This Saturday, we welcome our old friends from Bowdon.

The Cheshire club are enjoying a successful term and are currently fifth, having lost only seven of their twenty games thus far.

Since returning to South Lancashire/Cheshire 1 with Manchester Medics in 2014, Bowdon have slowly asserted themselves at the higher level. In 2014-15, they finished eleventh and the following season, tenth. Last season, they emerged as one of the better sides and eventually finished a creditable fifth.

This improvement is reflected in their results against Anselmians. In their first season back, we won both games; a 39-26 win at Malone Field was followed up by a close victory, 20-25, at Bowdon. In 2015-16, we lost at home 20-27, but edged a thrilling match away, 14-15.
Last season, we just did enough at Eastham, prevailing 22-19, but were soundly thrashed 15-69 on our last visit to the Cheshire club.

Back in November, we escaped with a narrow win, 13-12, at Clay Lane and Bowdon will be keen on revenge. Last Saturday at Southport, whilst we were enjoying ourselves at Tyldesley, Bowdon were, surprisingly, losing 17-32, and will be keen to make amends.

Anselmians must not be complacent; only last month Bowdon defeated league leaders Broughton Park 27-22. Indeed, apart from ourselves, they have only been on the losing side against LSH (twice), Broughton Park, Leigh, Southport and Hoylake.

It promises to be an intriguing contest.