Preview: Peterborough v Poole

Heroic guest Scott Nicholls will be on the other side of the pits when the No1 Carpet Cleaning Poole Pirates visit Peterborough in the SGB Premiership tomorrow (7.30pm).

Nicholls starred in Pirates colours during two Supporters’ Cup clashes against Ipswich earlier this month.

The British legend ran in 11 points as a guest for Brady Kurtz as the Pirates saw off the Witches 46-44 at Wimborne Road on May 9, before adding paid 10 to his haul in defeat a week later at Foxhall, again stepping in for Kurtz who had commitments in Sweden.

But Nicholls will be back in Panthers colours for a second successive year when the Pirates arrive at the East of England Arena, having been drafted in alongside Josh Bates in place of Lasse Bjerre and Ben Barker.

The 41-year-old started the season with Wolves as injury cover for Jacob Thorssell, but the Swede is now fit to return, leaving Nicholls free to pen a deal with the Panthers.

Bates missed the whole of 2018 after suffering a broken back, but has been in fine form for Leicester in the Championship this season alongside the Pirates’ Richie Worrall.

The Pirates go into tomorrow’s encounter buoyed by their epic Supporters’ Cup comeback from 12 points down at King’s Lynn on Monday, while the Panthers have suffered three defeats on the spin, including a 51-39 home reverse against Ipswich on May 13.

That display was labelled “embarrassing” by Panthers team boss Carl Johnson and almost certainly led to the departures of Bjerre and Barker who managed only five points between them against the Witches.

The Pirates' Danish pair Nicolai Klindt and Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen are unavailable due to the rearranged Danish semi-final, so Danny King and Dimitri Berge come in as guests.

Panthers: Hans Andersen, Bradley Wilson-Dean, Scott Nicholls, Charles Wright, Rohan Tungate, Aaron Summers, Josh Bates.

Pirates: Jack Holder, Richie Worrall, Danny King, Josh Grajczonek, Brady Kurtz, Nico Covatti, Dimitri Berge.

Picture: Taylor Lanning.