City of Derry seek quickfire league double as CIYMS visit Judges Road

With the league fixtures reversing, this weekend's Ulster Championship One fixture are the mirror image of last week's and McCarter will be hoping for a similar outcome after Derry came away with an eventually comfortable 28-11 bonus point victory. However, despite that impressive result in Belfast, he warned they will be facing a 'wounded animal' and can take nothing for granted.

"It is a strange scenario facing the same team two weeks in a row and I know it sounds a bit of a cliche but we have to treat this as a completely new game and not get too hung up about what happened last week," explained the Derry Head Coach.

"We will obviously go into the game massively confident but that's not because we are playing the same team again, it's because we have been playing well recently so we are going to have confidence in ourselves.

"An early start is important this week because if we can get on the scoreboard early it could plant a seed of doubt with them, that 'here we go again' scenario but they'll be travelling with a point to prove so we can't take anything for granted.

"The flip side is if we start poorly and offer them encouragement, you never know with these types of games, they can turn into tricky ones very easily."

It's a unique game from a psychological viewpoint and while Derry will be strong favourites, McCarter recognised the pitfalls if his team do not continue the form they have been showing of late.

"Yes we go into the game with loads of confidence but there are dangers facing the same team seven days after you have won against them," he added, "We have to make sure we don't take our eye off the ball or think we just have to turn up to win. We have already seen what happens this year when we turn up with that attitude and I think the boys will remember that lesson so I don't think they will.

"The weather is to be nice and dry but cold so that should suit us while our pitch is a fair bit wider than CI's so if we turn up and play well I've no doubt we can create chances."

McCarter will be without Sam Duffy and Gary McKinlay from the pack but Ferghus Canning is available again while Adam Marley, who was excellent last week, retains his place in the front row. In the back line, Simon Logue is out until the New Year while scrum-half Jamie Millar is also missing which means a first start for Eoin Coyle since the opening day of the season at Banbridge.

"With Jamie unavailable Eoin will step up and play," added McCarter, "He played that first game in Banbridge and did well. He offers a different threat from Jamie. He's probably more of a threat around the breakdown, he likes a snipe and his passing and stuff is fairly sharp so he'll bring something different for us.

"It is a big game, they all are but genuinely what we say every week is 'forget about the opposition, let's concentrate on what we can bring'.

"We know the potential banana skins or issues other teams can cause you in this league. There are a lot of very similar games where, if you don't turned up switched on and ready for a battle, then you'll lose As I said, we have already been on the receiving end of that this season.

"However, if we play well we know we are capable of beating anybody and we are playing well at present."