PLYMOUTH Argaum are hoping they can pull further clear of the relegation zone in Counties Two Devon on Saturday when they host South Molton at Bickleigh Down.
Despite the recently heavy rain and a home match last weekend, Argaum are confident the game will go ahead as planned.
“We have no standing water (on the pitch),” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery. “It might be a bit of a bog, but there is no real rain forecast for tomorrow.”
With five games to go, 10th-placed Argaum sit 11 points clear of North Tawton, who are in the final relegation spot. However, Argaum still have to visit North Tawton and so they are keen to open up a bit more of a gap ahead of that meeting at Taw Meadow next week.
They were frustrated last weekend after narrowly losing 20-19 at home to Honiton.
“We had targeted 20 points before that game so there’s 19 points left to go,” said Avery. “Barnstaple will be a big ask, but we’ve got Ivybridge, South Molton, North Tawton and OPMs which are winnable games so there’s no reason why we can’t do it, but it is all down to availability.”
Argaum are able to welcome back Tom Mann, Al Sullivan, Owen Gocher and Al Percival this weekend, but they are still missing Eddie McGinley, Billy Stockwell, Jake Turfrey and Tom Shepherd.
Avery is aware at Saturday’s match against South Molton is likely to be a tough forward battle.
“I fancy our forwards against any team,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a better performance in the line-outs than last week and just sharpen a few things up.”
OPMs’ league status will be guaranteed for another year if they were to beat Withycombe at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday or North Tawton lose against Torquay.
The Old Boys all-but mathematically secured safety last weekend with a 34-7 home victory over North Tawton.
They should have been at home again this weekend, but as their King George V Playing Fields are waterlogged they have moved their first team game against Withycombe and their second team fixture against the University of Plymouth to Ivybridge’s artificial pitch.
The second team match will kick-off at 1pm, with the first team fixture at 2.30pm.
OPMs did push Withycombe hard away from home in September before narrowly losing 19-10.
Although they are virtually safe after last week’s victory, they have no intention of easing up.
“We should be safe, but in the back of our minds we are thinking we are not,” said captain Billy Garratt. “We just have to try and keep pushing forward and getting those wins.
“The season’s not done yet and we still have a job to do.”
Tavistock should have been hosting Bude at Sandy Park in Western West.
That match was postponed from last weekend due to waterlogged pitches at Sandy Park, but it has again fallen foul of the weather.
Their second should have also been hosting Devonport Services II in the Lockie Cup. However, Services II will now host that cup tie at Keyham (1pm).
Tavistock know they will be in for a tough test.
“The Devonport Services II side is just an extension of their first team so it could be an interesting afternoon,” said Tavistock coach Joel Caddy.
Services II do have a host of players that have been named in the Devon under-20 squad. Isaiah Akinrowo, Yianni Costas, Ethan Millard, George Pooley, Leighton Stark, Billy Sutton, Ethan Hilland and Jack Connor are all in the county squad, along with Tavistock’s Jacob Gaskin, OPMs’ Matt Smale and Ivybridge’s Daniel Gloyns.