WHARFEDALE cannot escape the dog-fight at the foot of the National Division One table. One minute they are deeply involved as relegation candidates and even when they dig themselves out of that hole, they find themselves battling on the fringes against a side which is staring into the abyss.

Preston Grasshoppers are in that position now as third from bottom of the table with three clubs to go down and their visit to The Avenue tomorrow is crucial to their survival plans.

They will not be expecting to ease themselves away from trouble with a comfortable win tomorrow, given that the Dalesmen were winners at Lightfoot Lane earlier in the season, but when they view their itinerary in a frantic search for salvation, they will view the match as one they might steal if they are at their best.

The Greens, however, are by no means in easy street with so many matches still to play and after last weekend's defeat at Newbury, they cannot afford to drop their guard. A win over Preston would be 'a four-pointer' in terms of the relegation issue and, as such, provides Wharfedale with plenty of incentive to perform.

While defeat at home to Newbury was a bitter pill to swallow, at least the Berkshire side's form has stood up well since then and Saturday's completion of the double merely underlined the progress they have been making.

This was one of the rare occasions when the Greens found themselves outplayed in the crucial back-row area and tomorrow's incumbents will be keen to ensure that there is no repeat.

"This is a vital game for them and a very important one for us," says coach Peter Hartley. "We've now lost three games in succession and we don't want to slip back into the lower reaches. This is definitely a four-point affair for both teams."

Wharfedale make a couple of significant changes to their line-up after last week's match. Sam Allen impressed during his spell as replacement for Ryan Kirkbride and he keeps his place, but in a back-row shuffle he is moved to No 8, with Paul Evans taking the blind side flanker berth.

The Dalesmen also make a change at scrum-half, where Dan Harrison is preferred to Graham Smith. Harrison has not started a game this season, coming on as a replacement for the first time at Fylde, but he gets his chance in the hope of providing a sharper service to the back division.

With a No 8 who has not played in that role at senior level before and a new scrum-half, the selectors are taking something of a risk, but they obviously see the need to check out their options.

The only other change is on the wing, where George Smithson resumes after damaging his ankle at Fylde.

Wharfedale: J Davies; G Smithson, D Whitfield, A Hodgson, C Burnett; N Heseltine, D Harrison; P Peel, J Lawn, N Dickinson, D Lister, A Capstick, P Evans, H Verity, S Allen. Replacements: C Ingram, J Ogden, R Kirkbride, A Baggett.