It's been a week of soul searching after the lack lustre display at Stockton ... with almost as much time spent learning lessons from the video as on the training pitch.

What is needed now is a whole hearted team effort and the cup provides an opportunity to get the season back on track in a league which is looking wide open.

The main change from last week is that Phil Wallis starts. He was looking confident at the start of the season but lost his place through injury. His touch kicking was certainly missed last week.

His rerturn is bad news fro Tinker Williamson who has played as well as anybody but skipper Davy Tighe will be at 9 with Tinker on the bench. Martin Todd is also back for the unavailable Danny Weegram.

Last week's pack gets a chance to prove it can do better at the breakdown and not give daft penalties away. It looks a better balanced unit with Carlo Robinson at tighthead and he is getting fitter every week.

Nonme of the more senior players who have been injured over the last few weeks are being risked in the starting line-up, but Sawyer, Cullinane and Milne will be ready if neeeded.

YMCA are in the equivalent of one league below N2E and should provide similar opposition to Gateshead. This week it has been more a case of worrying how we will tackle the gameplan rather than the game.

West Masshedar, Todd, Edwards, Hodgson, Thomas, Wallis, Tighe [capt], Cholmondeley, Carr, Robinson, Davies, Rudd, D Boatman, Tones, J Boatman. Reps: Sawwyer, Cullinane, Milne, Williamson.

A strong looking Stags ouitfit will travel to Mowden in the Merit League. It will feature rising supersatr Mark Tones who has taken to the game like a house on fire. The flying winger has already been dubbed the "White Wendell" and claims to be even faster than his brother Henry. If he is equally committed we will have some player on our hands.

Aaron Myers is also on the Falcons books and the 17 year old back row has been told that now is the time for him to venture into senior rugby.

Stags: A Cheslin, Constantine, Paul Moss, Robinson, M Tones, Martion, C Chdeslin, Palmer, Butler, Williams, Garside, Henderson, Myers, Richardson, Gilbraith.