DEVONPORT Services make the relatively short trip to Somerset on Saturday to take on Hornets in National Two West.
Services will be looking for their first away win since their promotion after back-to-back home victories.
For once, they will not be heading into uncharted territory as they have met the Hornets on six previous occasions in league rugby, with both teams winning three apiece.
The Hornets currently sit in ninth place with four wins and a draw to their name, while Services are still at the bottom in 14th place, but they have won two out of their last three matches.
The Weston-super-Mare side have won three and drawn one of their six home games.
“They are very good at home and they are like nearly every other team around mid-table in this league – they are big and hard and if you give them front-foot ball then they will punish you,” said Services head coach Ben Russell.
“We would love an away win.
“We have three games before Christmas – Hornets, Camborne and Exeter University. Two of them are away and, if I’m honest, if we came out with seven or eight points then I would be ecstatic as it would mean we had won one and got bonus points in the others.”
Services will be without back Tom Davies this weekend as he is serving a one-week ban after picking up two yellow cards in their win over Loughborough last time out.
With fellow backs Harrison Coonick, Billy Orchard, Kieran Down and Toby Knowles still on the injury list, it means Charlie Groves could make his first National League start for Services after coming on in their last game as a replacement.
Dylan Daley is likely to be named on the bench after successfully returning to action last weekend for the second team after a length spell on the sidelines.
Back-row forward Joe Stansfield is a doubt with a toe issue and so Liam Jarvis could return to the starting line-up.
REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST
STRUGGLING Ivybridge have a massive home game on Saturday as they welcome fifth-placed Lydney to Cross-in-Hand.
The Bridgers, who sit second-from-bottom, find themselves eight points from safety after losing 46-14 away at Marlborough last weekend.
They desperately could do with a win, but they are again struggling with injuries.
Last week’s debutant Emile Bleriot picked up a leg injury in the final two minutes of their defeat at Marlborough, while Giles Clarke has gone over to South Africa for a spell, but a player has arrived in the opposite direction.
“We have a lot of people unavailable due to injury,” said Ivybridge team manager Neil Thomson.
“We are probably going to be using a very young team again.”
He added: “We have three matches in December and we have to target two wins. If we got three, that would be a huge bonus.
“If we want to get out of the position we have to start winning and we don’t want to wait until Chew Valley at home (at the start of February) and say that’s our next win because we have a lot of matches in between.
“Lydney can be a funny team. They tend not to travel as well as they play at home.”
Ivybridge and Lydney have met 10 times in league rugby, with both winning five games apiece.
Both matches last season were incredibly tight. Ivybridge won 23-20 at Cross-in-Hand, while Lydney triumphed 34-32 at Regentsholme.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
THERE’S a top-of-the-table clash at Horsham Fields on Saturday as Plymstock Oaks host Paignton.
Oaks lost top spot to Paignton last weekend after they were beaten away at Kingsbridge after having Corey Jamieson sent off.
Plymstock, who dropped down to third last week, are now five points behind new leaders Paignton, who have only lost once this season.
Games between Oaks and Paignton have tended to favour the home side. Last season Oaks narrowly lost 26-22 away, but they won 31-12 at Horsham Fields.
“There is an advantage playing at home – that’s why a higher percentage of teams win at home rather than away,” said head coach Lewis Paterson.
“We are going to be missing a couple of players – I’m not available – but we should have a few coming back in like maybe Alex Chapman.”
Oaks were frustrated to lose at Kingsbridge last weekend as they felt it was a game they could have won, but they had to play 50 minutes with a man less after Jamieson was red-carded for what the referee deemed a dangerous tackle.
“Games like that (last week) we just have to learn from them and not dwell on them,” said Paterson.
“If we are a team that want to go up and progress as a team then we have to learn.”
In the same division, struggling Tavistock host second-placed Pirates Amateurs at Sandy Park.
Tavistock are looking for a response to their 94-12 defeat at Paignton, that leaves them in the bottom two.
“We are a bit stronger this week, to the extent that we have to make a selection,” said captain and player-coach Hammy Kerswill.
“Pirates are flying high and are normally equally strong away as they are at home.
“We are hopeful our pitch can withstand the storm tonight to get the game on as we have an old boys’ event tomorrow.
“The pitch has been preserved, it’s just standing water we need to avoid.”
Tavistock are set to welcome back front-rower Joe Burbage and backs Ethan Lamerton and Jack Glover.
COUNTIES TWO
TAMAR Saracens face a massive test this weekend when they visit unbeaten leaders Torquay Athletic.
Eighth-placed Sarries head to the Recreation Ground with just one win to their name from their last six games.
“We are a lot better than our form suggests,” said head coach Mike Lewis. “It’s just about getting a full team out.
“I think we are a team that should be within the top six of the league with the players we have got, however, it’s just unfortunate that they are just not there as much as we’d like.
“The average age of our squad is closer to 30 rather than 20 and they have a lot more things and family life to do.
“We have different problems to maybe other clubs, but everyone has problems getting a side out.
“But I really do think if we could have all our best players out every week then we would be doing really well in this league and we would not have lost three out of our last five.”
He added: “We are not looking great this week. It’s away and it’s against Torquay, who are top of the league, and we have lots of people away.”
Sarries will be big underdogs as Torquay had got 50 points out of 50 and are averaging 55 points a game.
“We should be going into the game with the attitude of ‘let’s give this a crack’ and thinking ‘can we get four tries against them to get a bonus point, or can we maybe get two bonus points or a silly victory as they underestimate us’,” said Lewis.
“But, unfortunately, it is probably a case of just getting 15-18 to go up there to make sure we don’t lose five points.”
Torquay ended Devonport Services IIs unbeaten start to the season last weekend, with a 29-14 win at the Rectory.
Services II were missing a lot of players and they are again going to be under-strength for Saturday’s tricky trip to fourth-placed Exeter Saracens, although they are hoping to have Tyler Busfield, Yianni Costas and Al Thomas back.
“Exeter Saracens away is a tough one and we still have loads of boys still missing,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “We need to win every game now as I can’t see them (Torquay) losing to anyone else.
“It was disappointing last weekend as if we had actually played well, I think we should have won it, but we couldn’t win a set-piece.”
Plymouth Argaum also have a tough trip this weekend as they visit third-placed Honiton, who are unbeaten at home.
Argaum have lost their last four games and have dropped down to second from bottom.
“We have to re-group,” said head coach Dean Avery. “We have got some injuries, but hopefully we can put a team together and travel reasonably strongly and give them a game.
“We know they are going to be big up front. They have a lot of guys that I have played with previously and who have played at clubs like Exmouth and Taunton so I know what they are going to bring.”
OPMs are also away this weekend in Counties Two Devon as they visit fifth-placed Withycombe, who are on a five-game winning run after been forced to hand Torquay a walkover in mid-October.
OPMs, like Tamar Saracens and Argaum, are on a bit of a tough run having lost four of their last five matches to drop down to ninth in the standings.
Last year’s matches between the Old Boys and Withycombe both went in the favour of the home team, with OPMs triumphing 40-0 at home, but losing 19-10 away.
In Counties Two Cornwall, unbeaten leaders Saltash will be hoping to continue their push for the title as they host Wadebridge II at home.
Wadebridge are the only team the Ashes have not faced yet as they have stormed to 11 wins out of 11.
Like many second teams, Wadebridge II have been a bit up and down this season and made a poor start to the campaign, but they have won four of their last six games and there only defeats in that time have been by one score.
COUNTIES THREE
THE big game in Devon South & West is at Weston Mill where Old Techs host Ivybridge II in a top-of-the-table clash.
Just one point separates the top three teams in that division, with Brixham II on 36 points and Ivybridge II and Old Techs on 35. All three sides have seven wins and one defeat to their name.
“Us and Ivybridge have had pretty similar results,” said Old Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“They have a big player base to call on and have a big youth set-up, whereas we are just a one team club so for us it is just great that we are up there competing with these bigger clubs.
“Hopefully, it will be an interesting and competitive game.
“We hope our players have learned a bit from the loss at Brixham and they know they have to turn up from the whistle.
“We know it is going to be a tough game, but hopefully, our players turn up and put a shift in.”
Techs are waiting on a couple of players before confirming their side, while Ivybridge also have some availability issues and could hand a number of players debuts.
In the same division, Plympton Victoria are due to host struggling Kingsbridge II at St Mary’s Field.
Kingsbridge II are bottom of the table and handed Old Techs a walkover last weekend and were beaten 113-10 by Ivybridge II in their outing before.
But they are expected to get a team out this weekend for the trip to Plympton and Plym Vic will know from previous experience that they can be strong on their day. Kingsbridge II won both meetings against Plym Vic last season.
Plymstock Oaks II are due to make the trip to Paignton II, while in Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II are due to visit Truro II.