It’s Ladies Day, so the pink breast cancer charity strip will be worn , and the team is in joint second place with 11 points having already played two of the top teams in the league in Northern and Middlesbrough.

The Stags are also flying in CaNDY Division Two scoring more than 60 points in both of their opening victories.

And last night, in appalling weather, some 34 lads turned out for training to secure their places this weekend. Upper Eden from Kirkby Stephen are the visitors for both teams with the Firsts kicking off at 3.00 and the Stags at 2.30.

The visitors’ first team have won both of their home games. They beatKeswick in the local derby 24-22 on the first day of the season, and last week  defeated Consett 21-18. In between they  lost 35-10 at former league leaders Morpeth.

There will be changes for West this week after a number of injuries last week, notably to Adam Hutchinson and Isaac Robinson, with Will Hilditch still carrying a knock for the Northern game. Both Chris Atkins and Lewis Scott are carrying longer term injuries.

Fortunately, Ollie Connolly and Liam Pennick are able to return this week. They slot straight into a side which sees Matt Siddle back at fly-hall and Zac Southern at full back.

Up front Tom Robertson comes in at hooker,  allowing Aidan Jackson-Smith to move to the back row to join a rejuvenated Alex Barker and a slimline Jay Corbett.

Ben Reed will be providing backs cover,  while there are two hard-tackling forward replacements on the bench in Connor McLurg and Charlie Kay.

There’s an interesting front-row selection for the Stags with former winger Matty Tyers joining brother James for the first time – the banter should be good. Matty is a very fit mobile player and it will be interesting to see how he fits into the hooker role.

Owen Nugent and Jay Anderson are earning plaudits in the back-row,  while Nick Bennions continues his rugby scholarship. He only started playing the game last December but has featured for the first team a number of times after his debut at Cockermouth. Last week he was in the Stags’ front row this week he is No.8.