REGIONAL One South West leaders Devonport Services face a massive away game on Saturday when they visit county rivals Exmouth.
Services, who sit six points clear at the top of the table with just five games to go, have not won a league game at the Imperial Ground before.
However, if they could pick up four or five points this weekend then it would edge them another step closer to National League rugby.
“It will be a tough one,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “Since I’ve been here we have never won there.
“Everyone in this league knows that Exmouth on their day are one of the best sides. They have got some really good ball carriers and some good players.
“The weather is not going to be ideal so it will probably be a forward-orientated battle. It will be all about playing in the right areas and trying to take your chances.
“We didn’t take our chances last week. I know we won 38-18 but we had five or six really good chances that we didn’t take.”
Although Services did give themselves some breathing space last week by beating Lydney at home to increase their lead at the top of the table, Russell says his team cannot afford to slip up.
“At the end of the day, if we lose one game then Chew or Barnstaple will be only one or two points behind us,” he said.
“We are just looking at every game as if we have to win it and then it is in our hands. We don’t want to leave it in anyone else’s hands.”
Services will be without experienced fly-half Richard West this weekend, but they should have captain Matt Gregory and backs Freddie Davies and Toby Knowles back in the mix.
Devonport will probably be hoping that relegation-threatened Ivybridge can do them and themselves a favour by upsetting second-placed Chew Valley at Cross-in-Hand.
Ivybridge desperately need to try and pick up some points as they are currently just one place and three points above the drop zone.
“Saturday is a massive, massive game for us,” admitted Ivybridge head coach Davy McGregor.
“There’s a lot of hearsay about what is going on in the league about relegation and how Matson want to go down and stuff like this which has been going around, but we can only worry about ourselves.
“Our boys know we are in a position where we can’t just hope for other results.
“We just need one of two big results to go our way or just keep clawing one or two points a game.
“As we have always said staying up this year is crucial. That is priority number one in a complete transition year.”
Ivybridge did score 31 points away at Chew Valley in a defeat earlier in the season so they do know they can cause their Somerset opponents some difficulties.
However, they are set to be missing a host of players this weekend, including Sam Brown, who has moved to Australia, Marcus Prout, who broke his leg in their last outing, number eight Adam Northcott and scrum-half Ben Watts.
The Bridgers did play an under-21 game against the University of Plymouth’s varsity squad on Wednesday night.
Although the university won 29-0 in a match played in mist and fog, McGregor thought the fixture was beneficial.
“I said at the start of the season that I was really keen to have under-23 and under-21 fixtures for the pathway of the club,” he said. “Even though there’s a fantastic youth system here, players are still not coming through.
“What was really positive on Wednesday is that we had seven lads who haven’t been playing rugby this season but have played colts here, so they are coming back into it.
“It was a group thrown together and we had four or five changes on the night due to boys getting caught in traffic.
“But I think it was a really positive step forward and they all asked when the next fixture was.”
Meanwhile, McGregor says he is disappointed that this season’s Devon Cup has been combined with league fixtures rather than having stand-alone games like last term.
“I don’t like the double fixtures for the Devon Cup as sometimes for a club the cup might be the only thing you have to play for but now you literally don’t,” he said.
“From our perspective you could put your eyes forward to the Devon Cup and other teams might be thinking about promotion and stuff like that.”
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
LEADERS Plymstock Oaks will be looking to bounce back from their heavy defeat at Tiverton in their last outing when they host relegation-threatened Bideford at Horsham Fields on Saturday.
Oaks lost 44-0 at second-placed Tiverton, who moved to within four points of them. It was the first time Oaks had not scored a single point in a game for more than six years.
“I think we have shaken off the blues of Tiverton,” said head coach Lewis Paterson, who is available again after missing that match. “They did give us a good wake-up call.
“But sometimes losses just make you better, as long as you can learn from there, which we have tended to do.
“We just have to try and bounce back against Bideford.
“The conditions might be a bit tough and that’s always a bit of a leveller, but we’ve got a good squad.”
He added: “Tiverton have to play Wiveliscombe at their place so we just have to try and get a good result.
“We just have to try and keep chipping away at these results, but there’s no panic.
“The best teams in the world get drilled. These things happen – it’s just rugby. As long as we keep learning, that’s the main thing. We just have to respond.”
Tavistock will be aiming to finally get back to winning ways when they host third-from-bottom Bude at Sandy Park on Saturday.
Tavistock have lost their last five matches to drop down from third in the table to eighth.
Their last win came on December 9 when they beat Kingsbridge away.
“We need a win – it’s as simple as that,” said head coach Joel Caddy.
“And there’s every possibility we can do that, but, in these conditions, it is going to be a case of who can look after the ball best.
“We just have to make sure we get over the gain-line and then we know we have the players in open play that can do stuff.
“But they beat us up at their place and they weren’t a bad team. I think historically this fixture has tended to go with whoever is at home, but they are normally tight games.”
He added: “We have lots of changes again and there is a chance for a lot of young lads this week. We still have a decent side out but we are never picking the same players each week.”
Tavistock do have a lot of forwards missing. Among those unavailable in the pack are Jake Gaskin, Jack Osborne, Seb Cox, Leion Cole, Jamie Legg and Andrew Schuttkacker. The latter four are likely to be ruled out for the rest of the season.
In the backs, Tavistock do welcome back Ed Tait, while Chris Watts is set to get a start at fly-half.
COUNTIES TWO
PLYMOUTH Argaum are set to hand debuts to a couple of new signings as they host Honiton at Bickleigh Down in Counties Two Devon.
Hooker Harry Hart and full-back Rory McCarthy are both in line to feature this weekend in a match Argaum could really do with winning to pull clear of the relegation zone.
Argaum are currently 10 points ahead of second-from-bottom North Tawton, who they do still have to play.
“We were a bit disappointed with our last outing (against Exeter Saracens), but coming towards the end of the season we do have a lot of home games and we are away to North Tawton and Ivybridge II,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“We are targeting 20 points from our last six games and I think the boys can do that.
“With the games coming up I can’t see why we can’t start climbing the table. We are trying to target OPMs who are just above us and who we play later in the season.
“There is certainly something left in the season for us to play for.”
Although Argaum, who do now have back-to-back home games, do have a number of players missing this weekend, they do hope to have Tom Worboys and Tom Holliday available.
OPMs could help both themselves and Argaum on Saturday if they could beat North Tawton at home.
The Old Boys, who sit in ninth place, are 17 points clear of North Tawton, who are in the final relegation spot with six games to go. If OPMs were to win on Saturday then they would be almost certainly safe.
OPMs did win the corresponding game at Taw Meadow 15-3 in November, but they will be wary of their mid-Devon opponents as they have won on their last three league trips to King George V Playing Fields.
OPMs could have captain Billy Garratt back this weekend after his injury at the start of the year.
Second-placed Devonport Services II will be hoping to keep the pressure on leaders Barnstaple II when they host bottom side Ivybridge II at Keyham.
The match should have been played at the Rectory, but the pitch is out-of-bounds after it took a battering last weekend.
Ivybridge II did secure a rare win in their last outing against North Tawton, which head coach Davy McGregor said has really boosted the club.
They are set to field a strong side against Services II. Luke Martell, Hayden Coles, Matt Gilbury and Jay Geraty are among those named in the Ivybridge team.
Services II are also likely to be strong, with a couple of players likely to drop down from the first team.
In Counties Two Cornwall, second-placed Saltash will be looking to keep the pressure on at the top when they visit second-from-bottom Illogan Park.
Just like last season, the Ashes have only lost once– away at title-rivals Redruth II. The two clubs, who are more than 20 points ahead of anyone else, are only separated by three points and will meet at Moorlands Lane next month.
The Ashes have been on a really good run of form since the start of the year and in their last outing put 100 points on Helston.
And they will make just one change to their team from that match, with Greg Eatwell coming in on the wing to replace the unavailable Lewis Stuart. Hooker Rob Walsh is back for the Ashes, but he will start on the bench.
When Saltash met Illogan Park earlier in the season at Moorlands Lane they won 67-0.
COUNTIES THREE
SECOND-placed Tamar Saracens will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to 2024 when they host fourth-placed Paignton II in Counties Three Devon South & West.
Sarries, who are 10 points behind leaders Dartmouth, will be looking for revenge after suffering a costly 20-10 defeat at Paignton II in November.
“They (Paignton II) have been doing really well and have got some really good results, pushing teams really far and they beat us earlier in the year,” said Tamar Saracens head coach Mike Lewis.
“Dartmouth have got Brixham II this week and you just hope Brixham put out a good team and that Dartmouth slip up and we win and so we close that gap. That way it is still all to play for when we play Dartmouth in a couple of weeks’ time.
“There is still plenty to play for and we are looking forward to this weekend.
“We are still just trying to enjoy our rugby and try and perform well.”
He added: “We have 26 or 27 available so we have plenty of players wanting to play and selection dilemmas.
“Everyone has been training well and putting in the effort.
“We are quite excited. It is going to be a bit wet and soggy on Saturday so we might have to think about plan B a little bit more than plan A, but we’ll just see how it goes.
“We have been so close this year and we were so close last year as well, but the best thing about it for us at the moment is that we have grown as a squad.
“We’ve had the most players at training since I have been here and scored the most points and conceded the least, so we are getting better.
“There is a great feeling around the club at the minute.”
Sixth-placed Old Techs also have a tough game this weekend when they visit fifth-placed Salcombe.
If Techs could win then they could leap-frog above their opponents as they are only three points behind them.
“We know they are very strong at home,” said Old Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“I think away from home they are probably a bit like us, but they don’t lose often at home.
“It is a tough old place to go, especially if they have got everyone available.
“The game at our place was very close. There was nothing in it but we just edged it (12-8).
“We are expecting another hard game with them, and we did pick up a few injuries last week.”
Neil Harmse broke his ankle in the warm-up, James Douglas broke a couple of ribs, Sion Norville injured his ankle and Josh O’Hare damaged his knee.
James Bothma has also hurt his back, while fellow prop Geraunt Vaughan is unavailable.
But Techs, who are on a three-game winning run, should welcome back Lewis Harvey, Jack Williams, Steve Wilkinson, Phil Flowers, Al Murray and Tony Luxton.
There is a derby match at St Mary’s Field where 10th-placed Plympton Victoria host ninth-placed Tavistock II.
Plym Vic did win the corresponding fixture at Sandy Park 34-24 and another win on Saturday would give them a great chance of finishing above their Plymouth Combination rivals.
Although Plym Vic would like to finish as high as they could on their return to league rugby, the thing that has pleased them the most this season has been how their playing numbers have grown.
“We have 29 people to select from this week,” said chairman Chris Hunt.
“We have had fantastic numbers recently and we are doing really well with player retention and attracting new players. Players are all saying they are enjoying it, which is the main thing, but we do have some important games coming up.”
After playing Tavistock II this weekend, Plym Vic will travel to bottom side Totnes before ending with tricky games against Salcombe, Torquay II and Brixham II.
Seventh-placed Plymstock Oaks II make the trip to the unpredictable Torquay Athletic II this weekend.
Torquay sit just one place behind Oaks II. After a purple patch in November and early December, Torquay II have lost their last five games, while Oaks II are on a three-game winning run.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II host Launceston II at Moorlands Lane.