Sam Heron has moved across to Billingham to try his hand at Level 4, so Ollie Connolly makes a return to fly-half alongside skipper Ryan Painter.

Otherwise, it's a familiar looking West line-up with a particularly strong looking bench in Liam Pennick, Jay Corbett and Will Hilditch. Jake Linighan starts in the back row.

Will Hilditch will miss a substantial part of the middle of the season as he heads off to Australia to spend some time with his twin, while the Tennant brothers  are off to illuminate Las Vegas later this month. As a result the coaches are already playing the long game in juggling their permutations - last season 34 players wore the first team shirt and it's likely to be similar this season.

Keswick will be the first, and last, opponents this season, with the Chair of Rugby already planning a walking weekend for the Alicadoos for the final game in April. He may be walking on his own if there's anything to celebrate after that game.

The two clubs have not met in the league before and Keswick arrive having experienced this level last season - winning half a dozen of their games and finishing in 9th place. Commendable when you consider the Cumbrian clubs have a lot more travelling across country than the North East clubs.

Our players certainly enjoy a coach trip and, having alredy gone across the A66 for a warm-up game at Penrith, we will heading that way again next week to take on Upper Eden at Kirkby Stephen, followed by trips to Cockermouth and Aspatria later in the season.

Not such a long journey for the Stags opponents this week.  Hartlepool Boys' Brigade Old Boys continue to field a side with a mix of experience and youth and have got a couple of players back from Rovers this season. They'll take on a Stags side bolstered by Jake Tennant, playing alongside the inexhaustible skipper Martin Todd, and with the experience of Alex Barker in the back row alongside the up and coming Charlie Kay.