The rest of the season starts here. That is the message coming out of the Eastbourne Eagles' camp after the great Elite League title robbery.

The only problem is that one of the men in the way of the Sussex team making progress in the Craven Shield is world champion Tony Rickardsson.

Eagles must beat Poole Pirates by more than eight points at Arlington Stadium tomorrow night to stay in the competition.

Coincidentally, it is the same deficit which Eastbourne failed to overturn in Wednesday's championship play-off against Wolves.

The irony is not lost on Eastbourne boss Jon Cook.

"Pulling back eight points on our own track should not be beyond us.

"We were all devastated after Wednesday, but now we have got to pick ourselves up and make sure we get something else out of the year."

Eagles are still hot favourites to win the Knockout Cup at Peterborough next week, but the Craven Shield now takes on extra significance for Cook's men.

"We have an appalling record in the competition, so this would be a good time to put things right."

That takes us to Rickardsson, who is the last rider you want to have on the other side in the circumstances.

The Swedish ace underlined his claim to go down in history as one of the greatest riders of all time by winning his fifth world crown in Denmark last weekend.

What sets Rickardsson apart from many top riders is that he is not only a man for the big occasion. He turns it on week in, week out. And that is what sets the alarm bells ringing among his rivals.

Last time he rode at Arlington, he roared to an 18-point maximum. The time before it was 17 out of 18. And, when the teams met at Poole, his tally was 15 and a 12-point maximum.

The only Eastbourne rider to have beaten him in 22 races is Mark Loram, once at Arlington and sensationally three times at Poole.

Eagles include Joonas Kylmakorpi against Poole but have David Norris doubtful with a neck injury and will be without Savalas Clouting, who is in hospital with viral meningitis. Poole skipper Gary Havelock is out with a broken arm.

Eastbourne: Mark Loram, Stefan Andersson, Joe Screen, Dean Barker, David Norris, A. N. Other, Joonas Kylmakorpi.

Poole: Rider replacement, Bjarne Pedersen, Hans Andersen, Lars Gunnestad, Tony Rickardsson, Henrik Gustafsson, Paul Clews.