NORTHWICH Rugby Club’s first XV had a free weekend, enabling them to recover from the vigours of early-season action and to prepare for their fixture against Sandbach Rugby Club at Moss Farm on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

It will be the first meeting between the two sides for more than a decade as the visitors have only just returned to the North West Leagues after spending many years in the Midlands Leagues.

Blacks will be hoping to be bolstered by the return of Kiwi imports Ethyn Martin and Matthew Lafeta, who both missed the last league game at Rossendale through injury, and the possibility of adding their most recent recruit, South African lock-come-back row-player Andre Nel from the Pumas Rugby franchise based in Mpumalanga Province.

Despite not playing at the weekend, Northwich’s second XV remain top of their table – the RFU Halbro North West League’s The Right Broker Division Three South – and will be looking to extend their position when they travel across Moss Farm to Burrows Hill to face Winnington Park’s second XV.

Northwich Rugby Club’s thirds extended their lead at the top of their league – RFU Halbro North West Leagues NOWIRUL Widnes Transport & Training Division Four West – when they beat Moore 55-12 in a re-arranged fixture at Moss Farm on Saturday with the help of a Kyle Clarke hat-trick.

Other try scorers for Northwich were Antony Keller, two, Chris Maddocks, James Cottrell and skipper Chris Blower.

Tom Sparkes added five conversions.

Next up for Northwich’s thirds is a home fixture against unbeaten fourth placed St. Helens based outfit, Ruskin Park.