BASINGSTOKE rugby club have the chance tomorrow to tie up a promotion play-off place when they travel to local rivals Winchester in London division one.

Victory by the Down Grange side will mean that no other team can get above leaders Havant and second-placed Basingstoke.

One point from their two remaining games would guarantee Basingstoke home advantage in an April 27 play-off with the second-placed team in south west one for a spot back in the national league at the first attempt.

It is unrealistic to expect Basingstoke to finish higher than second because it would need Havant to lose their final two matches, at home to Norwich tomorrow and at Haywards Heath a week later, and Basingstoke to win their two by impressive margins.

Their player-coach Ian Calder is not under-estimating the size of the task at Nuns Road tomorrow.

"It's going to be difficult down there," he said. "They're a difficult team, especially at home. The Hampshire local rivalry means they're going to be up for it so we've got a lot to play for."

Calder makes one enforced change to the side that beat Havant 16-15 at Hooks Lane to carry off the Hampshire Cup for the ninth time in 13 seasons. Hooker Ash Riley (pictured) is away on holiday so Matt Evans again deputises.

A week without a match has given extra healing time to players like scrum-half Tom Dean and second row Nigel Hooker to get over niggling injuries.

With a home promotion play-off their goal, the players will need little motivation but Calder said it was important for his team to carry on winning.

The promotion issue in south west one is still unclear although Weston-super-Mare are guaranteed promotion after one season out of the national league.

This Saturday they could put a dent in second-placed Barnstaple's promotion play-off hopes when they travel to North Devon. Barnstaple finish up with a trip to relegation-threatened Swanage and Wareham.

Their rivals for the promotion play-off place are Dings Crusaders, who also have 13 wins from 20 outings. The Bristol side travel to struggling Maidenhead tomorrow and finish by entertaining bottom side Dorchester.

Basingstoke: C Norton; R Joseph, J Rees, N Taylor, G Jones; I Calder, T Dean; N Young, M Evans, S Collins, N Hooker, S Drawbridge, P Della-Savina, R Baker (capt), M Reeve. Reps: R Holmes, S Buttle, K Chapman.