Previews 2007-8 Season (scroll down for earlier previews)  - By Gethin Taylor

MOORE v DOUGLAS

Attention returns this week to the domestic and national leagues as after two weeks of Wales ’s triumphant march to the title, hopefully, the RBS Six Nations takes a weeks break. Or it might if attention was not focusing on the Isle of Man ’s cultural event of the year, the Marown Pantomime where the ugly sister is my opinion far from living up to her name. For Douglas this means a trip to Moore which is not exactly a rest cure some might assume considering they are ten points behind Douglas in the league albeit having played a game less.

Moore are currently lying fourth in the league but have dropped too many points to be in the promotion shake up. They though will have a strong influence in the run in as they are also have games against the other two promotion contenders, St Edwards Old Boys and Trentham, as Eagle have fallen away. They could also be argued as being the form team in the league as in winning their last four fixtures they have only conceded eight points.

Moore will therefore provide a stern test to a Douglas side which was not at its best last week against in their home victory against Mossley Hill and had to rely on all their grit and determination to turn the game around in the second half. A similarly poor first half on Saturday and Moore might not be so generous. Moore have a large experienced pack but Douglas defeated them comfortably in the reverse fixture although not at fill strength as although Moore had a large pack their lack of fitness made them unable to utilise this advantage and Douglas had the edge in the backs.   

This Saturday may see a repeat as with it being half term several of the side with jobs in education or kids at school have taken a chance for a short break so Douglas will again not be at full strength and will miss the cornerstone of their pack Ben Dutnall. Moore however should have improved with regard to the fitness stakes just from the run of games and if this is the case they may prove to be a tough nut to crack.

This though is a game that Douglas can afford to loose, although they will not want to, as with five games remaining they are effectively four points clear of their nearest challengers so four wins from five matches will see them crowned as champions.

The pessimistic side of has an inclining that this game might go against Douglas but Douglas are defeated this season away from home which gives you an indication of how many times I have been wrong before. But if they can put in another performance at the level of their last away match at Trentham when they won 48 – 0 then there is nobody in the league who can touch them. I am claiming though some credit to that result as two trips to the Vatican the previous day obviously had some effect although I normally do not hold much truck with prayer, but with Wales winning as well recently I may have to reappraise my views. Ultimately though as a supporter there is much not I can do but if the players they can win the match then they might just pick up the points. 

DOUGLAS v MOSSLEY HILL

Regular readers will know what is coming, but those of a nervous disposition, especially England supporters may want to look away know as Douglas return to league action after a break for England ’s loosing home fixtures in the opening round of the RBS 6 Nations. Oh deary deary me!

The game might deemed to be a formality by some as Douglas are flying high at the top of the league whilst Mossley Hill are perched just above the drop zone. However this is partially because they have been deducted four points by the league, probably for some minor technical irregularity such as not signing the score card in the correct colour ink. In the reverse fixture earlier in the season Douglas comfortably won by 20 points and at home they should be stronger but as was evidenced last week there is no room for complacency no game is over until the final whistle is blown. If you do not take your chances when they present themselves then, as Ireland nearly found out last week and England did, you might be left with the proverbial egg on your face. Ho ho ho.

I do not expect Douglas to fall into the same trap this week as although historically Mossley Hill have always given Douglas a harder game than their league position might suggest invariably Douglas have got the result. Douglas are also in a strong run of form as evidenced by their last league run out against 3rd place Trentham who they comprehensively beat 48 – 0 away. That was in “a powerful, classy display to which Trentham had no answers”, which if that seems slightly more erudite than usual then I take no credit as it is a direct quote from the Trentham website.

Selection for the game should be interesting as a weakened Douglas side had a comfortable win last week in the Manx Cup against Southern Nomads. Of the eight unavailable, Gwyn Davies, Ryan Maddox, Mark Magee, Kevin Spicer, Andy Hollis, Noel Capewell and Bobby Ranscombe, due either to holidays, injury or a Twickenham jaunt, wrong decision boys, only Andy Hollis who is still on holiday this week provided he caught his plane, invariably he misses much of what he is meant to catch, is not available for selection. That is if the boys have returned from London and are not still crying into their drink.

I would suggest that one or two will be warming the bench as Andy Jones and Lee Illott will be pressing for a start after a string of impressive performances for the 2^nd team or the 1sts when called upon. Youngster Alex Nicholson might also retain his place in Andy Hollis’s absence as he has been scoring regularly for the seconds and notched up a couple in his first outing for the first team last week.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 which I was going to say should enable every body to get back into the bar for the start of the wooden spoon decider between Italy & England. However I understand that has now been moved down the bill to Sunday. In the meantime I am off to collect my winnings as I do not believe anybody else had money on me not mentioning the country of birth once in this preview. Well I did not want to pour oil onto troubled waters, Ciao

Gethin (even I was a better fullback than Balshaw) Taylor

TRENTHAM V DOUGLAS

To misquote Gregg Wallace on Masterchef, “ Rugby does not get much tougher than this.” Well not in EuroManx South Lancs Division 3. For those not familiar with Masterchef it is a cookery program which my wife has is addicted to without it having any noticeable effect on her culinary skills.

Trentham away should be Douglas ’s most difficult league game of the season as there is little in the visiting sides favour. It is by far the longest trip of the season as Trentham is basically in Stoke on Trent and it gives little or no time for pre match preparation depending on travel conditions. On top of this they have a distinct advantage in their pitch which is not the largest and generally not in the best of conditions. However they have done a considerable amount of drainage work over the summer so hopefully it will be conducive to running rugby.

They are also a decent side and have not lost in the league since just before bonfire night and have not lost at home all season. In doing so they are conceding on average less than five points a game at home and this has driven their promotion push and they currently lie in second place in the division four points behind Douglas .

Having talked up Trentham there is hope that rather like the stock markets this week their record will go down the pan. Douglas have already convincingly beat them at home this season when the Manx side’s forwards were well on top although Trentham were short of a couple of props that day.

Douglas are also unbeaten on the road and deservedly top having dropped only two points all season and that defeat being by only one point. They should be travelling with a reasonably strong squad and while they are short of cover in a few positions the availability of their players who are students or staff at King Bills post Christmas is a welcome boost. This is especially the case with regard to Lee Illott who was harshly dismissed in the previous fixture, a view up held by the subsequent independent disciplinary hearing which exonerated him. The Douglas forwards are a solid unit and there is plenty of pace in the backs, although it is to be hopped that winger Andy Hollis can last more than sixty minutes this week have been substituted against Eagle when he complained of being tired. Poor little lamb. It is therefore probably a good job he dropped so much ball last week or he may not have made it to half time! 

The match is probably too close to call and it may depend on who gets on the right side of the referee on the day or the bounce of the ball. What is certain though is that Douglas have already had a good January having beaten the other two promotion challengers. A victory for Douglas would ease their path to finishing top of the pile and promotion. A defeat would not be terminal though as it would still leave Douglas top by two points with six games to play. Especially as their three nearest rivals have still to play each other whereas Douglas have played them all in the last month and know exactly where they stand.

DOUGLAS v EAGLE

I have never held much truck with the story of Noah, it was not so much the questions of practicalities in terms of building an ark, collecting the animals and feeding them for 40 days but it just seemed a bit harsh. While I understand wanting to wipe out the human population due to their level of wickedness it seemed over the top to want to wipe out all animals at the same time. Surely as the All Mighty you could have thought up something a bit more discriminating unless the elephants, rabbits and pandas of the world had also given up their bible studies.

Now all that may appear a bit irrelevant where a rugby match is concerned, however in a week where we have also seen the second coming with the return of the Messiah on Tyneside it would appear that Noah might also make a reappearance if the weather forecast is to believed. There therefore has to be a level of doubt if the game will go ahead as whilst Douglas will desperately want to get the game on with a team flying over it is unfair to bring them across only to have the game called off.

Presuming the game does proceed it should be an interesting fixture as Eagle lie fourth and defeat this weekend would probably put them out of promotion race. A win and they will be back in it so they should travel with a huge incentive. They also ran Douglas close in the reverse fixture with only one score in it until the last play when Douglas got the final score to extend their lead.

The weather could also be hugely influential if the predicted deluge arrives and makes it a day for the piano shifters up front to lark around in the mud rather than the piano players in the backs. The only problem with this analysis is that neither side has a particularly big pack, with both sides relying on technique and fitness. The traditional fat boys of the game being found on the touchline these days rather than the field, although there are one or two of us who have retained our Adonis like figures since retirement from playing.

Douglas though should expect a victory provided they have come down back to earth from their superb victory away to St Edwards Old Boys last time out. That result has put them in poll position in the league and six wins from their remaining eight fixtures should see them promoted. Home wins are an imperative part of this equation and I would expect captain Jon Hill to reward those who travelled last time out, but judging from the second teams performance last time out there are plenty in the wings ready to step up and Andy Jones, Gwyn Davies and Peter Moorhouse may be pressing hard for inclusion.     

The game should be close but provided Douglas continue to put the effort in and believe in their abilities they should take the points in a game which is scheduled to kick off at 2.00pm. Prior to that is the standard pre games supporters lunch which if the rains arrive it might be worth arriving at 2 by 2 or at least with the sub aqua gear.

ST EDWARDS OLD BOYS v DOUGLAS

I am sure we’ve all had similar experiences. You are tucked up warm in bed, full of eager anticipation as Kylie & Danni Minogue after months of arguing have finally agreed to share you when you are brought back to reality by the wife reeking of curry and vodka as she returns from yet another night out with the Mothers from Marown School . 

Well, Douglas may be in for a similar rude awakening this January as it is time to put up or shut up with regard to their promotion bid as after being out in front all season defeat on Saturday would see them loose top spot to St Edwards Old Boys on points difference both with two defeats apiece. It does though not get much easier for Douglas from there as their following games are against the sides lying in third and fourth spots in the league and the only remaining sides with a realistic chance of promotion.

It is not helped that two of these three games are away and realistically it will be hard for Douglas to pick up the points from either of the two away games. If that is the case it will make the promotion race very tight as according to my calculations Douglas are only able to loose 2 of their remaining 9 games and still be certain of at least second spot. It would therefore leave Douglas no margin for error in any other games or they will be relying on other sides to do them a favour.

It does demonstrate how hard it to get out of the leagues as the margin for error is slight. It is especially difficult for the Manx sides where an away game sees each player away from home for approximately 12 hours and with the best will in the world even with supporting families and employers players can not be expected to make every trip.

Although it is a tough month of fixtures for Douglas there are two positives. If they can pick up an away win at either St Edwards or Trentham it will certainly ease their promotion path as it would put the onus on both those sides to win all their remaining games. Secondly whatever the outcome having played their promotion rivals come the end of January Douglas will know exactly what is required for promotion. That is probably preferable to having the games later in the season.

With the game being played across St Edwards must start as favourites, especially as they are the only side to have put a dent in Douglas ’s record this season. In that game Douglas threw away a winning position but neither side will pay much credence to that result as both sides on the day were significantly under strength. Douglas though may have learnt more, specifically not to give the St Edwards back three time to counter attack. That means kicking deep into touch so they can not take quick throw ins and if kicking in field a good chase and follow up tackles are imperative. 

Douglas though will go into the game with the belief that they can win and at this time of year results can be difficult to predict due to the availability or absence of students and others on holiday. This may fall into Douglas ’s hands as several of their student class should be available to strengthen the bench or slot in if others are unavailable. Judging from the boxing day game where the under25’s tonked, (a technical phase) the over 25’s there is no questioning the youngsters numbers or ability. They just have to go out and prove their metal and hopefully come the end of the day they will be “So Lucky, Lucky, Lucky” and not require an X Factor description. Did you see what I did there?

DOUGLAS V ELLESMERE PORT

This report may be short I have returned home after a Christmas drinks reception with one of the local banks to find the computer on the blink as I am sure it should not be going in and out like the tide. There is another possible explanation which is I am terribly drunk and those who do not know what is terrible about being drunk ask a glass of water.

Having got the obligatory Christmas reference and naff cracker joke out of the way it is time to turn attention to the game which marks the start of the second half of the season. Douglas are sitting pretty at the top of the league having only dropped two points but the league remains tight with three sides within four points of the top.

The second half of the season is also potentially tougher than the first for Douglas as they have away fixtures against two of their promotion rivals. In addition the Douglas side is in the main fairly young and inexperienced and being not the biggest side in the league rely to an extent on their fitness and the pace they put on the game by playing a high risk off loading game. The dry autumn suited Douglas ’s style of play but now the wet weather and heavy pitches have arrived they may have to grind out results against bigger sides who will be catching up on fitness fitter from playing week in week out rather than through the pre season beasting.

With ten games remaining Douglas have to win eight to be in with a chance of one of the top two spots. It is therefore imperative that they win all their remaining home games starting with the home encounter against Ellesmere Port this Saturday. Since Ellesmere Port are second from bottom in the league that may be taken as a given but their league position may not be a true reflection of their current form as they started of the season with a young inexperienced side. This was not successful and accordingly they have brought back a lot of old heads to try and emulate a Panamanian canoeist and come from the dead.  They have won two of their last four games including a good result against a Holmes Chapel side who are no mugs.

  That should though should be good enough to beat a Douglas side at home and may be strengthened by the availability of Andy Jones and Lee Illott now King Williams have broken up for Christmas, but strange results do happen at this time of year. Playing at home is a huge advantage in the Christmas party season as fewer players are missing due to other commitments or the effects of the night before. If Douglas play to their strengths on what should be a fast drying pitch then they should win comfortably in a game kicking off at 2.00pm .

DOUGLAS v PRENTON

In may still be November but this weekend marks the mid point of the league season and provided Douglas pick up the points on Saturday at worst they will go into the second half equal top and a minimum of three points clear of the third place side. That is pretty good but it could have been so much better except for the one point defeat at home to St Edwards Old Boys which is their only blemish on an otherwise 100% record this season

The structure of the season though is rather like my wife's driving, all over the place as? having played nine matches in a ten week spell they now face a period of nine weeks with only three games with only one in December. This is partly due to Christmas and? there being an odd number of teams in the league so all clubs have a weekend off at some stage? but even allowing for that it appears the computer may have been at the cooking sherry when setting out the season.

Whether the rest is a good thing for Douglas only time will tell but after the concerted period of games they certainly seemed in need of a rest as whilst not exactly running on empty they were starting to pick up a fair few niggling injuries which may have been down to fatigue. Hopefully the rest and recuperation will do some good and whilst they can not treat the next two games too lightly it may be an opportune moment to focus on the fixtures coming up in January when they play the other three top four sides in the league.

Mind you the series of matches was not only taking its toll on the players but I have to admit fatigue was beginning to set in on this reporter as at times this task feels less like writing a report than one of the labours of Hercules. Each week I found myself with identical thoughts, occasionally tinged with psychotic impulses as I kept writing the same old blurb with a miniscule twist to each. There were frequent thoughts like does anyone gives a monkey's about what I say about the opposition, when will anybody notice that it is basically the same each week with, will there ever be any factual accuracy in a report let alone a preview, and basically Lord have Mercy will it never cease.

If I felt like that I am not sure how the players felt but hopefully after a weeks rest enthusiasm has been rekindled, niggling injuries have cleared up and Douglas can go out and put in an eighty minute performance against Prenton who have not had the best of seasons. OK lets be blunt it has not even been that good as they have only picked up a solitary point and struggled to score points. Although defensively they have not been that bad which probably points to them having a solid pack as has been the case in recent seasons.

However with Douglas top and Prenton bottom, Douglas should be looking to win this game well and boost their points tally. You can trot out all the glib comments that there are no easy games, that you must go in with the right attitude but at home Douglas should have no excuse not to win and win well although the weather promises to be a bit of a damper in a game scheduled to kick off at 2:15 as until now Douglas have had the luxury of form pitches which suites their style of play.

ELLESMERE PORT v DOUGLAS

There comes a time in every woman's life when there is concern about everything starting to drift South. Obviously there are certain opportunities available to try and slow down the process and Douglas will be seeking to ensure that last weekends first loss of the season does not single a slump in their fortunes.

Douglas will still be smarting about that defeat as going in with a weakened side against the second place side in the league was always a risk, but on the day they were dealt a decent hand as St Edwards were also short of a few players and for all but the last few minutes of the match Douglas were ahead. But it is the score at the final whistle that counts. The smarting will be because Douglas know they had the opportunities to win and but for individual errors at crucial times would have. That though is a learning process and provided the lessons are learnt the players will be better for the experience in the long term

A game against Ellesmere Port should potentially be the ideal pick me up for Douglas as until last week they had not won a match this season. They broke their duck last weekend away at Prenton who they exchanged places with at the bottom of the league. However a world of caution as away trips are always potentially hazardous and Ellesmere Port might not appear to be the whipping boys that their league position might suggest as they only lost by a solitary point to Trentham earlier in the season so it would appear that they can pull out the odd performance.

Although Douglas have picked up a couple of more injuries in training this week, Andy Hollis and Dan Creer being the latest to complain of niggles, I new getting a young female physiotherapist was a bad idea, they should hopefully welcome back a whole scutch of players who were missing last week due to various reasons and you would expect that based on form to date they should take the points.

It will though again be a case of playing what is in front of them as past experience has taught that Ellesmere had a heavy experienced pack but not a lot else. I have heard no reports of them though this season though and as they do not have a web site there is little ?information to be gleaned so I might as well stop now and just check the wife to ensure everything is anchored firmly north or it will be time to trade in. 

Eagle Vs Douglas

Seeing a trip to Eagle on the fixture list used to send players running for cover, looking for excuses to look after the kids, or go shopping. It is not so much that you might just get beat by the opposition on the pitch, but that the spectators would join in as well and it might unhappily carry on long after the final whistle in the changing rooms. To be fair Douglas never experienced the worse of their excesses but it was always at the back of your mind and it was a happy day a few years ago when they left the leagues. Why depends on whose story you believe. Did he fall or was he pushed down the stairs officer?

Well now they are back. Fortunately though unlike Freddy Krugger they are not as mean and bad as ever but rather appear to have been transformed. Rather like the Beast at the end of Beauty and the Beast. If you do not know the story get your tickets early now for Marown's pantomime as all will be revealed. As may too much of me if I do not loose some weight to get into my little green number. Gone is the gnarled old pack of experienced trouble to be replaced by a much younger fitter side. Fifteen of the players who have played this season have come through their colts and they have developed into a decent all round side.

Prior to last weekend they were in the chasing pack immediately behind Douglas having lost only one game but they surprisingly dropped a point away at Prenton. It was though a game they probably should have won having been ahead for most of the match, only for Prenton to equalise with the last kick off the match. Ultimately untimely losses in concentration and discipline cost them. They will want to be make amends though this week as a win will put them only a point behind the league leaders. A defeat and five points is a lot to make up.

Douglas for the same reason will want the points as a win will cement their place at the top of the league and see another rival drop back. It would also set up Douglas for a big clash the following week against a St Edwards Old Boys who would appear to be the toughest side that Douglas will face this year. A win in both games would see Douglas with a nice bit of daylight at the top of the table.

However that is getting way ahead of ourselves and first there is a job to be done against Eagle. If Douglas pack can put in a performance to match last weeks effort against Trentham then this should be within their capabilities as whilst Eagle are not necessarily? weak up front they are not the force of old and other sides have had joy their this season. James Stamp after a weekend of fresh air has gone to back London until Christmas so James Creasey will come in at hooker. He may be lacking a bit of bulk but he makes up for it in mobility and with Ben Dutnall and Noel Capwell along side it is still a solid unit. Equally important is James's willingness to try and move from the back row and the effort he is putting in training to master the hooker arts.

Provided Douglas gain the upper hand in the set piece Eagle may find it difficult to play rugby on the back foot just as Trentham did last week. If they are not so dominant then Douglas's backs will just have to hang onto the ball better than last week as they have plenty of pace out wide and created plenty of chances but they threw too many away with poor execution and handling skills. If they have learnt to catch this week then I am hopeful of another two points to maintain Douglas 's undefeated start to the season.

DOUGLAS v TRENTHAM

After a weeks rest Douglas resume their league fixtures this weekend with a tough home game against Trentham, one of four teams who have so far lost only one game and who make up the chasing pack behind unbeaten Douglas . Although it is early in the season this could be a make or break three weeks for Douglas as they play two of the other chasing sides in consecutive weeks so come their next rest week Douglas should have a good idea of where they stand.

The big concern this week is that everybodies' minds are on the game and not distracted by the big match in the evening. That may be difficult as World Cup fever again appears to have taken hold, at least among England supporters. Even the more balanced amongst us, possibly because of chips on both shoulders, have a strong interest in the events of the evening and most know intrinsically who to support as we only have ever supported two teams. Our own national side, which in case I have not mentioned it previously is Wales , and anybody who is playing England .

This year it has been easier to live up to that inbred prejudice than last time round as on performances over the last four years and at the start of the World Cup England have hardly set the world alight. While there is grudging admiration that they have against the odds reached the final it is tempered by the fact that for the neutral it is very turgid to watch England . Unfortunately though they are not solely at fault for that as in the knock out stages most of the sides have set out their stall not to loose rather than to try to win.

This is fine if you are a supporter of the winning side as ultimately in a knock out tournament winning is the aim and we would all trade places, but it is not entertaining for the average arm chair viewer. It is also probably not great for the game as commentators have suggested that tactically rugby in this world cup rugby has regressed 20 years while others wonder just why William Webb Ellis ever bother picking up the ball in the first place considering how much boot has been put to ball.

Hopefully the game at Port E Chee which kicks off at 2:30pm will be a more exciting spectacle, especially as the weather is set fair so it should be played in ideal conditions. It will though be a tough game for Douglas as Trentham appear to be travelling at near full strength showing slightly more commitment than our near neighbours up the road who have cancelled their game lest they miss the match travelling. Obviously they are slightly less advanced than my six year old daughter who has already mastered the video controls. Trentham appear to be a good all round side with a strong pack and judging from reports they are not lacking in fitness which has been Douglas's strong card so far this season, enabling them to pull away from the opposition in the last quarter of games.

Douglas though are not top of the league for nothing and although they have had no continuity of selection this season they have deservedly won all fixtures this far. If this fixture was away you would have to tip Trentham as they rarely lose at home and they appear to be in a bit of form having beaten Oswestry, who are doing well a league higher, last week 34- 17. Douglas though should be stronger at home and provided they are close to full strength they can continue their current run

After the game the Club House will be staying open to watch the World Cup final on the big screen. As this was donated by the Isle of Man South African society I am sure all Douglas members will be supporting South Africa as a reciprocal gesture! Hot food will be available in the evening probably in the form of a good old traditional "English" curry or chilli and everybody is welcome down. If any South African wishes to set up a traditional braai there is a all the equipment that is needed down there but they will have to provide your own meat as there has been a lack of impala and warthog wandering across Port E Chee meadow recently. I blame global warming

Bokke Supporters Club

DOUGLAS v MOORE

This may come as a shock to many but I have done some research. Proper research at that, rather than just trying to excuse a pub crawl along the Barberry coast as a review of the pubs and beer served on the North Quay. Readers may therefore wish to sit down now before they are overcome by emotion on discovering that this preview is for a large part going to be accurate and factual. I am also proud that I have learnt the meaning of two new words.

The research is not that in depth being nothing more than a five minute perusal of the Moore website. But is has been enlightening. It sets out their aims for the season which are a top three spot and a Cheshire Plate Final. There is also reference to now they are presently third to trying to go two better and finishing top. These are slightly lofty aims for a side that finished third from bottom last season but there have been wholesale changes at the club with a new coach and an influx of players.

Accordingly they will be the hardest challenge that Douglas have faced all year especially as they are determined to beat Douglas “for once” this season and so the Manx side will not get any favours from them. This though might not have been the case if it had been the end of the season as another part of the website appears to state that their ambition is to remain in the same league as Douglas as they like their weekends in the Isle of Man. The corpse of tourism in the Isle of Man is obviously still twitching.

Moore lost their opening league game narrowly at home to St Edwards Old Boys when they had a fair few new players unavailable awaiting registrations to come through but won their next two game convincingly. Their pack appears to be solid and playing a quick running game their main threat appears to be in the backs and whilst they may be missing their main kicker this weekend Douglas will have to keep a careful eye on Maxwell Ferguson in the centre who has picked up two man of the match awards this season

This game should be a true test for Douglas, who currently are unbeaten in the league, especially as they appeared to find a bit of form in the second half last week at Newton Le Willows. If they play like that for the full eighty minutes then on the wide open Port e Chee pitch in what promises to be decent conditions this should be a cracker of a game as both teams appear to like to run the ball.

It promises therefore to be a high scoring game and it may well turn on who makes least mistakes on the day. If Douglas can make their tackles hard and early and shackle the Moore backs then I would expect them to win. If they slip off tackles then Moore have the skill and space to do some serious damage. Home advantage though invariably weighs in Douglas ’s favour and it would be nice to christen the new match shirts, which are being presented by Sponsors TLC Business Solutions Limited prior to the match, with a win. For those of a nervous disposition you will be pleased to know that on the grounds of decency and taste they are not being modelled on the figure hugging shirts being worn at the World Cup.

Kick off is scheduled for 3.00pm but as ever it will probably be brought forward to 2:30pm provided Moore do not get waylaid at the bar when checking into their hotel prior to the match

GETHIN TAYLOR

NEWTON LE WILLOWS v DOUGLAS

  I quite enjoy spurious irrelevant facts so it is pleasing to be able to note that for the third consecutive week Douglas take on another undefeated side in the league. Whilst true it is not necessarily that impressive as this is the only third game of the season and everybody starts off on day one undefeated but it is a nice run to try and keep going if only because it means Douglas themselves also will have a 100% record.

Although in the league both sides have unblemished records it does not appear that either side have actually been performing that well. Douglas ’s wins have been on the back of a couple of mediocre performances and against stronger sides they might have come unstuck. Certainly they are not presently playing as well as they did in the main for most of last season. Some of this is down to a bit of early season rustiness, which is also an excuse being trotted out by most of the underperforming six nations sides in the World Cup. It has also not been helped by the inconsistency in team selection with players not being available for several reason including 8 or 9 players being in Cardiff last weekend to watch the World Cup. They should be back available for selection this weekend so coach Jon Hill should have a slightly stronger squad to select from.

Newton Le Willows have been over the years one of my consistence tips for promotion however they have never quite delivered. Not that I would put my mortgage on my tips. Not that it would be a large bet as I am in a similar position to a South African referee, Andre Watson, who stated that in the 2003 World Cup Final he would only give penalties at the scrum if he could his mortgage on it. Being a man of sound pedigree and judgement he penalised England five times in succession at which Steve Thompson was heard to remark “Here ref, you must have a shite house”

When Newton Le Willows were good they were very very good, but they also have had a lot of mediocre days losing to sides which you would have expected them to beat. Like Douglas they have therefore being a constant in the division for a considerable period. They seemed to have slipped back slightly over the years and although they have had a strong start I am not sure whether that is a reflection on their strength or the opposition weaknesses. It may well be the latter as like Douglas they appear to have played some of the possibly weaker sides in the division although you can only beat what is put in front of you.

This result could go either way. At home I would back a Douglas win but on their travels it generally is a lot more difficult. Ultimately a lot will depend on the level of performance that Douglas put in and if they play at a level nearer to their potential and take their chances then they can pick up another win. If they put in another mediocre performance then they might struggle

Gethin Taylor

DOUGLAS v HOLMES CHAPEL

It may only be the second week of the season but Douglas are already being forced into making wholesale changes to their side as they take on Holmes Chapel in their first home league fixture. To quote the living legend that is Tom Jones, It is not unusual for the Manx sides to have a level of unavailability as players struggle at times to meet the commitment required for an away game which requires a day off the Island . What is new here is that it is a home game and the reason, which is that a round of the World Cup is being held in the UK and many of the players taking an opportunity to travel to Cardiff .

Although there are wholesale changes to the side that beat Parkonians away last week the side has not necessarily been weakened and especially in the pack where Ben Dutnall and Richard Forster come into the front row to add a bit of beef. In the second row Tom Quayle comes in for Nial Bradley who is off to college across.

There are more changes in the backs with a new half back pairing in Adrian Shimmin and captain Jon Hill a whole sale reshuffling in the centres James Wood and Gwyn Davies and a new back three in Aarron Maddox, Ryan Maddox and Toddy. Individually each are all good players with first team experience and looking at the names you would immediately strike you that it is a weak side. Where it is lacking is that they have never played together before as a unit and this was fairly obvious in training on Tuesday. Back moves had all the fluency of the England in the World Cup.

Holmes Chapel will provided a strong challenge as whilst Douglas did the double over them last season they were both hard fought victories. They also appear to have started strongly this season as they had a convincing win last week over Prenton who finished in a strong fourth place last year, Early indication are that they might well be a team to watch this year bt as ever it will take a few games for things to pan out but they can boast that at present they are top of the league on points difference!

The game is scheduled to kick off at 3.00pm and there should be a large crowd as it is “ladies” day at the club. This is a new event at the instigation of that old letch Tony Wilson-Spratt whose little black book, rather like his hair, is obviously getting a little bit thin these days. Prior to the match there will be a lunch for all wives and girlfriends of those associated with the clubs both past and present and whilst I am sure there is not one that Sprout has not contacted, if you have missed your invite please turn up.

I am not sure what the players will think having such a large female support, but at least their rugby knowledge can not be less than some of the normal spectators and players. I have to admit having slightly mixed feelings as it obviously stops the wife moaning about me disappearing for an afternoon but rather like the garden shed it is somewhere I go to escape the wife! The players also may have mixed feelings as I believe new for the club this weekend is that a physiotherapist will be on hand for the match. A female at that as well. With the WAGS on the touchline I fear that those groan strains lads will have to wait for another week

The prospects are ultimately for a close match which could go either way. Provided Douglas do not perform as abjectly as some of the Northern Hemisphere sides have done so far in the World Cup home advantage could tilt the balance in Douglas ’s favour. However the backs will have to click to score some tries again rather like England I am not sure there is a regular goal kicker in the side so they may not be able just to rely on the boot 

GETHIN TAYLOR

  PARKONIANS v DOUGLAS

When he was not making cakes, Mr Kipling wrote the out bit of poetry. If is a fairly renowned work although if I was to critique it I would have to say do find that it is somewhat lacking in that nowhere in its description of what it takes to be a success and a man does it mention rugby or being welsh.

It is still a good basis though to base today’s on dissertation on as If Douglas had two competitive front fives they could be expected to again push for promotion, alternatively If they could put out their best team every week then again they would again expect to challenge for promotion although this might also be dependent on If they could fill all the relevant forms in correctly over the season.

These are big Ifs though as in recent years although Douglas have are producing loads of nimble young backs and back rows providing the solid stodge up front has been less fruitful and when they have found guys then they tend to be lost of the Island for a while. This season both second row Nial Bradley and Hooker James Stamp will be off Island for part or all of the season. The latter is a serious blow as Douglas have no ready made replacement. If there is a hooker out there who fancies a chance at national league rugby then this is a golden chance to give it a go.

If Douglas can resolve their problems at hooker then again this season they can be fairly successful although I would not be putting money on promotion because as last season shows to be promoted at most you can afford to loose two or three games at the most. It is also very hard to judge the strengths of other teams in the league as two years ago, this weeks opening opponents Parkonians were one of the best teams in the league. Last season they were fighting relegation at times. Where they will be this year? Well your guess is as good as mine.

Last seasons success was based on the confidence gained from a strong start to the season in what appeared to be a difficult opening series of fixtures. Some of these games were won only narrowly but all but one was won which gave the club a huge lift as in reality they had expected to struggle to pick up points at the start of the season and with a young side some had expected a difficult season on the cards. This year the fixture list appears to have fallen more kindly on the team but the side go into the match missing some of last years key players. Stamp and Bradley are already missing as noted above as is prop Ben Duntnall, who solidifies the pack, at a wedding. You would have though by now that men would have learnt about the pitfalls of getting married. Sorry, my wife tells me I have left out the words “in the rugby season” at the end of the last sentence.  Hmmm. 

Elsewhere the Douglas squad would appear to be stronger as Neil Killey is back on the Island to increase competition in the back row and Bobby Ranscombe is back at scrum half. He is probably sure of his place in most sides but there is the added bonus that he can also play at 10 which with Lee Illott and Bryn Snellgrove gives Douglas options at half back. There also appear to be a whole production line of youngsters coming through with the most promising of these Ryan Maddox, who was selected at his age group for the county training squads, likely to go straight into the team.

From pre season games it would appear that Douglas have the players to do well If they can gell the youngsters with some old heads although it might take a few games to get used to the intensity of league rugby. Rather like before the start of last season I do not expect them to be pushing for promotion but they should be solid in mid table and if they can get a hooker and a bit more strength in depth in the front row and second row then they might presently surprise again.

Gethin Taylor