IT'S THE big one for championship-chasing Trojans, who head across the waters to title rivals Sandown & Shanklin with one thing on their minds - winning the league!
Victory at The Fairway for the side three points clear at the helm of Hampshire One will secure their return to London Four South-West, while casting the Hurricanes to the lottery of the play-off against the second placed outfit from Surrey One.
With a small travelling army of support, Trojans name a squad of 20 for the trip across the Solent with only Tim Richardson missing from their regular line-up. Steve Fitzgerald moves into the front row.
The hosts are not naming their starting XV until nearer kick-off but have a doubt over John Mislebach who has a broken hand but is hoping to be fit but skipper Lee Priddle otherwise has all his key players back.
Trojans coach Pete Surtees is quietly confident of recording the win they need and, after a keen training session with neighbours Eastleigh on Tuesday evening, the anticipation of the task has gripped the club.
"We will be treating this as a play-off game and having been in a few of those over the last few seasons, the lads know exactly what to do to win," he said. "We are just going out to win the game and have selected the strongest possible side."
But Priddle's men, who have not lost on their sloping ground this season, want to preserve that record and want to keep winning to maximise the chances of the play-off match being on the Island.
With the relegation line being stretched in London Four South-West, the prospect of more teams going down from Hampshire One has suddenly appeared over the horizon, as room may needed to be made for possible three sinking county clubs.
As just two points separate third from ninth, any one of the seven clubs could face the axe so all the remaining four games have a vital edge to them.
Seventh play ninth at the Lordshill Recreation Ground as the strongest Millbrook side possible receives Nomads, feeling that one win will secure their place in the league for another season.
Dean Weaver's side is only without working-away Alan Day but Rob Prowting returns to scrum-half in an otherwise unchanged side. Nomads are also at full strength with Matt Davis starting at fly-half.
Weaver has seen a different side of his charges in the last couple of weeks and says, "Everyone is well aware of what they need to do and we are well up for it. But so will Nomads be, as they are playing for their survival too."
New Milton & District, currently eighth, go to US Portsmouth with a side that is missing a handful of Twickenham visitors and a host of injured, which will do their hopes little good.
Services welcome hooker Richard John for this debut as Paul Cartwright is absent, but they do have their Hungarians back in harness.
While Isle of Wight sit fourth, their home game with Farnborough will be no easy ride and nor will Fareham Heathens' visit to relegated Alresford.
Ellingham & Ringwood can join Aldershot & Fleet in Hampshire One next season if the Foresters can account for mid-table Chineham while at the bottom, Fawley face their biggest game of the season when they travel to Ventnor, just a place about them.
The winners of the East Dorset and Paxton Pumas match will be promoted in Hampshire Three but the Titchfield side are without scrum-half George Winch.
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