Hoppers Host Third Place Stourbridge

Ninth place Preston Grasshoppers welcome third place Stourbridge to Lightfoot Green this Saturday in the SSE National 2 North.

Hoppers, who are enduring a difficult run of results currently with a growing list of casualties, lost their sixth game in a row last Saturday away at Westleigh Park.

Hoppers coaching staff will be hoping the long list of absentees will be shortened in time for what will be a tough encounter against Stourbridge, the signs of which are promising with a couple of players back in full training and others available for selection once again in the near future.

Hoppers gave last season’s runners up two tough games both home and away last season, but lost on both occasions.

In the sides’ first meeting in October at Stourton Park, a very evenly-matched first 40, resulted in the home side running away as eventual victors.

Stourbridge fell just short of promotion last season, and after looking a certainty for National 1 until their defeats at the hands of Hull Ionians and Mowden Park near the end of the season, had to settle for a home play-off against National 2 South Worthing. After looking like winning the game, a late twist of fate meant Level 4 rugby was on the menu for a another season at Stourton Park.

The visiting side have even more competition at the top of the table this season, as they currently sit in third place behind leaders Darlington Mowden Park and Macclesfield and with last Saturday’s victory by Sedgley Park at Priory Park, the group of four are closely bunched at the top of the table, just ten points separating all four.

The all-time playing record between next week’s opponents couldn’t be much closer with the visitors showing a slight advantage having won thirteen matches to Hoppers eleven. The league record tells a similar story with nine victories to Hoppers and eleven to Stourbridge. The overall record includes a forty four points to nineteen Powergen Cup victory to Stourbridge during the 1995/6 season at Lightfoot Green, just short of last October’s biggest winning margin over Hoppers, whilst a thirty two points to three victory in their promotion season at Lightfoot Green was the Grasshoppers best effort.

It’s Cup weekend this coming Saturday for all other Hoppers senior men’s sides, the full list of the fixtures is as follows;

Hoppers 2 vs. Sedgley Park 2 ‘Cup’ (Home)

Hoppers 3 vs. Rossendale 2 ‘Jug’ (Away)

Hoppers 4 vs. Bury 2 ‘Bowl’ (Home)

Hoppers 5 vs. Blackburn 3 ‘Shield’ (Home)

Hoppers 6 vs. Vale of Lune 4 ‘Plate’ (Away)

Hoppers Women vs. Altrincham Kersal (Away) – Sunday