SCRUM caps will be the order of the day tomorrow when YMCA entertain Cheshire outfit Hoylake in the fourth round of the EDF Senior Vase Trophy (2.00).
Steve Anderson and Dave Holmes, who both suffered head wounds in a nasty collision at the end of last week's win over Sandal, are expected to play against Hoylake.
But they will almost certainly wear protective headgear, while skipper Mava Iosefa, and second-rowers Luke Hannan and Ross Housley already wear them.
Scrum half Simon Wilson, right, has fully recovered from a foot injury and comes back into the reckoning, giving head coach Carl Thewlis a number of options available for the No9 shirt, with Neil Walker and Simon Bowker having taken on the role over the last three games.
Thewlis is expecting to pick from a virtually full-strength squad, although he will be without winger Chris Cowling, with Danny Sykes coming in as a replacement.
After a first-round bye and wins over Trafford MV and Pocklington in the second and third rounds, YMCA are now down to the last 16 in the regional section, but need to claim another two wins before the competition goes national.
Hoylake play in the Euromanx South Lancs/Cheshire I, which is believed to be an equivalent division to Yorkshire I at the other side of the Pennines.
And they occupy a similar position to the YM with five wins from their 11 matches, and have scored 229 points, with 226 against.
Perhaps, noticeably, they have only won once on the road this season, and in their last three games have been beaten by Isle of Man outfit Vagabonds, Leigh and Wirral.
The draw for the fourth round is remarkable in that none of the seven remaining Yorkshire sides (who all play in YM's division) have been drawn against each other.
YMCA: Rees; Sykes, Morton, Iosefa, Holmes; Travis, Wilson; Watson, Guegue, McSwiney, Hannan, Hellawell, Anderson, Housley, Eastwood. Subs: Gregson, Whitehead, Bowker.
Third XV: Watson; Dalton, Earnshaw, Pearson, Hellawell; Horton, Morton; Boothroyd; Marshall, Senior; Heptinstall, Scanlon, Bedford, Mossley, Smith. Subs: Bates, Rimmer, Throssell, Elsworth.
* Full Cup report on Monday.
