Douglas RUFC travel to Derbyshire this weekend to face Glossop in North One West on Saturday.

The Manx side’s fortunes at Hargate Hill have varied since Glossop finished fourth in Lancashire/Cheshire Division One in 2016/17 and Douglas took home and away wins against them in a season where the Port-e-Chee team was promoted to North One West.

Glossop spent a further three years to advance as runners-up to Manchester from North Two West and have made a good start to the 2021-22 campaign, during which a 33-21 win at Wilmslow last week stands out even amongst victories at home against Birkenhead Park and Waterloo.

Douglas make a fourth consecutive trip away, a testing schedule even if simply travelling by road or rail to a fixture, and have introduced a few new caps along the way as injuries to Aidan O’Shea and Max Morley-Green clear up.

Up front Robert Todd continues a renaissance at the coal face alongside the returning Simon Hoddinott and Ralph Clarke, with Aaron Mason, Nathan Hinks and John Dutnall in the wings, and Wilf Kermode leaves no stone unturned while he occupies the number seven shirt.

Blake Snell may shuffle up to the second row to accommodate Niall Killey and Seth Waterworth, and whoever occupies the substitute’s bench is assured of action.

In the three-quarters, brothers Craig and Kyle Martin have long been identified as promising and nurtured along a development path now paying dividends, while the return of Luke Hyland as the sorcerer’s apprentice is a major plus.

Will Cain at scrum-half may yet feel the heat from Craig Martin but Cain is a match winner and the X factor is never far away.

Charlie Henthorn is looking capable of covering more than his favoured full-back berth and the in-form Harry Hewson is playing the best rugby of his career to date.

It will certainly be a formidable tester at Hargate Hill but Douglas have form in upsetting the odds.

TONY WILSON-SPRATT