If the weather looks like it has done in the past couple of days on Saturday, then you can be sure that this weekend's fixture will likely be an absolute try fest. Two teams that love to throw the ball around and play some real running rugby will meet at the back end of the season to see who secures the second-place spot. Three teams are still in the running and the result could flip the table on its head. To add to the excitement, Novos will return to Medicals in 3 weeks' time in an identical fixture to compete in the first round of the Papa John's cup, a tournament that could really give the lads an opportunity to bag some silverware before the season ends.

The squad experiences some changes in certain spots after a week's rest for a fair few of the lads. The most change coming in the back 3. The absence of last week's record breaker Sam Busby leaves room at full-back for the talented Matthew Russell to get his chance in a 1st XV shirt, normally specializing at fly-half he has been performing excellently for the 2s in recent weeks and his distribution will provide more opportunities in attack. Joining him on one wing is the familiar face of youngster Sam Cleife who really enjoyed himself the last time Medicals came to town. On the last winger spot, we also see the return of Luke Masters after some time away from the club, an electric winger who has scored some great tries in the past when we get the ball to his hands.

The centers, as usual, consist of both players, coach Searle and Jubb. Searle was on kicking duties last week and was knocking them over from the touchline on multiple occasions in last week's high scoring affair against Rockcliffe not missing a single one.

Rhys Merlane gets himself back into scrum half after a week off against Rockliffe, and alongside him completing the half-back pairing is Josh Farley, the young colt graduate represented Northumberland U20s alongside Cleife and Rodgers last week, earning himself a MOTM performance in the process, so he will be full of confidence heading into Saturday.

As for the forwards, we don't see too much of a switch up in personnel. The back row remains identical to the last first XV outing with the likes of captain George Bambrick at 6, the ‘iron sheet’ in Simeon Archibald at 7 and big Rob Baldwin at number 8.

The second row remains the same with Jeremy Hunt and Jonny Cotterill packing down. Cotterill scored his first try in men’s rugby two weeks ago and will be eager to add some more to his tally, and Hunt was immense at disrupting the maul when we hosted Meds at home, and he can be a real pain for any opponent we play.

Finally in the front row big Solomon Mak returns, after getting a stretch of his legs for the 2s last week he will be so powerful from minute 1 at scrum time. Another county U20s player in Ben Rodgers will join him in the hooker channel and will orchestrate scrum time for the two youngsters either side of him. The second of which being our own ‘mini pekka’ in David Lawson, an almost impossible unit to stop once he gets going and this front row has some serious potential.

Finally on the bench, we have our replacements in Ant McQuillin who does excellently week on week to clean up at scrum time, Callum Todd who can cover both the front and back row and finally Alex Douglas who literally has experience playing every single position in both the backs and the forwards, he will be great to bring on without dropping any quality in any position he plays.

So (hopefully) the sun will be shining on Saturday, and Medicals always know how to put on a good show and atmosphere whenever we visit, so be sure to make the short trip to come down and suupport the lads in a huge fixture!