After being perennial mid-table finishers, Sandown & Shanklin go into tomorrow's Hampshire-Surrey Division One play-off looking to become the first club from the Isle of Wight in the London Leagues.

It has been a dramatic turnaround for the Hurricanes under the leadership of flanker Lee Priddle, who takes his side to London Cornish for the right to join Trojans in London Four South-West.

In the biggest game in the club's history, Sandown will start as underdogs against the impassioned Cornish, bound to be backed by a throng of renegade Trelawnys, but they will be bringing over 100 people themselves.

But they will not be at full strength as fly-half Ross Edmonds nurses a dislocated shoulder, sustained three weeks ago, so promising Simon Swallow comes in while there is a doubt over Ian Birch's injured knee.

And Priddle himself is watching the clock before the game, as he has been off work for two weeks with mumps and has not trained, although he was likely to have been back on the paddock last night.

They have, however, recalled University of Kent at Canterbury winger Tom Monks from his studies to play in this vital game while much will be expected of former Wales Under-18 captain Tommy Booth in the back row.

Skipper Priddle said: "We are totally looking forward to it and are desperately keen. In fact, we have been training just for this for the last month. And here it is, the biggest game in the club's history and the lads want to win."

l Will it be play-off third time lucky for Portsmouth when they undertake a very tough assignment of meeting London Two North runners-up Staines for the right to join the London One ranks?

Staines boast the services of former England and Harlequins flanker Chris Sheasby as player-coach and another pair of ex-Quins in centre Nick Greenstock and Steve White-Cooper but they also have a legend of the game in the side.

Fijian Sevens captain Waisale Serevi in enjoying semi-retirement playing for the Middlesex club and will surely be recalled.

Porsmouth's rugby manager Nigel Morgan said: "We are optimistic that if we play to the top of our game, we can win."