Founded in 1869, with a proud history and penchant for producing quality players who go on to play for England, in the form of Iain Balshaw, Steve Borthwick, Paul Grayson, Will Greenwood and the Blackpool lighthouse Wade Dooley, Preston Grasshoppers are currently lying in sixth position in the league table with 22 points.

They have won five of their seven games to date, with victories over Sheffield (A), Sedgley Park (H), Leicester Lions (H), Otley (H) and last weekend at Luctonians. Their reversals coming by way of Chester (A) and Stourbridge (A).

As can be seen by teams played, apart from Sheffield Tigers, the other teams occupy the top end of the table, a fact which is alluded to in this week’s Preston Grasshoppers preview of the game on their website, which points out that DMPRFC have beaten teams currently occupying the bottom half of the league table, which will be ‘food for thought’ in the minds of both sets of the players who take the field on Saturday, as they seek to underline their respective credentials.

Recent games between the two clubs have been pretty even, with home wins for each last season, Preston Grasshoppers winning comprehensively (34 – 0) at home in the first game of last season and DMPRFC redressing the balance back at the Northern Echo Arena in the last game of the season (54 – 24).

With Preston Grasshoppers currently unbeaten at home since February 2013, they will be a difficult proposition at the weekend and those DMPRFC players selected to play will need no reminding of that fact.

For those DMPRFC supporters attending the game on Saturday, the post code of Lightfoot Green is PR4 0AP.

(N.B. KICK OFF - 2.30PM.)

(DMPRFC 1ST XV SQUAD)

15. Henry ROBINSON
14. Shaun McCARTNEY
13. Cameron MITCHELL (Captain)
12. Callum MACKENZIE
11. Shaun McCARTNEY
10. Grant CONNON
9. Max CONNON

1. Ralph APPLEBY
2. Ross DONEGHAN
3. Josh BAYFORD
4. Pierce PHILLIPS
5. Chris CAMPBELL
6. Rory DUFF
7. Jack ALLCOCK
8. Guy van den DRIES

16. Ben SIMPSON
17. Ross WHITE
18. Will MACAULAY
19. Tom HODGSON
20. Gavin PAINTER