Darlington may be a division below Keighley, but the hosts are expecting a big test tomorrow in the fourth round of the NPI Cup.

"We beat them fairly comfortably last year in North East Division Two in our promotion season, but they are a different side this term," said Keighley's press officer Bob Swift.

"There is a great rivalry between themselves and Darlington Mowden Park, and money seems to be no object.

"The facilities at Darlington are the best I have ever seen at a rugby club - even better than Hull Ionians - and they are particularly nice people too.

"If I was a kid in Darlington, there is no question which of the two clubs I'd join."

Darlington, who have won all nine of their league matches so far and are set to succeed Mowden Park as North East Division Two champions, will face a Keighley side that are without Neil Marklew.

He is not available, so ex-Yorkshire Colt Rob Riley starts at prop, Simon Atkin moving up to the second row to the exclusion of Peter Southgate, and Michael Feather coming in at flanker.

Otley prefer Simon Hawkins at fly half for their home Jewson National League One clash against Newbury, Dan Clappison dropping to the bench.

Winger Sam Gardner has recovered sufficiently from having 14 stitches in a facial wound at Morley on November 21 to be named on the bench.

Wharfedale are without Glenn Harrison for their first league trip to Manchester, so hand a seasonal debut to in-form Craig Walker at centre.

His season has been disrupted by injury. The Dalesmen's strength can be seen by their bench, which includes one North Division player, Paul Evans, three Yorkshire players, John Metcalfe, Jonathan Davies and Dan Harrison, and two North Colts, David McCabe and Craig Eccleston.

Bradford Salem are resting hooker-cum-flanker Robbie Flynn and lock Tim Cook from an experimental side for their club match at Morley Cavaliers.

Regular fly half Peter Simpson is in the centre; Andy Dalton, who normally keeps the bench warm, is at fly half, and strong-running winger Damien Cope is tried at lock.

Baildon could well give a debut to replacement Stuart Williams at home to Stanley Rodillians.

Cleckheaton bring in flankers Neil Gillen and Steve Bishop at Ashton upon Mersey, Andy Robinson getting a run-out at centre and Peter Burnhill is on the wing.

Flanker John Sellars and winger David Mounsey come into a much-changed Aireborough side at home to Littleborough (1.00).

Wibsey, like Bradford and Bingley, are having a week off.

Keighley (home to Darlington): D mavro; W Knowles, K Young, R Emmott, J Hinchliffe; C Barker, M Uren; R Riley, N Scott, J Duffy, D Close, S Atkin, M Feather, C Weatherill, M Lister. Replacements: R Gibson, P Southgate, D Ideson.

Otley (home to newbury): R Duckett; W darby, M Billington, W Hartley, C Thornton; S Hawkins, G Cassidy; S Halligan, D Sayers, D Hall, I Carroll, P Williams, P Griffin, L Filipo, N Hargreaves. Replacements: D Clappison, R Moss, D Askew, J Burke, S Henry, S Gardner.

Wharfedale (at Manchester): N heseltine; S McManus, C Walker, A Hodgson, B Whitfield; D Pears, D Whitfield; R Lancaster, J Lawn, N Dickinson, D Wood, D Lister, R Buckroyd, C Vyvyan, H verity. Replacements from: J Davies, D McCabe, D Harrison, J Metcalfe, P Evans, R Sugden, C Eccleston.

Bradford Salem (at Morley Cavaliers): J Simpson; C Luxton, S Brown, P Simpson, N Klenk; A dalton, T Franklin; D Luxton, C Buxton, D Stamp, D Cope, B Scarbrough, D Lawrence, A Beaumont, S Cowman. Replacements to be announced.

Baildon (home to Stanley Rodillians): D Hemming; N Oddy, R Moorhouse, C Smithies, D Wilde; B Dobbs, J Dawson; S Gillson, D Helstrip, D Ruff, R Kendall, R Crooks, J Hutton, N Murphy, S Cooper. Replacements: P Wilson, S Williams.

Cleckheaton (at Ashton on Mersey): S Burnhill; G Stead, J Tozer, A Robinson, P Burnhill; R Ham, G Morris; D McSwiney, M McSwiney, G Piper, J Brooksbank, M Womersley, n Gillen, S Bainbridge, S Bishop. Replacements: M Wade, A Coates.

Aireborough (home to Littleborough): J Williams; G Turner, J Rhodes, A Macrae, D Mounsey; I Claughton, I Ellis; C Dine, R leather, D Greenwood, S Brewer, J Dale, P Nightingale, M Hemsley, J Sellars. Replacement: S Jones.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.