AFTER throwing the Yorkshire Two promotion race open with their win at West Park last Saturday, Pocklington face another tough test when they entertain closest rivals Dinnington, at Percy Road tomorrow.
Dinnington and Pocklington are level on 16 points in third and fourth place and Pocklington will again have to step up to the mark as Dinnington handed them their biggest defeat of the season - 39-8 - when the two sides met in South Yorkshire in November.
Pocklington lock Mark Biggin is unavailable as he is one of a group of Pocklington players and supporters who have jetted out to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro Tanzania.
But the club hopes that prop Nick Hobbs' flight in the opposite direction - he went to South Africa for Christmas - gets him back in time to play.
Biggin's place in the second row is taken by Ben Hirst - his first senior game for five years. Teenagers Matt Davies and Nick Bennett join the squad after being on Yorkshire Under 20 duty last weekend, while the side's joint leading try scorers, fly-half Henry Mitchell and No 8 Dan Wilson, are trying to shake off persistent back and ankle injuries to play.
Pocklington's league fixture takes priority over their Yorkshire Shield first round tie against Selby at Sandhill Lane. Selby are hoping to arrange a friendly fixture to fill the gap.
Durham and Northumberland 1 leaders Malton and Norton travel to Billingham for a rearranged fixture.
After last week's thrashing of bottom side West Hartlepool TDSOB there are minimal changes to Malton's side.
The back division which started last Saturday is unchanged provided full-back Ben Hough is not required by Leeds Tykes. If he is needed by the Headingley club then David Webster will move to full-back, with Ryan Lonsdale coming into the centre berth.
In the pack, Andy Mitchell is unavailable so Karl Shaw moves from second row to blind side flanker, with Duncan Foster resuming in the second row. Tom Anderson will start at open-side with David Cooke on the bench.
York are without a first-team fixture tomorrow, but the 'A' team take on Sandal, while York RI, also without a league match, were hoping to arrange a game for their first string.
Updated: 11:44 Friday, January 13, 2006
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