Preston Grasshoppers vs. Hull – Kick Off 2:30pm
A resurgent Hull RUFC are Preston Grasshoppers the visitors at Lighfoot Green this coming Saturday who like our opponents last weekend have seen a recent turn around in fortunes.
Hoppers had a date at Heath Road with Widnes RUFC in the Semi Final of the John Burgess Lancashire Cup last Saturday but with RFU Competitions taking preference, the tie will be played on the next available date. At the moment the first Saturday when both Preston Grasshoppers and Widnes’ have a free Saturday is scheduled be the 11th of April next year.
The other finalist after the game at Heath Road will be between Broughton Park and either Vale of Lune or Rochdale who are due to meet on the 25th of January to play their delayed Quarter Final game.
Hull who were promoted as Champions of the Northern Premier League at the end of last season had an encouraging start to the season winning two of their three opening games. A run of eight games without a victory dumped them down to the lower regions of the league before a most unexpected victory at the Woodlands steadied the fall and in turn knocked Fylde from their top-of-the-table perch. Whilst Hoppers were driven even deeper into the relegation mire last Saturday, failing to score a try for the first time since January last, our visitors had a comprehensive victory over bottom side Scunthorpe.
Preston Grasshoppers and Hull have on more than one occasion met with plenty to play for over the years. Hoppers supporters who travelled to Hull’s previous home at Howarth Road for the first meeting between the two sides back in the 2004/5 season will recall a very similar state of affairs albeit at the other end of the league table. The situation before that game was a completely different affair to this weeks encounter, both sides were striving for promotion from North 1. Hoppers ended the season as Champions whilst it took Hull until 2009 to escape. Previous to this Saturday’s meeting, the last encounter was also here at Lightfoot Green where a Hoppers victory eased them away from one of their closest rivals at the time and gave some breathing space at the top of the Northern Premier League.
The statistics tell us there to have been seventeen meetings between the two clubs with Hoppers holding the upper hand, winning ten including one in a National Cup tie to Hull’s five successes plus a couple of drawn affairs.
The 1869 Club are once again running a supporters coach next Saturday, this time to to Otley for Hoppers next excursion and the team need all the support that can be mustered for what will be once again, an important game over in Yorkshire.
Team News
1. John BLANCHARD
2. Chris TAYLOR
3. Noah MILLER
4. Adam HOWARD
5. Ally MURRAY
6. Sam WALLBANK
7. Toby HARRISON
8. Matt LAMPREY
9. James GOUGH (C)
10. Nick GREGSON
11. Tyler SPENCE
12. James FITZPATRICK
13. Alex HURST
14. Jordan DORRINGTON
15. Scott JORDAN
16. PJ. MILLEA
17. R. PURCELL
18. B. DORRINGTON
19. J. SQUIRRELL
20. S. STOTT
