WHARFEDALE return to rugby action for the first time in three weeks when they travel to whipping boys West Hartlepool on Saturday.

Their opponents have fallen spectacularly. Two years ago they were in the Premiership competing alongside the likes of Leicester and Saracens. Now they borrow a pitch from the local sixth form college.

West Hartlepool are one of the victims of the switch to professional rugby. They went deeper and deeper into debt and lost their ground and clubhouse.

They are now in freefall, left with little more than a name and a set of shirts. Having come down from the Premiership in 1999 they fell straight into Wharfedale's league last season and are going through that like a dose of salts. Twenty defeats in 20 games in which they have conceded an average approaching 50 points per game tells its own story.

Having already won 51-14 at Wharfeside Avenue way back on September 9, it should be the opportunity to plunder some tries and boost the Greens' points average, particularly as recent results indicate that, if anything, poor old Wests have declined even further since then. But director of rugby Michael Harrison struck a note of caution.

"Every season there's always a surprise, when the team everyone has been beating easily turns the tables. We have to make sure that doesn't happen to us and we all know how dangerous complacency can be," he said.

The unexpected lay-off means that Wharfedale may have to shake off a little ring rust.

They were put through an unusually physical training session on Wednesday evening "to get them used to bumps and knocks again".

With promotion and relegation not an issue for the Greens, there must have been a temptation to test out some of the emerging talent at the club. Coach Peter Hartley admitted that was in his mind but it was decided that stopping the run of three matches was crucial and beyond that the visit of promotion-chasing Rosslyn Park was a consideration.

"To be fair to those involved in promotion and relegation, you have to put out your best side and try to win," he said.

"I would think that we'll be keen to have a good look at two or three players from the start of a match rather than coming off the bench but that might have to wait until we get these two games out of the way."

The same side which would have played Camberley at home last week had the match gone ahead has been selected.

Wharfedale: Davies; Armitage, Hodgson, Johnson, Heseltine; Pears, Smith; Lancaster, Lawn, Ingram, Lister, Capstick, Evans, Buckroyd, Verity. Replacements: Dickinson, Allen, Ecclestone.