HAVING already wrapped up the Regional One South West title the pressure is off Devonport Services as they end their successful season with an away game at 10th-placed Matson.
Services guaranteed their promotion to the National Leagues by beating Lydney away in their last outing.
But, despite missing a number of key players this weekend, they have no intention of taking it easy in Gloucestershire.
“We want to finish on a high and keep our winning streak going,” said player-coach Rikki Bentham.
“You can’t take anyone in Gloucestershire lightly. When you go up there you have to expect a tough game.
“Their results have been a bit up and down, but we are fully expecting to go there and be given a really good game. They are not going to roll over, especially not at their place.”
Services are set to be without Bentham, along with fellow forwards Matt Gregory, Andy Pond and James Hocking, who are carry minor knocks, while hooker Aiden Taylor and winger Harrison Coonick have picked up more serious injuries which could end their seasons.
“We have had to make a few changes ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Navy and then two cup semi-finals,” said Bentham. “But we are still going in pretty strong and it’s a chance for other lads.”
Services are set to welcome back Jonah Moore, who will be playing his first game since joining the Royal Marines, while youngster Josh Cumberland could make his debut from the bench.
“He’s pretty much played every game for the twos and he has been knocking on the door all season,” said Bentham about Cumberland. “But with the back-row we have got it has been hard for him, however, he may get an opportunity this week, which is good.”
Ninth-placed Ivybridge will end their league season with a short-trip over the Tamar to play fifth-placed Launceston at Polson Bridge.
The Bridgers pulled away from the bottom two in the second half of the season with some strong home form, but they have found results hard to come by on their travels.
They have only won one game away this campaign but they would love to end a tough season with a rare victory at Polson Bridge. The club’s only previous victory there came in 2016.
“Training this week was purely based around having a crack and having some enjoyment,” said Ivybridge head coach Davy McGregor.
“It is a game-to-nothing in some regards so we can try a few things. We have a couple of new moves and we are just going to try and finish the season on a little bit of a high.
“The boys are having a social afterwards and I have said to them that the beer tastes better after a win, especially away from home. Those bus trips home are what boys remember.”
The Bridgers are set to welcome back Ben Scott, Jake Winters, Sam Courtney and Wes Vermigle, while Adam Sams could make his debut from the bench.
Ivybridge will finish either ninth or 10th but they would have finished higher had their away record been better.
“If you actually look at the league table we have a similar amount of wins to the teams above us, but it is the bonus points we have not picked up on away games that we need to try and tighten up on,” said McGregor.
“We actually won the games we needed to win when the pressure was on.
“I think the biggest win for us this season was Okehampton at home after the Christmas break. We went on and got 15 points from the next few games and Okehampton only gained two. They were actually a point ahead of us at that time so that was a game-changing point for us.”
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks are guaranteed to finish third whatever happens this weekend, but they could dent Paignton’s hopes of winning the title when they visit Queen’s Park on Saturday.
Second-placed Paignton go into the final weekend sitting level on points with leaders Tiverton and so they will be gunning for a bonus-point victory.
But Oaks have no intention of rolling over even though they have nothing to play for.
“We do want to try and go out on a bang,” said head coach Lewis Paterson.
“We have worked hard for three quarters of the season on and off the pitch but the last quarter we have probably just taken our foot of the gas a little bit off the pitch. A few players were maybe a bit complacent and weren’t maybe quite as committed a training.
“With a club that is growing people have to understand that the hard work is off the pitch. The game day is the easy part – that’s where we put it all together.
“My mentality is that I just want to win everything. I am quite driven on that and the lads have bought into that mind-set. But wanting to win every game and actually winning every game are two different things.
“You can want to win but you also have to do all the other little things that help get you that result. And we have done that all year, but a couple of little things have just hindered us a little bit maybe due to a little complacency which has just cost us a couple of games.
“If we had won down at St Ives and down at Penryn – those are games, along with the last minute at Tavistock away, where you look back on and think what if? But you can’t live like that.”
Oaks are struggling with injuries for the final weekend of the league season and are set to be missing Tom Richards, Al Broughton and Alex Thomas.
Paterson is also struggling with an ankle and a knee injury, but he is going to try and play.
“We are riddled with injuries,” said Paterson. “But we have lads that have come in and done well which is all building blocks for next year.”
In the same division, Tavistock will end their campaign with a home match against bottom side Falmouth.
If Tavistock win and St Ives fail to beat Pirates Amateurs away then the Sandy Park club will finish seventh in their first season back at level seven.
They will be keen to prove a point after losing 18-14 away at Falmouth on the opening day of the campaign.
Falmouth have not won yet away from home this season and so Tavistock will be big favourites.
COUNTIES TWO
PLYMOUTH Argaum are struggling for players to make the long trip to take on new champions Barnstaple II in Counties Two Devon, but the Bickleigh Down club insist they will travel.
They will finish 10th whatever happens this weekend.
“We are definitely going although we have got poor availability,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“We have spoken to Barnstaple. They are going to be getting handed the league trophy and are making it a day of it and we are going to be supporting that.
“We are going to take a team and, if needed to do, we can do game-on principles, but it is just about us a club going up there and fulfilling the fixture.
“We’d like to go out on a high, but we also want to congratulate them on their success this year.
“They are making a day of it and it’ll be nice to play a part in it and give them a decent fixture.
“We did beat them first game of the season and it would have been nice to have taken our strongest team up there.”
Eighth-placed OPMs also end their first campaign back at level eight with a long away trip. They travel to fifth-placed South Molton.
The Old Boys, who beat Argaum 34-21 last weekend, will be looking for revenge having lost 26-20 at home to South Molton on the opening day of the season.
If OPMs could win and Exmouth II fail to beat fourth-placed Exeter Saracens then the Old Boys could finish seventh and top the 50-point mark.
The Elburton-based club hope to have a number of players back who missed last week’s game against Argaum.
Devonport Services II are guaranteed to finish third in the table whatever happens this weekend as they host sixth-placed Honiton.
With a number of first team players injured, Services II are not likely to be as strong as they have been in some games this term.
Honiton have been a bit up and down this season and Services II did beat them 31-24 away on the opening day of the campaign.
Bottom side Ivybridge II will end life in Counties Two Devon with a home game against league runners-up Torquay Athletic.
Ivybridge II are expected to field one of their stronger second strings this season on Saturday with a number of players returning.
In Counties Two Cornwall, Saltash will end their league campaign with a home game against St Just.
The Ashes are certain to finish as runners-up for a second year running after their narrow defeat to Redruth II in their last outing, but they can still finish the season with more than 100 league points and with a record of having scored four tries in every single game.
They have already picked up more points than they did last season and it would be a big surprise if they didn’t collect another bonus point win and finish on 103 points.
However, they have not played sixth-placed St Just yet as the west Cornwall side handed them a walkover at the start of the season.
Jason Carroll, Lewis Stuart, Ryan Simmons and Tom Rixon come into Saltash’s starting line-up from their last match against Redruth II.
COUNTIES THREE
TAMAR Saracens are likely to have their eyes on next week’s Papa Johns Community Cup when they host Tavistock II are the Parkway on Saturday.
Sarries are guaranteed to finish as runners-up for a second year running, but next week they will have another shot at ending champions Dartmouth’s unbeaten run when they meet in the national cup.
“We have a few boys who are struggling with a few knocks and niggles and so are holding back for the cup game,” admitted head coach Mike Lewis. “We have probably four or five in that situation who are being held together by tape and one wrong knock on Saturday could put them out of the cup game the week after.”
Tavistock II have pulled out of their last two league games but they have said they will travel on Saturday.
“Tavistock have said they got a team and we have just about got a team as well,” said Lewis.
“We have a bit of a social and they’ve got a bit of a social as well so it should be played in good spirits and we should have a good time afterwards.”
Old Techs are battling it out with Plymstock Oaks II for who finishes sixth in the Devon South & West table.
Oaks II, who will start the final weekend two points above Techs, travel to Paignton II, while Old Techs will host Kingsbridge II at Weston Mill.
Techs, like Tamar Saracens, also have their eyes on a cup game the following week.
“We have the semi-final of the Devon Cup against Exeter Athletic and we are also in the Ellis Cup final,” said Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“So this weekend is a chance to try people in different positions and to give everyone a chance as everyone is fighting for spots.
“There is that little incentive of trying to move up a place in the league and you always want to finish as high as you can.
“But with no promotion or relegation at stake we can experiment a little bit as we do have one eye of the cups.
“We don’t know what to expect from them (Kingsbridge II) as it’s the first time we have played them.”
Techs have lost back Dan Pullen for the rest of the season after he broke his collarbone in their last match against Tamar Saracens, but they are set to welcome back Ben Hockey, Jack Williams, Sion Norville and Johnny Young.
Plympton Victoria should have been ending their first season back in league rugby with a tough trip to third-placed Brixham II.
However, that match at Astley Park has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch and the result will go down as a 0-0 draw.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II will host Wadebridge II at Moorlands Lane (1pm).