Fylde welcome leaders, the Knights, to the Woodlands

Fylde stage their biggest game of the season at the Woodlands when they welcome outstanding National One leaders Doncaster Knights on Saturday (ko 3pm).

With 15 wins from their 18 fixtures, the Knights head the division by eight points. At Castle Park they have edged past all the clubs pressing them hardest – Coventry (39-30), Rosslyn Park (24-17) & Esher (19-11). But their toughest test was a rather lucky 29-24 victory over Fylde in early October. The Lancastrians were reckoned to be the best team to visit Fortress Castle Park by the local supporters so there's every reason to believe that they can mount a serious challenge to the Knights on Saturday.

“This is the kind of game that make competing in National One such a great experience” said Fylde Chairman Andy Hiles. “Doncaster are a very professional outfit who look as though they are immediately going back to the Championship. But I think that our squad can give them a fright, as we did at Castle Park. I would implore rugby followers in Lancashire to come along to the Woodlands to support the players in this top RU game of the day in the North West. And this is a chance to see a true Championship set-up this side of the Pennines, something that is desperately needed in the North West.”

There's no doubt about the entertainment being dished up at the Woodlands this season - 261 points in 8 games at an average of 33 points & 4.75 tries per game. Doncaster & Fylde have scored more tries than any other club in the division, 83 & 73 respectively to date. Four of the top five National One try scorers will be taking part in Saturday's games – the Knights' winger Tyson Lewis & centre Matt Clark; Fylde's Oli Brennand & Paul Arnold – so there are fascinating match-ups all over the pitch.

The Knights have proved somewhat less all powerful away from Castle Park. Their three narrow defeats - Henley Hawks (10-11), Blaydon (17-22) & Wharfedale (17-19) - have encouraged other clubs to believe that they can challenge the leaders. And the Knights have to travel to three other promotion contenders in the coming weeks - at Rosslyn Park, Esher & Coventry - as well as Fylde.

Doncaster is a Championship club in virtually all respects which appears to be merely having a sabbatical in the lower division. The excellent Castle Park is a fine stage for N1 rugby and superior to any other ground in the division, rivalled only by another former Championship club, Coventry.  Doncaster's last visit to the Woodlands was in November 2002 when they came out on top by 31-25. At that time the Doncaster club was on the way up the RFU league hierarchy after spending may years in the regional Yorkshire leagues and they met Fylde who were on their way to relegation at the end of that campaign. So Saturday's match will be only the fourth time the clubs have faced each other, the other three all Doncaster victories.

Doncaster won promotion from level 3 to level 2, then called National One, in 2004-5 and had eight seasons in which they pressed for further elevation to the Premiership but gradually fell away – in sequence, 10th in 2005-6, then 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 6th, 8th and finally relegation in 12th place last season.

The Knights' rise on the pitch from the late 1990s to date has been substantially funded by revenues earned through the development of Castle Park as a leading functions centre in that area of Yorkshire, and by the sustained support of sponsors and investors who have had tremendous faith in the Club. This is a full time professional venture in all respects. This was underlined in the summer when it was confirmed that despite relegation from the RFU Championship last April, and the consequential loss of over £300k of RFU funding, the Knights would maintain a squad of 28 or so full-time players in 2013-4.

The Knights current Director of Rugby, Clive Griffiths, is in his 2nd spell in charge at Castle Park. The former Wales international player at both codes developed a long and successful coaching career, also at an international level in both rugby union and league.  He had a successful season with Doncaster in 2006/7 before joining the Premiership's Worcester Warriors. As the Knights struggled in the Championship last season, Griffiths was re-hired as Director of Professional Rugby in November but was unable to turn the ship around in time. He did spend a short time in a consultancy role at Sedgley Tigers last season before moving back to Castle Park. In an interview in The Rugby Paper in March in which he argued for the ring fencing of the Championship he said: “There are some really good clubs in N1 but you go to some places and, with due respect, it is like village rugby."

Whilst a core of players have remained from last season, Griffiths has imported virtually a new team. The Knights announced at the beginning of the season a mouth watering roster of newcomers, most with very impressive credentials:

The new forwards include props Ross Davies (Rotherham, briefly a Fylde player a few seasons ago when at Sale Sharks) & Colin Phillips (Blackrock College); flanker Michael Hills(London Welsh, formerly Sale Sharks, England 7s, U'18s, U'19s & U'21s); hookers Roberto Santamaria (Aironi, formerly Viadana) & Ben Hunter (Cambridge & Ealing Trailfinders); lock Michael Walker-Fitton (RC Chateaurenard, formerly La Vila, Randwick & Sale Sharks); flanker or no 8 Phill Eggleshaw (Nottingham); Kiwi flanker Chris Walker (Taranaki & New Zealand U'21s); backrower Louis Spencer (Gloucester Academy, Hartpury College & Associates RUFC, Australia).

Their new backs include scrum-half Bruno Bravo (San Albano, Argentina 7s); fly-half Paul Roberts (Plymouth Albion, formerly Bath & England Students); centres Bevon Armitage(Plymouth Albion, formerly Moseley & Esher), Matt Clark (Leeds Carnegie & Blaydon) & Joe Barker (Leeds Carnegie), & winger Paul Jarvis (unattached, formerly with Hartpury College). Armitage, Plymouth's player of last season, is the brother of England internationals Steffon & Delon.

With injuries reducing the availability of some of the squad, Griffiths has got out his cheque book and recently brought in a number of foreign players including Argentinian propSantiago Sodini (Duendes, Pertraca Padova & Manly) & Australian centre/winger Jacob Woodhouse (Manly).

Most of these players have had substantial game time in the Knights' starting line-ups alongside a handful of players remaining from last season such as loyal backrowers Adam Kettle & Chris Planchant who last played against Fylde in some fiesty contests when at New Brighton in the 2003-5 period. Other highly influential players who remain include totemic lock Matt Challinor, fly-half Jamie Lennard, very rapid winger Tyson Lewis and the highly accomplished fullback & goal kicker Doug Flockhart, who doubles up as strength & conditioning coach. Another player coach is the very experienced lock Glen Kenworthy who has tended to act as backup amongst the replacements.

Leading try scorers are Tyson Lewis (15), Matt Clark (13) & Paul Jarvis (7). Flockhart leads the points scoring with 132 compared with Fylde's Chris Johnson who has 182 to date.

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Fylde will assess the injuries picked up by a number of players at Worthing. Their backrow which finished the game at Roundstone Lane was Danny Maher, Oli Trippier & Charles Hough, all of whom did very well in the circumstances in which the three starting players were forced off. Cameron Thompson was also ruled out of Worthing trip with a recurring injury and Sam Beaumont may or may not be fit to return on Saturday after missing five games. On the bright side, fly-half Chris Johnson will be available once more after missing the Worthing defeat.

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Thoughts of Nellie & Asho ahead of Doncaster game

As you would expect, Mark Nelson is very upbeat about the challenge to his squad when Doncaster Knights visit the Woodlands on Saturday (ko 3pm) despite a frustrating defeat at Worthing Raiders. It was a close affair at Roundstone Lane in which a late Raiders score robbed Fylde of even the consolation of a losing bonus point.

The Head Coach said: "In many ways it was a top effort by the lads" he explained whilst expressing concerns about injuries to a number of players. "Not many Fylde supporters will get this quiz question correct in a couple of years time. 'What was the backrow that finished the game at Worthing in Jan 2014? The answer: Danny Maher, Oil Trippier & Charles Hough."

"The game turned on a couple of critical moments in which the Raiders got the rub of the green. Fair enough. But it was still frustrating."

Looking forward to Saturday's game against Doncaster Knights, he wants a real 'up & at them' effort from his players. He said: "The Knights will be clear favourites but I hope that we give it our best shot. I really hope that there's a big crowd, that we break through the 1,000 barrier and that they create the special atmosphere that we can establish from time to time. This is a big occasion when a genuine Championship style team comes to town. Rugby people from all over Lancashire will enjoy this clash and understand why we need a Championship club in the region. And the more Doncaster supporters there the better too!"

Former England Head Coach Brian Ashton added his thoughts ... and a couple of quotes. He said: "It's not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters. The man who has no imagination has no wings. We need heart and imagination in spades this week. I wish I was playing in this fixture!"