Skipton welcome back skipper Declan Hayes and key forward Myles McDuff for Saturday's rearranged league game against Leeds Corinthians at Sandylands.

While the Reds will start as favourites to keep their promotion challenge alive, there seems likely to be a certain amount of baggage from last season from a Corinthians perspective which may make the visitors a dangerous proposition.

There was no love lost between the pair after two incidents which upset the South Leeds men. First they were instructed by the league to play Skipton in a rearranged game at Sandylands on a day when a number of their players were scheduled to watch England at Twickenham.

Then, in an end-of-season fracas, Skipton lost the title to Corinthians on a technicality and were then allowed to share it after a volte-face by the RFU Competitions sub-committee.

Neither incident, though nothing whatever to do with Skipton, impressed the Leeds men too much, so much so that they declined to play the Reds at junior team level this season in some sort of churlish protest.

Not that Skipton will need any added incentive to put their best foot forward tomorrow. Their win over Halifax Vandals last weekend was just what the side needed after the Shield semi-final defeat. Moreover, in claiming the win without a couple of key men, the success achieved added cachet.

Obviously the resumption after injury of Hayes, who had an infected knee, and McDuff, who has been out for a couple of weeks with damaged stomach muscles, is a welcome boost for the Reds, as is the return of Bob Birks from holiday.

Hayes resumes at hooker, with Neil King moving to prop, while in the back-row, McDuff takes over from Gary Heims, who moves to the replacement bench.

The Leeds side are sixth in the table at the moment with eight wins from 19 outings and go into the game on the back of a 10-0 home win over Old Otliensians last weekend.

Skipton: G. Smithson; M. Beech, A. Oldfield, A. Porter, P. Lacy; D. Howson, D. Brown; P. Jenkinson, D. Hayes, N. King, A. Phillip, A. Winthrop, M. Davidson, I. Scrivin, M. McDuff. Replacements: M. Wilson, R. Birks, G. Heims.

oYORKSHIRE rugby followers who still recall their Twickenham defeat by Cornwall will have a chance to relive the experience.

The men from the Duchy have been chosen to meet Yorkshire, the reigning champions, at Twickenham on May 26 in the RFU's contingency plans to cope with the foot and mouth outbreak.