DORCHESTER’S first XV play their penultimate home league game of the season at home to East Dorset tomorrow (3pm), and the club also hosts its ex-players and vice presidents’ lunch.

After the loss last weekend at Sherborne, the county town side need to bounce back with a bonus-point win to still be in with the slim chance of grabbing third place in the league.

The squad sees some new names step in and some returnees from injury, along with positional changes.

Luke Doherty steps up to start at hooker and Steve Tuckers returns at number eight after injury, with Julian Dale stepping in to start at scrum-half covering for an injured Jake Bosher, who is out for the remainder of the season having been concussed.

Second team captain Rob Parker moves into the number 10 position, with George Foot moving out to the wing. Jamie Morgan also returns from injury and starts at full-back.

Coach Ben Parker said: “The lads have come back to training determined to make amends and put big points on East Dorset to earn a five-point win.

“With Weymouth & Portland away on April 8, we are using the East Dorset game to ensure we travel with a strong squad over the hill next week for the second part of the Ridgeway Rumble.”

n A lot of the club’s under-15 side in their guise as Thomas Hardye School won at a canter against Dr Challoner's Grammar School at Twickenham on Wednesday, 62-7, to win the NatWest Schools Vase. A similar side goes into a final for their club against Salisbury on Sunday, looking to become Dorset & Wilts champions for their age group. The game kicks off at North Dorset at 3pm.

Sunday sees the club’s under-14s and under-16s in Dorset & Wilts cup rounds at home and three cup finals for the under-12s, under-13s and the high performing under-15s.

With those three sides playing away at neutral grounds, it is a big weekend for the junior section of the club.