Throw away the formbook. Take no notice of the league table. The most awaited derby of the county season arrives when Gosport & Fareham host Portsmouth at Dolphin Crescent in a London Division Two South match where nothing is taken for granted.

Matches between the pair have tended to be tentative affairs, with plenty of passion and physically tough on the field and this will be no different - especially, as for the first time in a number of seasons, it is the hosts who hold the higher league position upper hand.

However, that always means for little and this as important a game as they come, with Gosport looking to stretch away from their city rivals from across the harbour.

The home side introduce their new signing, 30-year-old Darrell Cooper - who has played rugby league for Great Britain, as well for the Army in both codes - into the centre, where he displaces birthday-boy Chris Manktelow.

Player-coach Sean Fanning suffered a recurrence of a knee injury a fortnight ago and is out but Jonathan Wood is back after a muscle strain and Fred Dugan returns having missed a month with a thumb tear. Harry Harrison is still missing.

Meanwhile, Ian Chandler's side have woken up of late with two excellent victories and welcome back winger Anthony Lintern, prop Tom Wells and flanker Nick Ettery for the visit to the peninsular.

They have the utmost respect for each other, especially Chandler. "I expect the game to be very close as Gosport probably have the best set of tight forwards in the league, but we have the best backs - although our forwards have improved beyond recognition in the last month," he said.

"Gosport Park is a very hard place to get a result - we know that better than anyone else - but we are travelling in a positive manner gained from our recent performances."

Simon Burns, the Gosport captain, is of similar mind. "It will be won or lost in the forwards and we are expecting a tough battle. Even with home advantage, we know we will have to play at our very best to win."

Leaders Worthing, unbeaten in their last ten games in Roundstone Lane should easily beat Andover, without a win on the road in all five away days this season. But Keith Mitchell's side travel undaunted, especially after their excellent win over Cobham last week.

Tottonians returned from their cup defeat at Thurrock battered and bruised, so much so that two key players - full back Guy Tonkins and second-row Andy Frend - are both unfit for the trip to London Irish Amateur.

It means skipper Ali Ramus moves into the second row for Frend, allowing Clive Wilkes to start at number eight while Tonkins' leg tissue damage means Mike Searle goes back to full-back, Chris Smith switches across to centre and Dave Lamb is recalled to the wing.

It is a far from ideal situation for this crucial top against third clash, especially at Sunbury-on-Thames, where the Irish are unbeaten in their three games to date.

The need for Southampton to win their home games is paramount now and they have to start by knocking down Old Emanuel, a team who have a similar away record to their hosts - dreadful!

Hooker Paul Brant and fly-half Dave Griffiths are back from their one-week absences so Pete Fox and Ian Budd make way following the extensive switches in personnel and positions. Skipper Tony Cador moves to centre, Chris Milne to number eight and Nick Timms back to lock.

"It is a game we can win given our home record and recent games against Emanuels," said Griffiths, "but we must ensure the right attitude."

Trojans can do Tottonians a favour and, in their current winning frame of mind, they could do just that by beating second placed Farnham at Stoneham Lane.

Coach Richard Cheal has seen an upturn in the confidence in his sides, and hopes to stop the "boring Farnham style" with an unchanged side from that victorious at Emanuel last week. "We need to capitalise on it now," he said.

Don't miss Monday's Echo for two pages of top local rugby action.