Michael has been working in Holland and is short of training and well as match practice.

Tim Sawyer is away on a course with his school and there's no doubt he will be missed. He returned to West half way through the season and its no coincidence that our form has improved since then.

But Paul Rudd is an able deputy. It's easy to forget that he's still only 21 and, like Henry Tones, he has come on leaps and bounds playing alongside the likes of Sawyer and Bennett.

The average age of the back row against Tynedale will be just 20!

Mark Baggs is also unavailable so Stuart Whitehead will be on the bench to play any position on the park apart from second row - and he'd probably have a go at that if given the chance.

The game at Tynedale was another where we looked like we could have got something out of the game. But we lost skipper Jamie Connolly early on with a foot injury, then Allan Milne broke his arm, and John Stabler finished with a broken hand.

The Corbridge side has got some good results in recent weeks aided in no small way by former West favourite Phil Belgian who is in sparkling form with the boot. They could be further boosted by the return of centre Paul Boston who has been out with a serious ankle injury but they will be missing veteran prop Dick Parker. He's away on lambing duties.

Tynedale will be giving a rare run out to back row Simon Jewitt.

If we keep up our good form there is a realistic chance of leapfrogging Sandal. It wouldn't make any difference to relegation but it would be pleasant boost all the same.

West: Cuff, Lassey, Kerr, Connolly [capt], Barff, Stabler, Thomas, Geritz, Cullinane, Cook, Webb, Davies, Rudd, Tones, Wright. Replacements: Cholmondeley, Robinson, Walton, Whitehead.

Tynedale from: A Moses, A Roberts, G Fleming, P Boston, M Lytollis, M Walton, P Belgian, E Holmes, R Parker, E Parker, P Southern, K Johnson, S Turnbull, S Jewitt, G Rastall, J Murray, A Charlton, C Batey, S Auld, S Allen.