The Manx Shield’s top two, Southern Nomads and Douglas Celts, both take to the field this Saturday.

Nomads face Emerging Nomads in a double header at King William’s College while Douglas make the short trip up the road to Ballafletcher where they face Vagabonds B.

Probably the pick of the two games is at Ballafletcher.

Celts need maximum points to keep in touch with Southern Nomads at the top of the table and they need someone else to do them a favour too. Douglas won the earlier game 46-5 and will want a similar margin.

They have lost out twice to Nomads in the Shield already and must win all their remaining games and hope for an unlikely Nomads’ blip.

Conor McCaughan leads the Douglas score charts in the Shimmin Wilson competitions this season with flair from the backs being provided by Phil Plaatjies. The pair have 15 tries between them.

For Vagas, however, the situation is less rosy.

They had a great Manx Bowl and indeed have qualified for the final.

They’ve since gone off the boil and have struggled to find personnel some weeks. On paper, Douglas should take the points.

At King William’s College the two Nomads teams meat in a ’six-pointer’.

Their earlier meeting was postponed and they elected to place all the points on offer on this match.

I suspect, however, that’s somewhat academic as Southern Nomads should win this one easily as they march onwards to yet another Manx Shield title.

Fixtures: Saturday, February 16

North One West

Birkenhead Park v Douglas

@ Birkenhead Park

Lancashire/Cheshire Three

Prenton v Ramsey @ Prenton ko 2.15pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Shield

both ko @ 2.15pm

Southern Nomads v Emerging Nomads

@ King William’s College

Vagabonds B v Douglas Celts

@ Ballafletcher

l Round up of Saturday’s rugby in next week’s Isle of Man Examiner - on sale Tuesday morning.