Kendal will be geared up on two fronts for their Regional 1 North West clash on Saturday.
Their game at Kirkby Lonsdale is a county derby between clubs just 14 miles apart, so that should spark an extra edge.
But Kendal have another reason, too, to pull something extra out of the bag!
Last week’s County Cup shock at Upper Eden will have embarrassed them and they will want to respond accordingly and put things right with a good League performance.
Kirkby Lonsdale have had a shocking start to the League campaign – five straight defeats, only 38 points scored and 380 conceded. That’s 164 more than Burnage who are next to bottom.
On all known evidence they should be there for the taking to boost Kendal’s own League position. They are third bottom, a point more than Burnage.
As someone pointed out at Pennine Park last week Kendal and Upper Eden could be in the same League next season if promotion and relegation is confirmed at two up and two down.
Kendal lost three players with injuries last week, all of which looked serious as Danny Barker, Chris Park and Glen Weightman were forced off.
Even without that trio back Kendal will be considered strong favourites to see off Kirkby Lonsdale and get their season moving again.
Aspatria will expect to get off the mark on Saturday when they host South Shields Westoe at Bower Park.
The Black Reds are still looking for their first point in Regional 2 North and this represents their best chance.
Aspatria currently prop up the Division with Carlisle only a point better off. Then above the two Cumbrians are South Shields Westoe.
Saturday’s visitors have won one and drawn one of their five fixtures so far with seven points in the locker.
Significantly those points came in the first two matches of the season – a 17-10 home win over Carlisle and a 12-12 draw at fourth bottom Consett.
Aspatria had a tough start to the League campaign but would have expected to do better than they fared at Keswick two weeks ago – losing 14-6.
Coach Mike Scott will have his troops fired-up for this one in the belief they can get off the bottom of the table with a convincing win.
Nobody seems certain of just how relegation will work this season – will one or two clubs go down?
Until there’s some confirmation clubs are assuming it will be the bottom two and are thus battling to avoid those two precarious positions.
It’s rather worrying to see the two Cumbrian clubs occupying the last two places in the League a quarter of the way through the season – and only a point between them.
Carlisle have had it tough with injuries in a season when new coach George Graham is having to rebuild the side.
They withdrew from last week’s County Cup semi-final with Penrith because of the mounting crop of injuries and lack of front-row options.
They go again on Saturday at Percy Park who are fifth in the table with three wins from five games – hardly a gentle re-introduction to competitive rugby.
Although they lost at home to all-conquering Morpeth last time out, previous to that they had put sixty points on South Shields Westoe.
Carlisle have shipped more points (213) than any other side in the League and tightening up the defence is clearly highest on the agenda for the coach – plus more fit players.
Penrith are doing by far the best of the four Cumbrian clubs in Regional 2 North and sit third in the table, five points behind Morpeth.
They also can look forward to the County Cup final when they will be up against local neighbours Upper Eden at a venue and on a date still to be decided.
First on the agenda is a home game against Stockton who sit mid-table with two wins and two defeats so far.
Their fifth game should have been at Aspatria but, as was within their rights, they declined to travel over the death of her Majesty the Queen.
Two weeks ago they beat Consett 25-7 but Penrith will certainly fancy their chances of improving their position as the two sides ahead of them meet in the League’s match of the day – Middlesbrough v Morpeth.
Fourth in the table are Northern who entertain Keswick, in what will be a tough test for the Lakes side.
However, Keswick were buoyed by their success against Aspatria two weeks ago and will have ambitions of bringing home at least a bonus point.
Upper Eden, after their exploits last week in the County Cup against Kendal can put their feet up as they are the spare team in the Counties 1 Cumbria League.
Two derby games dominate the fixtures headed by St. Benedict’s v Whitehaven and Silloth v Wigton.
Also playing are Hawcoat Park v Creighton; Millom v Cockermouth and Penrith 2nds v Workington.
