Anth Carr is having a rest so Paul Vinnicombe leads the side from No 8. Chris Stewart is the only one of last week's front row to start with Tim Sawyer running the show from the bench.

Paul Rudd makes a welcome return to first team action. He'll be in the back row in place of Dominic Morrison who is unavailable for the next two weeks.

Davy Tighe is also taking a well earned rest with Paul Williamson a more than able deputy. The Cheslins are back on the wings while Neil Howe gets a start in the centre after recovering from illness. Gareth Kerr will partner him with Peter Hodgson on the bench.

They'll take on a City side which has slumped after running us so close last season. But they did win their first game last week - at Driffield of all places - and are always difficult to beat at Hollow Drift.

We have not exactly excelled in the cups in recent seasons, including suffering the same fate as Rovers this season, in not being allowed into the draw for pulling out of a cup game the previous season.

But the Intermediate Cup is an important proposition for all kinds of reasons. It is the last one before the league reorganisation and two teams from our level will get to compete at Twickenham. Last season Chester narrowly beat Birkenhead Park - our opposition last week.

It also provides much needed revenue with a bigger share of the pot for each round and, in our case, the chances of getting some more home games, After New Year we only have four league games scheduled for Brinkburn!

West I Dixon C Cheslin Kerr Howe A Cheslin Moss Williams Stewart A Dixon Norris I Robinson T Dixon Rudd D Boatman Vinnicombe [c] Reps Coates Sawyer Thomas Hodgson