Match Preview

Hartlepool Rovers welcome Whitby to the New Friarage for the first time at senior level (kick off 3pm).

The Whites will start the match as firm favourites with the Seasiders having a rough time on the road so far but they will arrive in town with nothing to lose.

Rovers’ however, come into the game on the back of a 38-5 win at Ponteland last time out, albeit two weeks ago, and after a week’s lay off that would probably have been better off not happening. That’s one for the RFU league administrators but it did seem a nonsense after only five weeks of the campaign and with still light afternoons.

There is every chance that a win for the Friaragemen, and other results going their way, could lift them at least two places in the Durham Northumberland One table and make it better reading.

The White Shirts welcome back Steven Barnfield and Matty Stephenson from injury with Barnfield partnering Ryan Foreman, allowing Alex Rochester, who impressed at the base at Ponteland, to move back to full back and Stephen Railton onto the wing. Stephenson is named on the bench alongside Sean Swallow and Liam Armstrong.

Patrick O’Callaghan and Danny Charters form the second row and there is a terrific back row of Joe Little, Liam Wood and Andrew Dring who will be faced by former Rover Freeman Lane who is named at openside in the Whitby line up.

Rovers: Rochester, Maguire, Barnfield, Burnside, S Railton, Foreman, Stephenson, I Flounders, T Stead, N Stead, O’Callaghan, Charters, Little, Wood, Dring (c). Subs: Smith, Swallow, Armstrong