Fylde face their most difficult game of the season on Saturday when they travel to Liberty Way to new National Three (North) league leaders and old friends Nuneaton (ko 14.00). Nuns were one of the pre-season promotion favourites and have gradually improved their position with six successive league wins culminating in a good 23-7 victory at Loughborough Students on Saturday.

Although Nuns home record is good, they have slipped up twice at Liberty Way - against Leicester Lions & Caldy. But on the road their performance has been superb, with five straight wins and a draw, the exciting 27-all contest at the Woodlands in September. This will be remembered for Fylde fly-half Steve Nutt's last minute penalty miss from pretty much in front of the posts. 4th placed Fylde's away recored, by contrast, is very poor - played 6, won 2, lost 4. So Nuns will be firm favourites to extend their winning run. 

Fylde & Nuns have enjoyed many games over a long period and Saturday's contest is likely to be predictably competitive. 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. 

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. This has led to legal and financial complications which have resulted in the rugby club having to play this season on a secondary pitch with few facilities for spectators. Attendances have been disappointing this campaign with home matches attracting an average of less than 200 spectators.

Nun's 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 spoke in the summer of the challenge of reviving the club's playing fortunes. He insists it will be done by living within means and with more emphasis on the club's home-grown talent. Umaga said: "We were 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."

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

Nuns have a competent but not heavyweight pack which features front rowers Tim Pickard & Adam Bray, influential flankers Gary Holmes and skipper Ian Critchley, locks Dan Hurst and Llyr Griffiths (ex-Stourbridge & Ding Crusaders), and no 8 Matthew Aston, formerly of Stourbridge & Coventry.

Their backline is very talented and stars half-backs Aley and Hugh Thomas, fullback or fly-half Rob Cook and wingers Will Cave and the much travelled Kiwi Aaron Takarangi (formerly Bay of Plenty, Ebbw Vale, Pertemps Bees & Coventry). Nun's leading try scorer Takarangi is one of five players in N3N on 9 tries, four behind Fylde's Oliver Brennand. Fylde's defence will have to be really in top form if it's to keep this backline at bay. Cook has played at fly-half in Aley's absence and was outstanding in orchestrating his backline at the Woodlands in September. Aley is a prodigeous goal kicker and despite missing some games has still amassed 134 points including an extraordinary 8 dropped goals.

Nuns name an unchanged starting line-up:

15 Mickey Moore; 14 Will Cave, 13 Alex Taylor, 12 Tim Douglas, 11 Aaron Takarangi; 10 Rob Cook, 9 Huw Thomas; 1 Brook Davies, 2 Adam Bray, 3 Paul Ryan, 4 Dan Hurst, 5 Llyr Griffiths, 6 Nick Smith, 7 Gary Holmes, 8 Matt Aston.

Replacements: 16 Mark White, 17 Adam Woodfield, 18 Nathan Roy-Smith, 19 Rickie Aley, 20 Simon Brocklehurst.

Fylde name an extended squad for the game:

Backs (from): Mike Waywell, Nick Royle, Tom Albinson, Neil Hunter, Oliver Brennand, Steve Nutt, Craig Aikman, Martin Wallwork, David Wiseman.

Forwards (from): Andrew Irving, Alan Holmes, Darren Clark, Roger Banks, Oliver Atkinson, Dan Bowman, Dave Wilks, Sam Beaumont, Sam Simpson, Mark Darlington, Grant Ferguson, Mark Stephenson & Dan Palmer.

Prop Ross Davies is ruled out as he's playing for Sale Jets at Saracens in a Guinness 'A' league game on Thursday evening.

One player who will definitely miss the game is Fylde's former Nuneaton lock Nick King, still nursing a broken arm. The King family have close relationships with Nuns as they come from the town and Nick's late father was also a notable player in the black and red.

Fylde Director of Rugby Mark Nelson said: "This is a defining game for us. Given the eight points difference between the two clubs at the moment, we can't afford to lose further ground on the leaders."

                                Nick Royle, with Dave Wilks in support, breaks against Nuns at the Woodlands in September.