Lions travel with confidence

Director of rugby Mark Ellis is asking for more of the same from Rugby Lions, who will go third in National Division Three North if they win their rearranged game at Macclesfield tomorrow. Lions hit top form last weekend, scoring nine tries to demolish Preston Grashoppers 57-7 with a performance that had Ellis purring.

"It was a joy to watch, particularly in the second half," said Ellis. "We had to tinker a little bit at half-time, but once we sorted out our discipline and speeded up our ruck ball, they couldn't live with the pace that we played at.

"Some of the stuff we did was breathtaking and all the things we have worked on over the past 18 months came off. Some of the reins have been taken off the players, I've told them to go out to win and not to worry about making mistakes - it's everybody's job to react to any errors.

"The trick will be to keep it going this week, but we will travel with confidence and the aim is to secure the five points."

Ellis has made two enforced changes to the starting pack where prop Tristan Wati and second row James Wadey come in for Jamie Tyers (unavailable) and Karl Braband (injured). Terry Boneham and Tom Cheney move up to the bench.

Rugby Lions: Hawken; Rust, Goode, Viggers, Hales; Warner, Handley; Greenbury, Overton, Wati, Riding, Wadey, Nash, Prosser-Shaw, Brady. Reps: Clarke, Boneham, Price, Cheney