DEVONPORT Services will be looking to return to the top of Regional One South West on Saturday when they take on title rivals Chew Valley in an eagerly-awaited top-of-the-table clash at the Rectory.
The sides are separated by just one point, with Chew sitting top with 57 points and Services second on 56 points. Both have played exactly the same number of games and so whoever wins on Saturday will find themselves in pole position for promotion with seven matches to go.
“It is a big one,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “If we win it then it will probably be a shoot-out between us and Chew for the rest of the year, but if Chew win it could be more of less over.
“As we said after Brixham, we can’t really afford to make a mistake now.
“But even if we don’t go up, if we take it right to the end and push all the way that would be great and I would be a very, very proud. We’ll just have to see what happens.”
Services felt they should have beaten Chew Valley away in October. They ended up losing 12-11, despite scoring the only try of the game, and were denied a try right at the death.
“That was a frustrating one,” admitted Russell. “We should have won that game and if we had we would have been four points clear, but it is what it is.
“They have always been tight games between us and them. Last year we lost 34-32 away to them but beat them 16-10 at home. This year we lost 12-11 away from home.”
Services should be able to welcome back scrum-half Dan Goldstone, while Harrison Coonick has recovered from illness that was set to rule him out of last weekend’s game at Lydney, that in the end was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Captain Matt Gregory is set to play his 300th game for Services’ first team against Chew Valley.
Meanwhile, Ivybridge could do Services and Chew a favour by beating third-placed Barnstaple at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday.
Ninth-placed Ivybridge are still in desperate need of points to pull away from the relegation zone. They are only five points clear of second-from-bottom Matson, who do have two games in hand.
However, the Bridgers are in good form and have won four out of their last five games, including their last three home matches.
Barnstaple did defeat them 55-7 at their place in October, but Ivybridge did beat them on their last trip to Cross-in-Hand and the north Devon side have only triumphed in three away fixtures this term.
The Bridgers have boosted their squad by re-signing Jay Toogood from National League side Taunton, while Marcus Prout is back after suspension.
Coach Jamie Tripcony, who has previously played for Barnstaple, is set to come into the starting line-up on Saturday, but Sam Brown is missing.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
LOCAL pride and valuable league points will be up for grabs when Western West leaders Plymstock Albion Oaks host their closest neighbours and fifth-placed Tavistock at Horsham Fields on Saturday.
Oaks have a five-point lead at the top of the standings, but Paignton closed the gap on them last week with a 50-13 win over Wiveliscombe.
Plymstock, who play Paignton in their final match of the season, cannot really afford to drop anymore points, but Tavistock are one of the teams that have beaten them this season. They triumphed 27-26 in a thriller at Sandy Park in October, which went right down to the wire.
It is a loss that Oaks have not forgotten.
“I have made it pretty vocal in training that I want to put one on them,” admitted Oaks head coach Lewis Paterson.
“It was close up at their place. We didn’t play as well as we could and they played quite well, but they played against 14 men and celebrated like they had won the World Cup.
“I know I was pretty bitter after that game – and I’m not afraid to say that I was – but I do feel we have a score to settle.
“It is massive game for us, not just because it is Tavistock, but for how important it is for us in the league.
“It should be good game.
“I do think this weekend there will be a different mind-set for our players and how we want to approach it.”
Paterson feels if his side can stop Tavistock scrum-half George Hillson pulling the strings then they should be able to win.
“There’s no hiding it, they have nine who carries the team,” said Paterson
“We’ve got a big pack this weekend and hopefully we will beat them up front, which should hopefully nullify their nine. We just have to try and take him out of the game or at least put more pressure on him.”
Oaks are set to welcome back Tom Richards and Joel Moran but are still missing forwards Pete Keanie and Al Broughton.”
Tavistock, who have lost their last three league games, are set to include recent signings Leion Cole and Jacob Gaskin in their squad for the trip to Horsham Fields.
Cole, who has returned to the club from Launceston, is set to start, while Gaskin, an arrival from Ivybridge is set to be named on a forward-strong bench.
Tavistock are also boosted by the return of Jamie Legg and Jack Osborne, but are still without backs Conor Packwood, Jack Easton and Jack Rock.
“We know they are going to be gunning for us, but we’ll be gunning for them as well,” said Tavistock head coach Joel Caddy.
“We are looking forward to it.
“We are on a bit of a losing streak and we would like to end that sooner or later.”
COUNTIES TWO
PLYMOUTH Argaum will have a point to prove when they host title-chasing Torquay Athletic at Bickleigh Down on Saturday.
Argaum travelled to Torquay in October with a makeshift team and were beaten 101-0.
And they are keen to show their true selves this weekend.
They do go into the match boosted by an away draw at Exmouth II and coming within seconds of beating Devonport Services II.
“We have been unfortunate not to get two wins in our last two games,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“And I think they are going to be looking at our results over the past six weeks since we beat North Tawton.
“We have to fancy that we can take something out of the game. I am sure we are not going to go down by 100 points like we did away, but I am glad the boys did travel away. Credit to them for that, but we are at home now and we do have a point to prove.
“They lost to Exeter Saracens last weekend so we have to turn up and believe. I’m sure the guys will be up for it.”
Argaum should have Billy Stockwell available, but they are still waiting on fellow back Jake Turfrey. However, they will be without new player-coach Eddie McGinley, Tom Worboys, Dan Smith and Avery, who broke his hand against Devonport Services II.
“I was actually really enjoying playing again and it was a silly injury,” said Avery, who says he does not know yet whether he will play again. “Never say never,” he said.
OPMs, who sit just two points ahead of Argaum in ninth place, also have a tough home game as they welcome fourth-placed Exeter Saracens to King George V Playing Fields.
Exeter Saracens caused an upset last weekend by beating Torquay, but they have not been as good on their travels as they are at Exhibition Fields.
Injury-hit OPMs will be glad to be at home again after tough away trips to Barnstaple II and Torquay Athletic. They were beaten 99-0 by Torquay and then travelled light to Barnstaple last weekend and handed their hosts the walkover before playing a 12-a-side ‘game-on’ contest.
Exeter Saracens do have a good recent record against OPMs, winning the last five contests, including a 51-12 win at Exhibition Fields in October.
Second-placed Devonport Services II will be keen to bounce back this weekend after losing 34-9 to title-rivals Barnstaple II in their last outing.
However, they are expecting a tough test away at seventh-placed South Molton, who are known for their strong home form.
Services II had to dig really deep to beat them 13-10 at the Rectory in October.
“Our twos should be a lot stronger than in recent weeks,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “We do have a fair few boys back and the twos need a win after the Barnstaple game.”
Russell is hoping that fly-half Mike Howells might make his return to action after 16 months out with a serious shoulder injury he picked up playing for the first team against Camborne in October 2022.
Bottom side Ivybridge II are due to visit eighth-placed Withycombe on Saturday.
In Counties Two Cornwall, Saltash face a big away trip when they head to fourth-placed St Austell II.
The Saints have been a bit more inconsistent this season than they were last term, but Saltash will know on their day they could dent their title hopes if the visitors are not at their best.
The Ashes will be looking for a repeat of the performance they produced in their last outing two weeks ago against Perranporth, who they beat 62-9.
Head coach Steve Down said after that win: “Hopefully, that has set a marker now for 2024 and we can push on from there.”
The Ashes are set to name exactly the same starting line-up and bench as they fielded against Perranporth.
Saturday’s game will also see Phil Eatwell make his 200th appearance for the club.
COUNTIES THREE
IN Counties Three Devon South & West, second-placed Tamar Saracens say they will not be taking bottom side Totnes lightly when the sides meet at the Parkway on Saturday.
Totnes did lose 48-0 away at Salcombe last week but before that they did upset Old Techs.
“They didn’t do that well in their last game but before that they beat Old Techs and were also beating Brixham II at half-time the week before that,” said Tamar Saracens head coach Mike Lewis.
“They have come on leaps and bounds and seem to have plenty more players. They seem to have 20 on their team sheets most weeks now, which is what you want to see. You want these type of clubs doing well as to keep rugby going we need teams to be competitive.
“Yeah, we should win and hopefully we can do that and with a bonus point as we need that, but in-house we just want to perform well.
“In our last match against Brixham II we were fantastic. We defended really well as we were under the cosh for periods of the game, but they didn’t look like they were going to make any yards and when we did get the ball we were clinical. We didn’t give the ball away too easily and I thought that was what we were fantastic doing.
“And also the week before that at Torquay we just ran them around the park a bit, which was really good to see.
“Hopefully, we can do a bit more of that and keep doing it consistently.”
Sarries say they have plenty of options in the backs this week but are a bit lighter in the forwards.
They are likely to be missing Adam Coutts, Adam Corbett and Chris MacDonald, but should have Joe McKinley returning from a broken thumb.
Old Techs are keen to get back to winning ways when they travel to Sandy Park to take on 10th-placed Tavistock II, wo beat Kingsbridge II 34-10 last weekend.
“We are looking for a reaction to that Totnes game,” said Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“That was a low point. We just lost our way in the second half and everything seemed to go Totnes’ way.
“But we just have to look forward now and just go back to the basics and look for that reaction.
“I think Tavistock are going to be a bit stronger and it’s never an easy place to go. We also only just beat them at our place, so we know it will be tough.”
He added: “I think our players are probably realising that they probably could have been doing better. We have had a few meetings and hopefully they have taken everything on board.”
Techs should be boosted by the return of Billy Evans, Rudi Baker, Jenson Baker, Sion Norville and Will Booth who all missed the Totnes game.
There is also a derby game at St Mary’s Field where Plympton Victoria host Plymstock Albion Oaks II.
Plym Vic, who last weekend beat OPM Jesters 32-12 in the Ellis Trophy, will be keen to prove a point to Oaks II after losing 56-19 to them away in October.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II will host Hayle at Moorlands Lane.