TITLE-chasing Plymstock Oaks will be under pressure when they travel to sixth-placed Penryn on Saturday.
Oaks lost top spot in Western West last weekend when the game at Penryn was postponed and Tiverton beat Tavistock 59-0. It meant Tiverton moved one point above Oaks, albeit having played a game more.
“Some lads will take it as pressure, which can be good as sometimes that little bit of pressure can help pull out big performances,” said Oaks head coach Lewis Paterson.
“It can go two ways when you have a bit of pressure.”
Oaks know they will be in for a test in Cornwall as Penryn are unbeaten at their Memorial Ground, with nine wins out of nine.
Oaks did beat them 45-7 at Horsham Fields in November, but they know that will count for little this weekend.
“We know it is going to be a tough game as they have not lost at home, but we’ll take down the strongest squad we can and hopefully we can become the first team to turn them over at home,” said Paterson, who should be available again after a minor operation.
“We should have a decent squad. It is one of those where because we didn’t play last weekend we might be missing a couple who would have played but there’s a couple that couldn’t play that can play now. It is a bit of a mixed bag.”
He added: “We are just looking to put in a big shift in the last few games.
“We have probably got the hardest run of final games with Penryn away, Kingsbridge away and Paignton away (along with Falmouth at home), but if we can get it done with those games then I think we deserve to go up. They are three big away fixtures where we need three big results.”
Tavistock are also in action in Western West on Saturday as they try for a third time to host Bude at Sandy Park.
The match was previously postponed twice due to waterlogged pitches.
Both teams will be desperate for the win. Tavistock because they have not won in 2024 and have lost their last six games to drop down to eighth and Bude because they dropped into the relegation zone last week after their match with Paignton was postponed and rivals Bideford beat Wiveliscombe to move above them.
Tavistock are again missing a host of players.
“We are a bit depleted,” admitted head coach Joel Caddy. “We have several lads away at Twickenham, but it is just how it is.
“All things considered, it’s not a bad side.”
Caddy knows Bude will come fighting for everything on Saturday as they bid to move up the table.
“When you are playing sides pushing for promotion or fighting relegation, they are the ones who will give you a tough time,” said Caddy.
Although missing a host of regular players, including Hammy Kerswill, Jack Easton and Ethan Lamerton, Tavistock are able to welcome back Dan Redstone and Andrew Schuttkacker to the squad.
In Counties Two Devon, bottom side Ivybridge II will visit South Molton.
Plympton Victoria and Old Techs will be battling it out for a place in the Ellis Trophy final when they meet at St Mary’s Field on Saturday (2pm).
Old Techs have won both league meetings between the sides this season, but Plym Vic did make them work hard for those victories.
“The first game was fairly close and in the second game we were only 5-0 down at half-time, but we just had a rubbish 15 minutes at the start of the second half and they scored four or five tries,” said Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt.
“But we are at home and we’ll just see what that brings.”
Old Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith said: “It’s a big game as there’s a place in the final going.
“We’ve had a couple of not-so-easy games against them this season. We have come out on top in them but they have not been easy.
“We certainly won’t be taking them lightly, that’s for sure.”
Techs are able to welcome back Josh O’Hare following a knee injury, but they are missing fellow forward Nathan Webb due to a shoulder problem. Serviceman Tom Blythe may also be back after working away.
“We haven’t got a lot of changes, which is good.”
In the other Ellis Trophy semi-final in-form Plymstock Albion Oaks II will host Tavistock III at Horsham Fields.
Meanwhile a combined Plymouth Combination and Peninsula Medical School side put up a good showing before going down 39-12 to a Royal Navy Academy side at Keyham on Wednesday night.
Old Techs’ Lewis Harvey scored Plymouth’s first try before Devonport Services/Medics back Tom Davies went over, with Jake Wade kicking a conversion.
“They (the navy) were very strong and well-drilled,” said Combination’s Shaun Bedford-Smith. “But we did really well. We were held up over the line when I thought we’d probably got it down and that two of their tries probably weren’t.
“They were the better side, but we couldn’t ask for more from our team. We only met an hour before and we were just literally thrown together and most of our players were level eight and nine.
“They scored a really quick try but after that we grew into the game. There were some big hits going in from both teams. They were just that bit more structured, but I thought it was a really good performance from us.”