Owens gets Lions' call

FLY-HALF Harry Owens makes his first start for Rugby Lions in the home game against National Division Three South leaders Ealing. A former Junior National Academy member and England Under-18 international, Owens - who played at Saracens and Worcester Academies before spells at Chinnor and Barking - came on as a replacement in last week's National Trophy win over Leicester Lions and replaces

Jack Green, who broke his hand at training on Tuesday night.

He partners returning scrum-half Toby Handley for a game where director of rugby Mark Ellis believes Lions have nothing to lose and everything to gain. "All the pressure is on Ealing, nobody is expecting us to win, so I will tell the players to just go out and play," said Ellis.

"It is a bit like last week's tie where the pressure was also off and we played as well as we have done all season in the second half.

"All the talk on Ealing's web-site is about their top of the table game against London Scottish next week and there is nothing about us, so maybe they are taking us a bit lightly.

"On our day I'd back us against anyone if we play for the full 80 minutes, and I liken it to this time last season when Tynedale came down here unbeaten, no-one gave us a chance, and we destroyed them."

Rugby Lions: Hawken; Harris, Reed, Goode, Moir; Owen, Handley; Waller, Overton, Hadfield, Cheney, Braband, Riding, Nash, Brady. Reps: Glackin or Rust, Parker, Greenbury, Price, Carney.