YORK RUFC are hoping it will be third time lucky tomorrow at Clifton Park.
Coach Ken Higgins’ men take on Keighley in Yorkshire One looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Yarnbury and Scarborough.
His depleted squad has been racked by injuries all season and unavailability looks to have caught up with the Clifton Parkers in the last couple of weeks – particularly in the 28-3 thumping by Scarborough.
Billy Cakaunitabua, usually a winger, starts at scrum-half against Keighley and Andy Kay is at number eight, with skipper Jon Sharpe returning to the replacements.
York have Rob Kama to fall back on at wing with Sam Arkle and Sam Potrykus in the centres.
Selby are boosted by two major signings as they look to grab their third win on the spin.
The Sandhill Laners entertain second-placed Sheffield buoyant after league and Yorkshire Shield wins over derby rivals Malton and Norton in the past fortnight.
Dan Porter returns to the game after two seasons spent training with the Olympic rowing team and goes straight into the first team at full-back, while Maori prop Tiaoni Maclean joins from Wellington.
At 19-years-old, standing 6ft 2ins tall and weighing around 20 stone, he is regarded a fine prospect.
He is introduced into the second team as he is not yet registered to play and is joined in that team by several regular first teamers recently missing through injury including Martin Protheroe, Andy Gabel, Matt Smith and Wright Phillips.
Rob Triffit is fit for first team duty and skipper Rob Taylor also returned to training. Elsewhere on the injury front, Sam Weller and Adam Walton could be fit in the New Year when competition for places will surely be hot.
Malton and Norton are in deep trouble following their narrow 16-15 loss to Selby, a game they perhaps should have won, and are in desperate need of a result at struggling Skipton.
Pocklington travel to Yorkshire Two strugglers Hessle without half a dozen regulars because of unavailability and injury.
Among those missing are leading scorer Nick Bennett, who is a spectator at the Barbarians game at Twickenham, and vice-captain Dan Wilson, who is at the Dubai Sevens.
While the first team are at Hessle, the action at Percy Road is shared between the Cambridge University women’s game on the front pitch (1.30 pm) and a veterans’ derby on the back between Pocklington Merovingians and Driffield Extra Cents.
York Railway Institute are not in Yorkshire Four action this weekend.
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