MARPLE V DOUGLAS

Recent reports on Douglas have read like medical bulletins from Emergency Ward 10. Either the forwards were out suffering from sum sort of injury or hanging around the maternity unit awaiting the arrival of bundles of sleep deprivation units.

  For the forthcoming match with Marple the availability situation should have eased with Noel Capewell and his partner having had a second daughter and Stuart Robbins and Janice a son. The latter being a comparatively rare event at the Port E Chee club as it seems recently the next generation of male players has been short on the ground. It is probably something in the beer. The injury crisis has also relaxed somewhat with Dave Wood, Seb Jeanneau, Terry Ditchfield being fit to return to action alongside Captain Andy Malpass whose recent illness has made him look as though he has been following the David Blaine diet.

  With the availability amongst the backs also being this weekend Douglas should therefore travel with a strong side with the only possible area of concern being at prop where injury doubts remain over Ben Dutnall and Martin Higgins. If parenthood prevents Noel Capewell from travelling and with Ben Campbell away the front row may be missing some bulk but a front row of Dave Solly, Ian Woods and Richard Forster should still offer plenty of experience and mobility.

  If Douglas are to have a good season it is the sides like Marple who are still winless this season that they have to expect to beat both home and away. Marple are no pushovers though and their recent performances have shown continued improvement with their recent scores being fairly close against the better side in the division. Ominously therefore it may be that that Marple feel they are due a win. Douglas will therefore need to get on top early and try and kill the game as a contest at half time if they are to win the game comfortably. If they do not do this then as has been seen in some close games in the World Cup the underdog keeps fighting long after it had been presumed they would have been out of the game.

  I therefore fully expect a Douglas win provided that they start the game strongly and do not go into the match complacent and expecting a win. In the main this has not been the case this year as Douglas’s away performances have generally been much better than that at home. It was therefore tempting use up my ill gotten gains (note to tax man, only joking) to travel to Marple this weekend to report on such a victory however I have to first a prior appointment with purgatory on Saturday as I watch Wales try to book a  quarter final berth against England. I am very hopeful of two wins but would accept just the one along way away down under as otherwise the only option may be to do a Lord Lucan. Ymlaen Cymru!