NORTH Ribblesdale's luck continues to hold in the Powergen Junior Vase, with the Settle side picking up another home tie in Round Six on February 7.

The Grove Park men will have ground advantage against Biddenham, a club based in a village near Bedford who play in Midlands Four East (South). Despite the compass complexities, the Midlanders operate at Level 8 in the league pecking order, the same as North Ribblesdale.

The visitors were only formed in the 1990/91 season, but a visit to their web site reveals a healthy, progressive operation with a nice set-up.

They are currently fourth in their division at the moment with five wins and four defeats from nine outings, Coalville leading the way ahead of Daventry and Kibworth.

North Ribblesdale are now just three wins away from a place in the final of the competition at Twickenham and while the cream is starting to rise to the top in the competition - Yorkshire Two clubs were at the most senior end of the entrants - current form should give the North Craven men a good chance to make further heady if they can produce their best form on the day.

Perhaps slightly less glamorous than a trip to Twickenham is the prospect of promotion, but that will remain the priority now that the chance of second spot in the table has become a tangible possibility.

Tomorrow Ilkley are visitors to Grove Park in a key fixture. The Stacks Field men, currently fourth in the Yorkshire Two table, triumphed at home when the sides met in October, but there has been a significant up-turn in Ribb fortunes since then, with only one defeat being suffered in the interim.

With Ilkley (4th) visiting North Ribb (5th), and Bradford Salem (2nd) taking on Sheffield Tigers (3rd), this promises to be an important weekend in the promotion battle.

The Settle side have one change to last weekend's line-up. Back-row forward Russell Howarth has work commitments, so Phil Pawson comes into the second-row and Willie Garth moves to flanker.

Barring a major loss of form, leaders Beverley look home and dry with an eight-point lead at the top and they will be strongly fancied to improve their situation when they entertain bottom club Skipton tomorrow, especially as the Sandylands men are needing to delay selection until injuries and unavailabilities are sorted out.

One positive note for Skipton is the return of utility back Darren Howson, who has been in Australia for a year and is now back to add extra options behind the scrum.