DOMINANT Dan Swain will post a quickfire personal milestone when he racks up a 50th Rams’ cap as the National One leaders head to his former club Plymouth Albion tomorrow (3pm).

The second/back row featured for the Ocean City’s finest against Rams back in December 2019, and also for Taunton Titans post-Covid, but since moving to Reading ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, Swain has proved an indomitable force, missing just nine games in being selected back-to-back in the National One Team of the Season.

He will be partnered by classy summer signing Nile Dacres in the second row, the visitors making three changes in the pack from last week’s 24-7 success against Birmingham Moseley.

Two come at the head of the scrum as experienced props Ant Marris and James Baker sandwich captain Max Hayman, while the other sees blind-side flanker James McRae return from a wedding last week to reunite with Tom Vooght and No. 8 Robbie Stapley in the back row.

Rams’ National One promotion dreams have halted at Brickfields in the past two seasons, but their bid for an eighth straight win to start the season sees last week’s debutant man-of-the-match, Harlequins’ loanee scrum-half Jake Murray, partnered by Fraser Honey outside him.

The stand-off reached 200 National League appearances and passed 1,000 points against Moseley, and is set for a 34th straight Rams' appearance at No. 10.

Drew Humberstone – who makes it 125 caps for Seb Reynolds’ side – is again partnered by former Reading University ace Rowan Grundy in midfield, Army man Solodrau Radianirova, Tomek Pozniak and full-back Zach Clow completing the back three with the latter duo (six tries) chasing captain Hayman (seven) at the top of the league standings.

Having impressed throughout the season Paddy Harris and Ryan Lomas cover the props, with Morgan MacRae – again on the scoresheet for the Development XV against the Royal Air Force on Wednesday – ready to play at hooker or in the back row.

Fit-again centurion Ollie Cole slips back onto the bench at scrum-half, with the versatile Andrew Lamb rounding out the matchday 20.

Another No. 9, Ollie Hodgson, and second row Liam Elston – a stand-out in the Development success – head to Brickfields as the travelling reserves.

Rams Team @ Plymouth Albion

(15-9, 1-8) Clow, Radianirova, Grundy, Humberstone, Pozniak, Honey, Murray; Marris, Hayman ©, Baker, Dacres, Swain, McRae, Vooght, Stapley

Replacements: Harris, Lomas, MacRae, Cole, Lamb

Travelling Reserves: Hodgson, Elston