IVYBRIDGE Rugby Club will continue their pre-season preparations on Friday night when they welcome Cornwall/Devon League side Plymstock Albion Oaks to Cross-in-Hand (7.45pm).

The National Three South West outfit will use players who did not feature in their 38-3 defeat to Plymouth Albion on Thursday evening.

The Bridgers will have taken a lot of confidence out of their performance against a strong Albion side, who play two divisions above them.

They found themselves 26-3 down at the break with Nile Dacres, Matt Crosscombe, Ed Holmes and Matt Shepherd scoring tries for Albion, who had Kieran Hallett kicking three conversions.

But second half they turned on the pressure and restricted Plymouth to just two more tries courtesy of Robin Wedlake and another from Crosscombe.

That was Ivybridge’s second proper pre-season game, having lost 66-12 away at National Two South club Taunton in a 90 minute (three period) contest last weekend with a understrength squad.

Coach Lewis Paterson does expect Plymstock to offer a tough test to his squad players on Friday.

Plymstock, coached by Paterson’s former Launceston team-mate Tim Mathias, finished fourth in the Cornwall/Devon League last season.

Also in action on Friday night will be Oaks’ league rivals Plymouth Argaum.

They are hosting a Devonport Services XV at Bickleigh Down (7pm).

It will be Services’ second match in two days, having played Paignton in a training game on Thursday evening.

Most teams are stepping up their pre-season programmes this weekend.

Saltash, who have returned to the Cornwall/Devon League after one season in Western Counties West, entertain their old rivals Crediton on Saturday (2pm).

Devon Two side Plympton Victoria are hosting Salcombe on Saturday, while their league rivals OPMs have an inter-club match.

Tamar Saracens had been due to play Gloucestershire Widdon, who beat them in last year’s National Junior Vase, but there opponents can no longer travel leaving the newly-promoted Cornwall/Devon side without a fixture this weekend.