Top v third at Trojans

A win for the hosts will see them pull four points clear at the top while victory for Marcus Coffin's men will put them all square with Trojans.

Both teams have been strong on defence this season but Trojans' firepower is the stronger.

This is battle that both teams need to win.

Trojans give a first team debut to ex-Bedford second row Dave Wells while Tom McIntosh returns at eight after last week's late withdrawal with injury.

Aran Surtees comes back at scrum half.

Jared McCarroll plays his final game in Trojans colours before returning to South Africa.

Coach Pete Surtees said: "It has been a pleasure to have him in the side. His flair has rubbed off on a few guys and the lads will want to keep it going.

"We are looking forward to the game. It used to be the case of us looking up to them where as now we go into this game as equals.

"We need to keep pressurising teams and things will open up for us. We want to play open rugby but first and last we need the two points."

Ellingham and Ringwood entertain Farnborough at Pickets Post and, with Steve Anderson's team starting to gel with players returning from injury, competition is growing.

Anderson said: "With a number of colts breaking into the team, the tempo has increased.

"We will want to play our game from the start and not let the first half run away from us like last week.

"We will treat them with the utmost respect but we need the points to keep the pressure on Trojans."

Eastleigh travel to Alton needing to kickstart their season.

Alton make changes after last week's defeat at Southampton. Mathew Pead returns at scrum half after a time away for parenthood while big number 8 Simon Doel comes in with Silas Jones reverting to blindside.

Elliott Ross comes in at prop with Ben Wallace moving to the wing to make way for Alistair Willman. Alton will use the big pitch to move the ball wide - a game plan they used early season with great effect.

Romsey will be looking to leapfrog Chineham in Hampshire 2 after a good first half performance last week.

After starting the season with three wins out of four, the North Hampshire team have not been as consistent of late.

IOW will be looking to keep the pressure on leaders East Dorset, whom they beat last week.

They travel to Alresford and will be looking to sustain the pressure on the leaders, who have a week off.

Fordingbridge can bounce back up with the top teams if they can overcome Fawley at home.

Captain Tim O'Donnell will want more of the commitment of last week as another win will put them in the pack fighting for promotion.

Bridge are unchanged from last week.

Fawley are having a stop-start season and will need to be up for this game to come home with the spoils.

Havant will want to continue their fine form in National League 3 South at home to Hertford.

Next week they face National 2 side Henley Hawks in the EDF National Trophy.

The teams above them are wavering in the league and another home win would bring all the teams back into the melting pot.

Coach Simon Morgan is looking forward to this battle.

"The team is on a high and things are starting to fall into place," he said.

"We need to concentrate and not get too carried away and let our rugby do the talking."

Portsmouth, who secured their first win in the league last week, face much sterner opposition this week in the form of Barnes.

Nigel Morgan will want the commitment his men showed last week if they are to come away from this game with anything.

"We field an unchanged team and will hope the weather stays fine so we can run the ball wide," said Morgan.

"Barnes are very strong up front and will want to overpower us in that department."

Tottonians travel to Winchester after going back to the top of London 3 South West last week.

Nuns Road is not a happy hunting ground for Totts.

However, playing away from home for Totts is not the problem it used to be.

Coach Bob Millard will be without impressive centre Mike Searle who is out through injury.

Paul Brading returns from injury at number 12.

"This is a game we need to win to try and split away from the teams below us in the league," said Millard.

"Forward power should be the call of the day."

Once again, both teams will rely on their big packs to give them a platform .

Pace and power will be the edge in this game and Jason Jones will want another big game from himself and his back row men Stocks and Taylor.

Dave Wilson comes into the front row at hooker and speedster Chris Smith comes onto the wing. Ollie Northover is back on the bench with after a week out injured.

Gosport & Fareham, meanwhile, travel to Old Reigations.

After putting a good run together in late October and early November, John Stamper's men have hit a blip over the past couple of weeks.

With all the teams around them playing well, Gosport do not want to get dragged back into the relegation zone.

Andy Patience and Mark Pollard are both available and should play.

Andy Nottly comes back at fly half with Adam Bentley coming onto the wing.

Struan Robertson keeps the no 9 jersey with Wes Dugan cementing his place in the centre with Ben Wales.

Stamper will leave final selection until as late as possible but will want to end the dire away form that has not seen victory away from home for 26 months.

"Reigations are a strong side but if we want to aspire to better things we must start winning away from home," Stamper stated.

FAREHAM HEATHENS (from): Paul Rugman, Paul Wilkinson, James Nicholson, Dave Wheaton, Julian Beard, Robert Moorhouse, Craig Shepherd, Ed Monk, Doug Wilson, Niall Allardice, Trevor Illingworth, Neal Howarth, Ben Strudwick, Gary Algar, Jamie Daly, Pete Mitchell, Andy Wye, Paul Charlson.

Alton: Willman, Wallace, Rees, Davies, Oliphant, Pead, Johns, Watts, Parratt cpt, Gay, White, Greenhaugh, Jones, Carter, Doel. Subs Hopkin/ Gwyther, Downer, Kerr.

SOUTHAMPTON (from) W Allen, L Mauger, M Waterer,M Coffin, I Budd, M Mauger, I Mauger, D Griffiths, O Sheldrake, A Butler, A Long, D Keepax, P Brant, P Molyneux, P O'Donnell, J Robins, R Greenaway, A Grogan, J Robins.

TOTTONIANS: M Searle, D Drake, M Green, D Stock, J Jones, D Taylor, C Smith, B Rainbow, P Brading, B Marshall, R Buck, J Angove cpt. Subs D Wilson. Subs D Shepherd, W Gilroy, O Northover.

GOSPORT & FAREHAM: D Shepherd, S Burns, S Aldridge, S Robertson,G Simposn, J Wagstaffe, R Thorne, H Harrison, M Smith, B Gamblin, M Smith, B Madigan, W Dugan, A Vance, D Smallbone, S Aldridge, M Thurston.

PORTSMOUTH: A Scarrett, J Lamb, M Vine Cpt, J Wood, B Stuart, S McKennie, P Jones, B Christensen, N Styles, G Hoolihan, A Avsenev, O Ofuasia, M Gronow, S Mclaughan, C Goldsmith, M Howard, H Cripps, M Percival.

HAVANT: Anton Petzer, Cam Avery, 'Chookie' Cheung-Fook, Neil McGovern, Neil Hannibal, Pucs Ngapaku, Liam Davenport, Stu Ingram (capt), Tom Drewett, Johan Mare, Brad Morgan, Matt Morgan, Jon Barfoot, Steve Cruddas, Graeme Frith.

Replacements: Karl Randle, Ben Morgan, Francois Barnard, Sid Claffey.

Romsey (from): Marsh, McCormick, Still, Bellis, Duquemin, Darby, Glanville, Savage, Harbour, Creal, Parsons, Surgeson, Peace, Feeham, Parker, Forbes, Hancock.

Ellingham & Ringwood (from): D Langford, D Powell, A Gilbert,C Cashell, C Levy, G Williams, R Padfield, R Mitchell, A Vaughan, J Noble, A Headley,D Soden, R Christopher, R Whale, A Weeks, R Major, A Fityan, S Clarke, L Ellis, R Aspin, D Webb, D Williams, J Beavis.

TROJANS: Lynton, Fitzgerald, Koloski, Knight, Higham, Corrbell, Mcintosh, Pennington, Collins,Fitzgerald, Boyd, R Clark, Rotson, Jarred, McCarroll, Furley,Strange, Wells, A Surtees.

FORDINGBRIDGE: D Kotze, S Gorman, S Tooke,P Collier, J Vass, M Vass, R Maltby, T O' Donnell cpt, R Gulliver, S Brown, D Brown, M Norton, D Stone, T Mckenzie, S Macfarlane. Subs: K Walsh, R Sallows, T Flower.

SANDOWN & SHANKLIN: Harris, Thomas, Holbrook, Pacey, Rees, Dean, Birch, Thomas, Tilley, Priddle, Rees, Monks, Fisher, Morey, Morris, Gasper, Buckingham, Edmonds