FYLDE go into the unknown when they take on Leeds Tykes Academy in a pre-season game at the Woodlands on Saturday (kick off 2.30pm).

The Yorkshire Academy is one of the network of such 'hothouse' centres around England set up by the RFU as the foundation for producing the future crop of quality senior players fit for Premiership and international rugby.

The Woodlands club has no experience of playing against elite Academy players who are mainly 21 and under, other than in 7s competitions but there's little doubt that the talented Tykes squad will provide a taxing challenge.

Under Manager Stuart Lancaster, the Tykes Academy has started to produce a stream of talented players who are earning international recognition.

For instance, six players were recently selected as part of a group of the country's 30 most promising Under-19s, more than from any other Academy.

The England squad is being groomed by ex-Fylde scrum-half Brian Ashton, the newly appointed National Academy Manager, to be the nation's best players for the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.

Its expected that players such as Robert Anderson (Second row, Bradford Grammar), Danny Care (Scrum-half, Prince Henry School), Jordan Crane (Flanker, Colstons. Bristol), Kearnan Myall (Lock, Huddersfield), Danny Paul (Prop, Garforth) and Rob Webber (Hooker,Pocklington School) will be amongst the squad visiting the Woodlands.