The full back, who leads the way with 15 tries this term – 31 in total for the club – is joined on the outside of the three-quarters by Jack Rampton and Nat Arnold, the latter making a starting debut.
Fresh from becoming Sweden’s all-time top try-scorer a fortnight ago, Axel Kalling-Smith returns to the midfield alongside breakthrough star Joe Pannese, Andrew Lamb taking over at fly-half as Fraser Honey’s incredible 51-match starting run comes to a close.
Another of the finds of the campaign, Ollie Hodgson, again starts at scrum-half as Bath loanee duo Ioan Emanuel and hooker Jasper Spandler are joined by former Irish Under 20s tight-head Ryan Lomas in the front row.
Stapley starts as comeback continues
Connor Stapley’s incredible recovery from a sickening triple leg break against Darlington on the opening day of the campaign is completed with his restoration to the starting line-up, the lock having come off the bench to celebrate his brother Robbie’s final outing of a sensational career against Rosslyn Park two weeks ago.
Dan Swain partners Stapley Jr in the engine room, the former Taunton Titans having bagged a brace to take his seasonal haul to an impressive six tries against Rosslyn.
Ex-Oratory School man Morgan MacRae comes back in on the blind-side flank, with club legend Tom Vooght on the other side of the scrum as last time’s hat-trick hero James McRae captains the side from the start for the first time at No. 8.
From the bench, prop Paddy Harris joins Clow in completing a full 26 squad inclusions with Nick Barry back to provide further ballast, two further forwards named in the form of Ben Atkins and Mikey Duda.
Tomek Pozniak – who has nine tries in 19 games during his debut season at Old Bath Road – rounds out the squad as they aim to seal a top-four spot with victory at The 26,000-seater Darlington Arena.
Rams Team @ Darlington Mowden Park
(15-9, 1-8) Clow, Rampton, Kalling-Smith, Pannese, Arnold, Lamb, Hodgson; Emanuel, Spandler, Lomas, C Stapley, Swain, MacRae, Vooght, McRae ©
Replacements: Harris, Barry, Atkins, Duda, Pozniak
