After looking like missing out on the promotion shake-up for most of the season, Portsmouth have sneaked through the back door into the play-offs - and a chance to wipe out the disappointment of a failed attempt 12 months ago.

They take a full-strength squad to St Albans to meet a side they have already lost to in the Intermediate Cup this season - Old Albanians - for the right to play in Powergen London Division 1 next season.

Ian Chandler's side are in terrific form. Winning their last seven league games, plus the demise of a challenge by Gosport & Fareham and Tunbridge Wells, has put them in this position.

Portsmouth were always the most unlikely of the four contenders, but their patience has paid off and they want to cancel out the defeat at Southend in the play-off last season with success this time around.

Old Albanians are unbeaten, however, in the 11 league games they have played on their new Woollams Playing Field ground, where they moved last season when a fire razed their previous clubhouse to ashes.

Chandler knows they are a good side, having seen them defeat his outfit 30-28 in November.

"They play a similar game to us," he said. "It should be a good contest with their backs against ours, but we had a very good training session on Tuesday evening and everyone is quietly confident that we can win."

Albanians have been fielding former England A fly-half Paul Turner in their ranks but his role as specialist backs coach with Harlequins could see him miss the game as the Zurich Premiership side are at leaders Gloucester tomorrow.

"We will look at that when we get there," Chandler added coyly. "I expect they are thinking that we will be the same as we were back in November, but only six of the side in this game played in that one, so we have a few surprises for them."

Only second-row Jim Pearce is missing from Portsmouth's regular starting XV, while skipper Neil Styles continues to recover from the blood-clot injury he suffered a month ago against Andover.

League leading try-scorer Matthew Gronow is joined by second-highest Grant Erskine, who returns from his visit back to Australia, with electrically-paced university student Tom Sumner retained on the left wing.

Portsmouth: A Saunders, G Erskine, M Gronow, S Cox, T Sumner, S McLaughlan, M Vine (capt); D Thomas, D Needham, T Wells, I Thatcher, R Forster, D Abbey, A Phillips, B Pearce. Reps: J Ford, J McLaughlan, P Wylie.

l A large contingent of players and supporters from Romsey Rugby Club will be cheering on Farnborough as the North Hampshiremen tackle Surrey Division 1 runners-up Old Paulines for a place in London 4 South-West.

A dramatic dip in form by Adrian Price's All Blues is a concern as they hunt a yo-yo return to the league they were relegated from last season and promoted to the season before.

Bournemouth-based Oakmeadians are also hoping that it is second time lucky for them as well, as they meet Aylesbury in the Southern Counties South-North play-off fixture, and with home advantage on their Meyrick Park ground, they have a good chance.

The results ranging from National Division 2 down to the play-off in Hampshire 1 will have a major effect on a number of county-based clubs, with Havant, Basingstoke, Winchester, Alton, Southampton, US Portsmouth, Eastleigh and Sandown & Shanklin all keeping close tabs on what happens.

A defeat for Newbury in National 2 and wins for the two northern area sides Nottingham and Wharfedale will doom Havant to London 1, while Lydney must win the play-off if Newbury go down to save Basingstoke from National Three and Winchester from London 1.

It is a major conundrum for Southampton, who need three of the five matches ahead of them to go their way to remain in the league, while if all five go one way, then US Portsmouth are in trouble.