Douglas Rugby Club travel to Burnage on Saturday with the two sides separated by only one point after three rounds of the Regional Two North West season.

Both sides have won two from three, and the 5G playing surface in Stockport usually encourages a fast and flowing game.

Last season’s October fixture saw a weakened Douglas take away a precious bonus point from Varley Park in a nine-try contest and the Manx side kicked on to finish sixth, but there is a suspicion that the Port-e-Chee outfit has since improved.

With a meaningful pre-season fixture under their belts, Douglas started the campaign well and the confidence factor cannot be overlooked.

Last time out saw Altrincham Kersal concede 62 points at Port-e-Chee with the home side not quite reaching top gear, while Burnage squeaked past Altrincham Kersal and Winnington Park after losing a 94-point fiesta at Varley Park against Sandbach in round one.

The loss of hooker Gihard Visagie to the UK has well and truly been supplanted by the addition of Josh Campbell, son of ex-Douglas prop Ben and certainly a chip off the old block.

Allied to front-row options Conor Garland, Simon Hoddinott, Owen Carvin and Robert Todd, and ex-Lymm lock forward Ethan Kermode making his Douglas debut alongside skipper Blake Snell in the engine room, Douglas have rarely been better equipped up front.

In the back-row the conundrum for coach Phil Cringle is frothing nicely where Liam Kirkpatrick, Blake Everson, John Dutnall, Ian Larson and Harry Cartwright present a three-from-five equation that will only end with a strong bench, and Mark Oldfield is yet to return after injury.

Selection dilemma’s continue with Nathan Robson back in the squad after Craig Martin’s excellent stand-in at scrum-half against Altrincham.

Matty Wood, Harry Hewson and Josh Duncan are growing as a unit match by match, while Oli Corkish is developing a real nose for the try-line out wide.

With Jonty Cope taking time out abroad, Kyle Martin is high on the list of fullback options for the foreseeable. Kick-off is 2pm.

TONY WILSON-SPRATT