FORMER England player David Pears will be wearing the green shirt of Wharfedale again this season, starting tomorrow when the Dalesmen entertain arch-rivals Otley in a pre-season friendly.

Wharfedale's Director of Rugby, Michael Harrison, has been trying to woo Pears back to Wharfeside Avenue for a few weeks, a mission made all the more urgent by the injury which threatens to keep utility back Andy Hodgson out of action for the early weeks of a new campaign.

Although Pears has yet to sign on the dotted line, he has made up his mind to play for the Greens and to travel back to Yorkshire.

Pears has trained recently with Henley and they would have been happy to have him on board, but he has settled for Wharfedale.

"At this stage in my career I want to enjoy my rugby and play at a good level," he says: "I know the lads from playing with them previously and know that they take their rugby seriously and enjoy the game.

"I come back to Yorkshire regularly as it is and I always enjoy my time up there. Training wise, I've had one or two offers which I'll consider, including training with Harlequins amateur side, but I keep myself in fairly fit in the gym and playing squash."

The obvious downside to the deal is that the lynch-pin of their team will be unable to train with the side in midweek, but the coaching team have decided that in the prevailing circumstances, that is a price worth paying to have a man of Pears' calibre in the side.

The 32-year-old last played for Wharfedale in the 1998/99 season, when he scored five tries, 24 conversions, 50 penalty goals and four drop-goals for a 235-point total.

His arrival that season proved to be a turning point for the Dalesmen, who started badly and were in urgent need of an appearance by 'the cavalry' to keep relegation at bay.

Pears did the job then and was hopeful of re-launching his career at the top level on the strength of his rehabilitation from another of a long string of injuries.

Those ambitions clearly did not work out at Harlequins or Worcester, although the Sixways ship was foundering before he arrived.

He will play at fly-half on Saturday, with Neil Heseltine switching from fly-half to centre, where he partners David Whitfield. Jonathan Davies keeps the full-back role he held against Halifax in the warm-up game, with Adam Mounsey and Ben Whitfield getting a start on the wings.

Up front, Paul Evans partners David Lister at lock, getting the nod over Tony Capstick, who impressed at Halifax, while in the back-row, Sam Allen, Hedley Verity and Tony Jackson get first chance to prove their credentials, with Russ Buckroyd on the bench.

Good news for the Dalesmen is that Graham Smith seems to have shrugged off a shoulder injury which was niggling him during the Ovenden Park outing. Only doubt surrounds the front-row replacement, which will be decided after fitness checks. The Wharfedale line-up for Saturday is:

Jonathan Davies; Ben Whitfield, Neil Heseltine, David Whitfield, Adam Mounsey; David Pears, Graham Smith; Craig Ingram, John Lawn (captain), Neil Dickinson, David Lister, Paul Evans, Sam Allen, Hedley Verity, Tony Jackson. Replacements: Craig Eccleston, Daniel Harrison, A.N.Other, Gavin Hindle, Russ Buckroyd, Tony Capstick, Carl Burnett.

Otley coach Peter Clegg reports that while a handful of his senior players will be absent through injury or unavailability, some of the newer recruits will be in action at Wharfedale.

Former Leeds flanker Lee Denham, Yorkshire prop Adam Pogson from Sandal and South African lock, John Lister, who has joined from Morley, will be in the visiting pack, while new fly-half James Lofthouse is scheduled to be back from England Students duty.

"We had a typically testing workout last weekend against Kendal and should be a shade stronger on Saturday, but I don't expect us to be as strong up front as we will be once the season gets underway," he says: "I'm treating these games as part of our fitness development and I know we'll get a good workout at Wharfedale."

While the Dales neighbours enjoy the chance to have a tussle which will stand both sides in good stead for the tests to come seven days later, at Grove Park, Wharfedale Seconds will be in action in a practice session against North Ribblesdale (3.00).

From Ribblesdale's point of view, Malham Show and the wedding of one of their players has hit availability, but the result remains secondary to the match practice.