Following on from Saturday's overwhelming 62-13 victory over Harrogate, Fylde's Director of Rugby Mark Nelson said:"I think that we set a benchmark for ourselves and our rival clubs in N3N - both by the score and the manner of it. It was a classic team performance. The old maxim was never more accurate - the forwards determined our victory, the backs by how many."

"This coming Saturday will be difficult for the Club. Not only do we have a long trip to Hereford for the 1st round EDF Trophy game but we have four other cup matches for the senior teams. Some 1st team squad members are carrying injuries and clearly need a rest. So do some of the forwards who've played some hard rugby in these first six weeks of the new season.

"On the other hand, we're determined not to denude the Wanderers team for the Hereford trip as that will have knock-on consequences for the Saracens, Vikings and Vandals as well. So there are opportunities for a number of 1st team squad players to step up to the mark against Hereford."

Fylde make 12 changes in their starting line-up from that which ran out against Harrogate last Saturday. Four players make their 1st team debut - wing Matt Gargett, fly-half Ryan Miemczyk, lock Matt Thompson & flanker Mark Stephenson. Another three players named amongst the replacements might also feature at 1st team level for the first time - prop Martin McAreavey, hooker Ashley Watts and utility back Jack Ward.

15 Mike Waywell; 14 Matt Hughes, 13 David Wiseman, 12 Mark Edwards, 11 Matt Gargett; 10 Ryan Miemczyk, 9 Martin Wallwork; 1 Andrew Irving, 2 Alan Holmes(c), 3 Ted Scott, 4 Matt Thompson, 5 Alistair Atkinson, 6 Dan Palmer, 7 Mark Stephenson, 8 Mark Briggs.
Replacements: 16 Martin McAreavey, 17 Ashley Watts, 18 Roger Banks, 19 Jeavon Trend, 20 Jack Ward.

Congratulations are due to hooker Alan Holmes who skippers the team for the first time. 

One of these newcomers who will be unknown to most Fylde supporters is UCLAN masters student Ryan Miemczyk who joined the Club a few weeks ago following a brief spell at Waterloo. Principally a fly-half, although he can play in other positions across the backline, he has already linked up well in the Wanderers' fine start to the season with scrum-half Ben Hall & '2nd five eighths' Mark Edwards. Ryan (5'8", 78 kgs) has an interesting rugby CV. The 21 year old with dual English & German nationality has  played for Loughborough Students, Rotherham Titans Development XV as well as notching up representative honours at various age grade levels with Notts Lincs & Derby, East Midlands, England Colleges & England Touch Rugby squad.

Ryan said on joining Fylde: "Since leaving University I attended preseason with Waterloo. However,  I was looking for a club that reflected the style of rugby both on and off the field that I had been used to at Loughborough. Fylde has the facilities, players and attitudes that make it so enjoyable to be a part of the Club."

It's good to see the return to the squad of prop Ted Scott who had a brief spell with Blackburn at the beginning of the season. Former Fleetwood players Mark Stephenson, who has just recovered from a nasty arm injury, and Matt Thompson, who made his Sale Jets debut at Gloucester recently, will also be tested at this level for the first time. 

With the greatest respect to Hereford RUFC, to say that Fylde's officials are looking forward to the 360 miles round trip to the South Midlands would be exaggerating matters somewhat. This is the fifth successive away National Trophy fixture for the Woodlands club in three campaigns in a competition which is in its final season. It's very likely that next season Fylde will be competing in a 16 team league if the RFU plans for a revised league structure come about and there won't be a cup competition to distract them.

The Gods are paying Fylde back for their good luck in 1990/1 and 1991/2. Hereford were drawn at the Woodlands in the 1st round of the Pilkington Cup in successive seasons, both home wins, 22-3 & 17-10. In 1991/2 Fylde went on to meet a star studded Leicester Tigers team in the 3rd Round at the Woodlands before courageously going down by 6-34.

Hereford currently head Midlands Two (West) following a very positive start with five successive wins. [Photo left by Robin Davis & courtesy of Hereford RUFC]. One of their wins came at home to a club Fylde will remember from a few seasons ago, Dudley Kingswinford. Hereford finished 2nd in the division last season but lost out on promotion following a home 13-43 defeat by Hinckley in the play-off. This time they're determined to go one better.

Hereford RUFC has a long history going back to the club's formation in 1870. The peak of the Club's league achievements were in the 1980s culminating in a spell in the national leagues between 1989 and 1994. In the 1980s they also moved to their current home, Wyeside. As the Club has grown, it has looked for a bigger and more appropriate base and a year ago announced plans to move to a £4M development on the periphery of the town.

Club chairman Guy Griffiths said: "We have become such a stronghold for county community rugby that we are bursting at the seams. It is not unusual for us to have up to 400 youngsters training at Wyeside on a Sunday."

The provisional Hereford squad for Saturday is:  15 Sean Day; 14 Robert Farr, 13 Will McQuaid, 12 Adam Knight, 11 Richard Rees; 10 Keiron Hallam, 9 Billy Grisman; 1 Billy Sparey, 2 Elliot Bee, 3 Ben Probert, 4 Owen Root, 5 Jamie Bullock, 6 Matt Pritchard, 7 Alistair McCall, 8 Luke Yarrington.
Replacements from: Harry Jenkins, Will Watkins, Richard Preece, Simon Sabel, Craig Rowlett, Nick Harrison, Trevor Bufton.