WITH six Yorkshire teams having won the RFU Junior Vase currently sponsored by Powergen and Skipton having reached the semi-final stage last season, there is plenty of incentive for the Sandylands men when they entertain Whitby in the second round tomorrow.

Whitby progressed from the first round with an injury-time, 24-23 win over Wetherby, which given that they operate in Yorkshire Four, suggests that Skipton will be firm favourites to advance.

The Reds are again obliged to re-shuffle their resources. George Smithson is unavailable and Alex Farquhar, a replacement last week, starts at centre alongside Brian Brocksom.

With Paul Lacy still nursing damaged ribs, Matthew Cox and Paul Beech take the wing berths, while in the pack, Gareth Hindle takes the hooking duties, with Neil King getting a run at flanker at the expense of his brother Robbie, who this week joins Matthew Wilson and Kieran Coe on the bench.

North Ribblesdale should also progress when they entertain Chorley from North Lancashire Division One.

The Settle side have a couple of newcomers in their squad, not least the considerable presence of lock Matt Whyte, who has arrived in the town from Essex and dwarfs all the other players in the Grove Park squad.

Whyte weighs in at around 20 stone and stands 6ft 5in, so the temptations to move off the bench and into the action are bound to be pressing tomorrow.

Ribblesdale's other new face is that of centre Pat Illingworth, who hails from Keighley and has some RL experience at Cougar Park in his CV.

While Springbok Korsten Kriel makes his third appearance for the club tomorrow, Ribblesdale are also hoping to strengthen their squad with another South African next month when the domestic season takes a break. Contact has been established with a guest player.

Skipton: M Richards; M Cox, B Brocksom, A Farquhar, M Beech; S Kennedy, G Litt; P Jenkinson, G Hindle, A Webb, G Newhouse, J Morgan, I Scrivin, N King, M Davison. Replacements: R King, K Coe, M Wilson.