Tough away day for sides

They will find the home teams a different proposition from last weekend’s opponents Ards, which saw two comprehensive victories for the Judges Road men.

Rainey will be keen to get their league campaign up and running following a narrow 24-22 defeat at Queens last weekend.

Despite the departure of their outstanding New Zealand scrum half Peter Sciascia, Rainey will be keen to push for promotion from All Ireland League Division 3 this season.

They finished sixth in AIL 3 the year before last and were disappointed last season after an outstanding start to their campaign they ended up fifth in the league.

Rainey have recruited heavily this season with three former Derry players in their ranks including backs Mark O’Connor back from Coventry and Stuart Simpson from Coleraine, the third Judges Road man is prop Stephen Rutledge formerly with Omagh and Banbridge.

The big signing for the Rainey has been former Ulster Second Row Forward Tim Barker who is operating at No8 for them. They have strengthened their back line considerably with former Queens’s players Johnny Shields and Connor O’Neill and when you add to that Peter Wilson, Alex McLaughlin and Limavady Grammar winger Aaron Rainey, with the injured Michael Shields to come back in as well, great things will be expected.

The Judges Road men carries a few injuries from last weekend including Simon Logue hamstring and Chris Barber shoulder. Derry welcome David Huston and Chris Cooper back from injury and returning students Tom Patton and Paul McFeely should make their first starts in the front and back rows.

City of Derry Coaches Mark Nicholl and Ashley Blair will be looking forward to more progression from last Saturday’s Man of the Match Adam Bratton making only his second start in the back row.

The two teams met at Judges Road in the Ulster League last March with the home team coming out on top.

Derry suffered one of only four defeats when they were crowned All Ireland League Division 3 Champions 2010/11 campaign, losing 22-17 at Rainey.

The game on Saturday will be fantastic preparation for the coming AIL campaign that starts at the end of September and another close encounter is expected.

City of Derry Firsts squad: Chris Shields, Steven Jefferson, Cathal Creggan, David Ferguson, Paul McFeely, Brian Prue, David Houston, Chris Cooper, Ross Scott, Adam Bratton, Tom Patton, Richard Baird, Andrew Semple, Richard McCarter, Richard Peoples, William McCleery, Adam Parke, Ryan Campbell, David Funston. David Graham, Jack Caithness, Peter Henderson.