A TRICKY game at Old Modernians awaits York RI RUFC on Saturday as they begin a year they hope will include promotion to Yorkshire Two.

RI, at the summit of the Yorkshire Three table, take on a Modernians side which has won just three of their 11 matches this campaign. But RI coaches are taking nothing for granted.

Teamwise, Robin Grice continues to impress at stand-off in the absence of Matthew Yates, but RI will be missing second row Ian Jeffries and Andy McArthy.

Club spokesman Nigel Lowery said the side was focused on promotion but, with only four points between top and sixth, he said there was still an awful lot of rugby to be played.

Lowery said RI was pleased to come through the Christmas period relatively unscathed from injury - something which wrecked their campaign last year - and hailed the impact of the club's trio of foreign players, Australians Michael Tyrpenou and Anthony Allport and South African Justin Hardman.

"We definitely have promotion ambitions," Lowery said. "But there's not a lot between first and sixth. It was the Christmas period which hit us hard last year and we're very pleased with how it's going so far.

"Saturday is just another game along the way. We beat them 37-0 at home but they can be a funny team on their own park. It won't be easy."

League leaders Malton and Norton return to Durham and Northumberland One action eyeing up an easy win at home against basement side West Hartlepool TDSOB.

The same back division which bewitched Northern will be on duty again - except for Andy Newsome who has not trained over the holiday period because he is an expectant father.

His place at scrum half goes to Tom Stephenson. In the pack, Duncan Foster has a leg infection and is replaced in the second row by John Dobson with Andy Mitchell returning at flanker. David Cooke is on the bench.

It's a tough task for Pocklington, who resume league action with an away trip to Yorkshire Two league leaders West Park Leeds.

West Park have lost just one of their 11 league encounters, but that was at Pocklington in November when the Percy Road side triumphed 34-19.

For Saturday, Pocklington have selected a 21-man squad, which will be refined after a number of players have undertaken fitness tests.

Updated: 09:29 Friday, January 06, 2006