RUGBY UNION: This week is the first home match for the Ipswich YM in their second season in Eastern Counties Division Two North. Their opponents are Thurston and the two teams' form going into this early season encounter is still anybody's guess.

This week is the first home match for the Ipswich YM in their second season in Eastern Counties Division Two North.

Their opponents are Thurston and the two teams' form going into this early season encounter is still anybody's guess.

While the YM were involved in an end to end shoot out up at Lakenham last Saturday, a match they eventually won 41-31, Thurston hosted Harwich and between them neither side scored a point !

YM coach Noel Holloway has been drilling his squads into tightening up their defensive duties while backs coach and first team scrum half Phil Watts has been working on angles and timing to try and further exploit the good work the forwards are putting in.

The first team has a number of changes to it. In the pack Simon Cordle and Marcus Woolf return to the front row and Phil Howard returns at open side flanker.

With John Mitchell working overseas again, this time in Washington DC, Tim Styles moves in to outside centre.

Jason Watcham returns to the wing after scoring for the Hawks last week and Jamie Clarkson and Ian Girling swap their

number 15 and 14 jerseys respectively, in the only positional changes.

Matt Crouch, Taylor Rogers and Steve Fiddaman are the substitutes.

Andy King's Hawks side face a tough trip to Colchester in the Merit Table.

Boosted somewhat with John Hood playing scrum half alongside the guile of Geoff Reynish, the Hawks look a capable side with youth and experience blending well

The wise heads of Gary Lidderth and Steve Watts should lend a composure to an otherwise young group of forwards while Hood, Reynish and centre Matt Stopher will be looking to release the dazzling youngster Carlton Ford jr at every

opportunity.

The exciting prospect scored an amazing individual effort against Felixstowe last week and the club have high hopes for the lad.

Andy Moore's "A" side travel to Harwich.

YMCA squad to host Thurston: Cordle, Podd, Woolf, Conner, Williams (c), Donaldson, Howard, Cawston, Watts, Grundy, Everitt, Styles, Clarkson, Watcham, Girling, Crouch, Fiddaman, Rogers.

Felixstowe entertain Thurston II in their second fixture of the Suffolk League with an 3PM KO at Coronation Park Felixstowe.

Both teams won their opening fixtures and will be hoping to carry on in the winning mode.

Felixstowe are forced into two changes, one at fly-half due to Cain Berry returning to University who will be replaced by South African Jaques Oberholzer, making his debut, and one at flanker with John Dermondy unavailable.

Squad: Scott, Cook, Riddle, Alford, Jones, Driver, Jameson, Wheddon, Long, Oberholzer, Berry, Collins, Hull, Mann, Stalker, Sheppard, Williamson, Britchfield, Jones.