FRESH from nearly shattering Doncaster Phoenix’s unbeaten record, Selby RUFC head coach Richard Nicholson believes his team can compete with the best in Yorkshire One.

The Sandhill Laners go to Hullensians in good heart having only lost by six points last time out to a surging South Yorkshire outfit that have won all of their league matches this season.

“It was a bit disappointing,” Nicholson reflected on that 31-25 defeat. “We created one or two more chances than them and just didn’t take them.

“They were very clinical but it showed that we can compete at the top end and against a team that are doing very well and have big aspirations.

“Doncaster recruited massively to get there and we are not too far away. It was good to get a bit of a break last week and we have been building for this week. Hullensians is a really tough place to go.

“It always has been but we have got a good record there and, with a good performance, can get the result.”

Winger Ben Lunt will be missing for the Swans but Alex Webster returns to the bench having endured a long injury lay-off.

York are hoping their luck on the road can turn at Heath.

The Shipton Road outfit have struggled on their travels and narrowly lost at Yarnbury 16-12 in their last Yorkshire One outing.

Now they must go to Halifax to take on a Heath side that have won eight of their 19 games this season.

It is a place where, historically, York have not enjoyed the best of results. “We don’t win there very often,” admitted head coach Sean Bass.

“They are a difficult side, with a decent coach, and are established. They have had a bit of a yo-yo season. We played them at home early in the season and they were tough.

“We don’t expect anything else, going away from home, as we found at Yarnbury.

Dave Bates comes into the second row for the Clifton Parkers and Sam Arkle will return in the backs.

Kiwi Jeff Meredith also comes back at flanker having missed the Yarnbury battle. “He doesn’t miss a training session or any team meeting,” Bass added of the latter.

“He will really make a difference for us.”

York hold third place in Yorkshire One by only a point and Bass said: “It is tight up there and we have got to Heath and win.”

Pocklington have a key home fixture with Northern in North One East.

The Newcastle outfit are two places below them in the table and are fighting hard not to get sucked into the relegation dogfight.

When the sides met on Tyneside last October, Pocklington went 14-0 up in as many minutes but then lost their way and slipped to a 19-14 defeat.

John-Paul Kelly, Karl Durkin and Matt Davies all return to the squad after missing the win at Crossleyans a fortnight ago because they were at club-mate Chris Morton’s wedding.

James Wilkinson is also back following the completion of a charity project in Uganda.

York RI, who squeaked past Sheffield Oaks last week to keep their Yorkshire Four promotion hopes alive, host Ossett at New Lane.