Pool will be once again hoping to make home advantage count when Ryton come to town this Saturday, as they did last week running out 29-12 winners over Bishop at Mayfield Park.

Ryton, who were relegated from Durham Northumberland 1 with Pool last season, have experienced a mixed bag of results during the first month of the season.

They have won 2 from 5 but one of those victories was in emphatic fashion against Ashington last Saturday and they will be looking to carry that momentum into this weekend.

In terms of team news it is much of the same for Hartlepool with the only change coming in the forwards.

Carl Hanson comes into the squad for Jack Richardson and will take up a place among the replacements with Joe Myers partnering Sam Kitching in the second row.

Kitching has enjoyed an impressive first month of senior rugby culminating in him picking up the Portals Place Player of the Month award for September.

T Stead, Small, Williamson, Kitching, Myers, Stevenson, Carney, Johnson, Foreman, P Wilson, Hall, Thomas, Chester, Ryan, Ainley.

Reps: N Stead, Hanson, Drewett.

Hartlepool A are on the road again when they travel to Barnard Castle in the CANDY League Division 2.

The hosts ran out narrow 20-25 winners in mid September and Hartlepool will be looking to go one step further this time round to claim their first win of the season.