Malta will host Norway tomorrow (Friday 2 September) afternoon in game three of the 2011 European Shield, with both nations – plus non-combatants Germany - able to prevail as the eventual tournament winners following Friday’s result. The Maltese, hoping to be buoyed by a home crowd at Pembroke’s Melita FC Stadium, have it all to do following their defeat in southern Germany. The Knights need to turn around a hefty negative points differential, requiring a win of at least 45 points; Norway just need to draw, while the Germans can only sit back and wait for the result.

The Norwegians, honed following the completion of the YIT Premiership’s regular rounds, return with a number of familiar faces that ravaged the Maltese defence in last season’s European Bowl. Erik Sonny Mellor and Isaac Schmidt provide the bulk among an imposing set of forwards while coach Warren Heilig is expected to take the field himself, forming an untried halfback combination with Saddleworth Rangers’ 17-year-old scrum-half Thomas Hilton.

Malta has retained the services of Crusaders Super League star Jarrod Sammut (pictured) and will wrap up their training commitments with their final session this evening at Swatar. Sammut is joined by a handful of overseas-based players, in Gateshead’s Chris Parker, Warrington Wizards’ Shaun Gilmour, Malta’s best in Germany, the Bartlett brothers from Cardiff Demons, and Paul Borg of Widnes St Maries.