talented and stars half-backs Aley and Hugh Thomas, fullback Rob Cook and wingers Will Cave and the much travelled Kiwi Aaron Takarangi (formerly Bay of Plenty, Ebbw Vale, Pertemps Bees & Coventry). Fylde's defence will have to be really in top form if it's to keep this backline at bay.

Nuneaton make three changes from the team which beat Loughborough Students. Fly half Rickie Aley, who notched 28 points against the Students, is replaced by Rob Cook, and Mickey Moore starts at full back. New signing Ratu Naivalu starts at number 8 replacing Matt Aston and Gary Holmes moves to 2nd row.

15 Mickey Moore; 14 Will Cave, 13 Richard Johnson, 12 Tim Douglas, 11 Aaron Takarangi; 10 Rob Cook, 9 Huw Thomas; 1 Brook Davies, 2 Adam Bray, 3 Tim Pickard, 4 Dan Hurst, 5 Gary Holmes, 6 Nick Smith, 7 Ian Critchley, 8 Ratu Naivalu.

Replacements: 16 Scott Wright, 17 Paul Ryan, 18 Nathan Roy-Smith, 19 Adam Jones, 20 Alex Taylor.

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The only change in Fylde's starting line-up sees newcomer Tom Albinson named at outside centre. David Wiseman is on the bench releasing Mark Edwards to get game time for the Wanderers, also playing at the Woodlands tomorrow, against Liverpool St Helens 2nds.

15 Martin Wallwork; 14 Nick Royle, 13 Tom Albinson, 12 Neil Hunter, 11 Oli Brennand; 10 Steve Nutt, 9 Craig Aikman; 1 Sam Simpson, 2 Alan Holmes, 3 Darren Clark, 4 Nick King, 5 Roger Banks(c), 6 Dan Bowman, 7 Dave Wilks, 8 Sam Beaumont.

Replacements: 16 Andrew Irving, 17 Chris Tyms, 18 Dan Palmer, 19 Grant Ferguson, 20 David Wiseman. 

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The match will be preceded by a minute's silence in tribute to 23 year old Dan James, a Nuns & Loughborough University player who was seriously injured in training in March 2007, and who died this week. Fylde RFC sends its sincere commisserations to Dan's family and friends.