DEVONPORT Services begin their pre-season preparations on Saturday when they make the short trip to Brickfields to take on higher league Plymouth Albion.
The sides met at the same venue last season, with Albion scoring a last-gasp try to win 26-21.
Services expect Albion to field a stronger side this year, while they are going to be missing a number of key players due to holidays and Broadmasters.
“It’s cracking that we have got this fixture, which is going to be a yearly thing,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “It is a lovely derby.
“It is both teams’ first pre-season game. We are missing a lot of boys, but it is just a nice fixture to have.”
He added: “Last year we ran them close. They had a half side out, but this year they are going to go full out, which is cracking for us as it’s a chance to see where we are going into the season.
“They have got two teams – two pretty even teams – and will be swapping at half-time and those players will be looking to get their spot for the start of the season.
“It is massive for us going forward as we are going to be playing teams with big budgets.
“They are a league above us. They finished fourth in their league last year and we’ve just got promoted so in terms of rankings in the country they are way higher than us.
“But we just want to put a performance in.
“It’s a pre-season friendly. We could lose all three of our pre-season games, but as long as we have learned from them and are in a good spot for the first league game of the year, that’s the important thing.
“It is just about working on things to get us ready for Bournville away in the first game.”
Aiden Taylor, Oli Symons, Mike Rickard, Richard West, Dylan Daley and Matt Neyle are among the players unavailable for newly-promoted Services.
Influential second-row Rickard is facing missing the majority of Services’ first season in National Two West after suffering a serious shoulder injury playing for Devon in the County Championship, while utility back Neyle is likely to be out until Christmas after injuring his knee in the Devon Cup final.
“Mike Rickard and Matt Nayle are both injured – one is due back after Christmas and one in March, if their operations and rehab goes well,” said Russell.
“Fingers crossed Mike will have his operation soon and then it will be six months, so hopefully he might be back in March.
“He is a massive loss as he has been cracking and he is that level.”
However, Services have boosted their second-row options with the signing of Alex Thomas from Plymstock Oaks, while Mike Hunt has also returned to the club after a year out.
“Hunty is back,” said Russell. “He hurt his ankle away at Ivybridge the previous season and was worried about coming back so had a year off.”
Plympton Victoria will also open their pre-season programme on Saturday when they travel to Oil Mill Lane to play Exeter Athletic.
“We looked a bit further afield and we were keen to play a team that we don’t normally play,” said Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt.
“We seem to have reasonably good numbers this week, but we are maybe not as strong positionally as we could be, so it is a chance for people to try different positions, which is what pre-season is about.
“We have also chipped in for a bus and it will be a good way to start the season. It will keep us all together and everyone can have a couple of beers afterwards.”
He added: “Numbers have been really good and we are now aiming to get some second team games.
“That is something we have been wanting to do as there are a lot of people on the fringes and people who don’t necessarily want to be playing week-in, week out.
“We’ll probably look at getting a (second team) friendly every four or six weeks just to get people playing. It is quite exciting.”
Plym Vic will also play Salcombe and a Plymouth Argaum XV in their pre-season.