CLASH OF THE GIANTS

NEWS Thursday 13th June 2013, 9:04am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

There's no doubt that this weekend's KO Cup quarter final tie between the Scotwaste Monarchs and the Newcastle Diamonds would have made a good final!

However one of these two in-form sides is going to be eliminated at this earlier stage, will the teams meeting at Armadale this Friday (7:30pm) and down at Newcastle on Sunday (6:30pm). The teams are currently fourth and fifth in the Premier League but are probably going even better than that, having several matches in hand over the three clubs above them.

TEAMS FOR THE KNOCKOUT CUP MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 14th June (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Derek Sneddon (capt.), Claus Vissing, Jozsef Tabaka, Theo Pijper, Josh Bates (guest), Max Fricke.

NEWCASTLE SAPPHIRE ENGINEERING DIAMONDS: Stuart Robson, Andrew Tully, Christian Henry, Ludvig Lindgren, Richie Worrall, Steve Worrall, Lewis Kerr.

AWAY WIN KINGS: A very good measure of the quality of a team is their success on the road, and it certainly shows the quality of Edinburgh and Newcastle this year.

The Scotwaste Monarchs have already won at Berwick, Glasgow, Plymouth and Somerset, the latter a sensational success captured by Sky TV cameras on Tuesday!

The Sapphire Engineering Diamonds have won at Redcar, Plymouth, Berwick (on Sky!) and Ipswich.

Just as a measure of the unpredictability of things though, neither Monarchs nor Diamonds won their most recent home match! Monarchs of course lost by a point to Redcar, and Diamonds drew at home last Sunday with Ipswich.

ANDREW'S RETURN: There's no doubt that one of the main points of interest in Friday's match will be the first appearance of the season by Andrew Tully, Monarch of 2007-12!

Andrew was part of Monarchs' league-winning teams in 2008 and 2010, and one of the best ever exponents of the art of riding Armadale, but after a relatively poor year in 2012 he decided he needed to move to further his career.

Of course he was injured in Newcastle's pre-season practise and has missed more than two months of the season, but he made a successful return in the Diamonds' matches against Ipswich last week.

Riding at no. 2 he certainly adds an extra dimension to the Diamonds, especially on Friday!

THEO RIDES: Theo Pijper will be turning out for Monarchs over the weekend (and riding in the World Longtrack in Norway!) even though he has two broken ribs!

The only rider missing from either side will be Monarchs' injured reserve Mitchell Davey, not yet fit. Mildenhall's Josh Bates guests on Friday.

FLYING DIAMONDS: Every point is going to be vital over the weekend's 30 heats, and it is hard to see weak links in this Newcastle team.

Their highest flyer at the moment has to be Richie Worrall, having another tremendous season, and scorer of an amazing Elite League 18 point maximum at King's Lynn against Wolverhampton on Wednesday!

Like Craig Cook, it is widely thought that Worrall will be part of the GB World Cup squad.

He was a qualifier from the British sem-final at Armadale earlier in the season, as was the Diamonds' no. 1 Stuart Robson.

There's almost always ex-Monarchs in any successful side, and as well as flying Andrew Tully in the Diamonds' lineup they have Christian Henry, who first rode in the UK for Monarchs and who, after a lengthy period when his career was disrupted by injury, has been showing some of his best ever form recently. He has a 17-point Armadale score on his record in the Diamonds' colours.

Ludvig Lindgren has been doing well this season in both Premier and Elite racing (the latter with Wolverhampton) and as if that lot is not enough, Lewis Kerr at no. 7 has been perhaps the find of the season with a series of great scores since moving up from National league level!

LAST MEETING: Monarchs were surprisingly beaten at home 46-47 by Redcar Bears last Friday, though they then bounced back with a brilliant 44-46 away win at Somerset on Tuesday!

NEXT MEETING: The Scotwaste Monarchs race another of the Premier League's leading teams Workington Comets at Armadale on Friday 21st June (and head for Cumbria the following day).

Full Result Details