The Papa Johns' game is another step into the unknown, although the Academy lost to Cockermouth Colts in Cumbria a couple of weeks ago.

The hosts prefer to call their team the Wasps by virtue of their strip. They finished runners-up in the Cumbria league and Conference to Upper Eden who they beat 18-15 in their first round at Kirkby Stephen. At the same time West were beating Didsbury Toc H 28-21 in South  Manchester.

When this competition was announced the impression was given that every effort would be made to balance home and way games.  However, this is West's second road trip of well over 200 miles - no doubt because the of the four Northern teams who won in the first round three had played away. As a result the other tie should have been Keighley versus Goole, however the home side have now withdrawn. That  does seem odd, but apparanetly a wedding is involved somehere down the line. What that could mean is that the winner of Cockermouth v West is likely to play Goole next week.

But first there's the small matter of the last 16 game at Strawberry How.  Cockermouth are taking the competition as seriously as  West and biilling it as one of their biggest games for years.

Their playing record in Counties 1 Cumbria Conference is played 21 and won 18. Cumbria is different in that in the first half of the season all 12 clubs play each other once and then the top half plays the other five twice in the second half, while the bottom half does the same. It's designed to prevent high scoring mis-matches  in the second half.

That's about all we know about Cockermouth RUFC,  although some of the West Alicadoos do fondly remember a trip round Jennings's Brewery  before the big boys closed it down last October. Lovely town, great people at the brewery and legendary ales now being brewed elsewhere.

The town's other claims to fame include being the birthplace of William Wordsworth, the mutinous  Fletcher Christian and a certain Ben Stokes.

Some changes for the Firsts from the side which won in South Manchester, while the Stags have a massive squad to choose from for their game against the old rivals.

Aidan Jackson-Smith and Max Tennant are both available this week, and are due to be on the coach to the Lakes together with Alex Barker who will start in the back row with Isaac Robinson unavailable.

Jake Linighan  will continue with the Stags where Zac Southern will take Stu Waites's shirt after another unfortunate shoulder injury for the fly-half.  Jake Tennant is also available again, following his cameo appearance at Didsbury where hooker Louis Adamson also featured well in only his second first team game.

Charlie Kay has been lively for the Stags and will provide bench cover for the Firsts this week, alongside Tim Blades and Lewis Scott.

This is how the squads are shaping up: