DEVONPORT Services’ head coach Ben Russell has pulled no punches about the importance of Saturday’s home match against fellow strugglers Macclesfield.
Services no they need to beat the Cheshire side to have any real hope of avoiding relegation.
Macclesfield boosted their hopes of staying up by beating Exeter University last weekend – a result that has lifted them out of the bottom two.
They are currently third from bottom, 13 points ahead of basement side Services with seven games to go.
“It is a must-win game – let’s not beat around the bush,” said Russell. “They are one of the teams immediately above us.
“Hornets at home is another must-win one as is Bourneville at home on the last day of the season.
“If we want to stay up in this league, we have to win all those games.
“We are going to go for it obviously and try and stay up.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the teams around us are playing each other. If they were playing Camborne, Clifton and the teams at the top it I think we would have a really good chance of staying up.
“But I think there is confidence there now. If you look at the last two games we have played, against Clifton we attacked really well and we had them in an awful lot of trouble and then against Hinkley we defended really, really well but didn’t attack as well.”
Services beat Hinckley in their last outing two weeks ago. That was their third win of the campaign and they have also picked up 10 bonus points in their first season at level four.
They have been competitive at the higher level, despite missing Mike Rickard, Mark Friend, Harrison Coonick, Matt Neyle and Toby Knowles for nearly all the campaign.
“We have done it without our strongest squad,” said Russell. “I think sometimes you do have to reflect and say, ‘you know what, we have gone up and thoroughly deserved to have gone up and we are competitive and fighting week-in, week-out’. We have not been getting pumped. Yeah, we have a couple of heavy defeats, but that’s the thing with this league, anytime you switch off teams will score. That’s the biggest difference and the biggest learning curve.”
Services did not have a match last week after their bonus-point victory over Hinckley.
“I think a week off has been good for the lads as it is a non-stop season,” added Russell. “There are a lot less free weekends than the level below and we still have seven games left.”
REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE could be relegated from level five this weekend, if they fail to beat St Austell at home and Marlborough beat Exmouth.
After their 71-7 away defeat to Exmouth last time out, Ivybridge are 13 points from safety with just four games to go.
Third-from-bottom Marlborough are now the only team Ivybridge can catch.
The Cross-in-Hand club, who parted company with head coach Davy McGregor earlier this month, know it is unlikely they will stay up now, but they would like to try and finish the season on a high.
“Training has been relaxed and we are trying not to put pressure on the lads,” said team manager Neil Thomson.
“Although we got well beaten down there at St Austell (52-14) earlier in the season, we were in that game for long periods and didn’t deserve the result we got, but unfortunately, we got a couple of yellow cards at the wrong time, and they capitalised on that.
“Matt Shepherd controlled the game that day for them and we can’t let him do that again on Saturday, but he is a clever player.”
Ivybridge are still without backs Toby Evans and Reece de Jersey due to head injuries picked up against Chew Valley.
Matt Bailey moves to number eight on Saturday after making his first start against Exmouth, while Reggie Fulla will start at flanker and Hamish Harris comes in at lock.
Will Peakman and Henry Trudgill both start after they helped Devon to a 36-31 victory over the Royal Navy in mid-week.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
TAVISTOCK are struggling for availability for their trip to fellow strugglers Penryn on Saturday.
Both clubs sit in the bottom three, but Penryn are eight points ahead of second-from-bottom Tavistock, who lost 67-0 away at Redruth last Saturday.
Two long trips to Cornwall have not made it easy for Tavistock to get a strong side out.
“It is a nice place to play and we have had some good games over the years at Penryn,” said Tavistock player coach Hammy Kerswill.
“It would have been nice to travel strong, but it is more about getting these fixtures completed now.”
Tavistock are missing Ethan Lamerton, but they should have Joe Burbage back at prop.
Fourth-placed Plymstock Oaks are also down in Cornwall this weekend as they visit ninth-placed St Ives.
West Cornwall has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for Oaks this season, losing at both the Pirates Amateurs and Redruth II, but they will know if they can travel strong then they should have a good chance of returning with some points this weekend.
When they met St Ives earlier in the season at Horsham Fields they beat the Saints 39-10.
St Ives, though, have picked up a little bit and have beaten Kingsbridge and Wiveliscombe this month.
Oaks did have plenty of players on duty for Devon in mid-week. Ollie White, Lewis Paterson, Corey Jamieson, Kieran Jamieson, Duncan Bibby and Harvey Courtis were all part of the Devon squad that beat the Royal Navy 36-31 at Brickfields.
COUNTIES TWO CORNWALL
SALTASH will be crowned Counties Two Cornwall champions on Saturday, if they draw or beat their nearest league neighbours Liskeard-Looe at Lux Park.
The Ashes have been building up to this moment for the past three years.
They were unlucky not to be promoted in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. On both occasions they had to settle for the runners-up spot, despite only losing to one team in each season.
They have only lost three league games in three years, and they will be hoping to add another on Saturday and secure the title in style.
“We would like to finish the season undefeated in the league – that’s our focus now – but this week is just about getting those two points,” said Saltash coach Stephen ‘Albert’ Hall.
“However, it’s one of those games, isn’t it? – it’s a local derby and they (Liskeard-Looe) always give us a tough game, down there. We are expecting the same again.”
He added: “But it should be good. We are looking forward to it. If we do it, I think the boys are going to have a party afterwards back at the club.
“It’s a non-Six Nations weekend so hopefully we will get a big crowd down there.”
Hall admitted it would have been nice had they been at home, but acknowledged that a derby match does add a bit of extra interest.
“The only thing that could make it better was a derby game at home,” said Hall. “But Liskeard is our closest game this side of the water.”
COUNITES TWO DEVON
PLYMOUTH Argaum’s hopes of staying up in Counties Two Devon are now extremely slim.
To do it they will need to win at least three of their final four games and hope the teams above them do not pick up points.
And considering Argaum’s remaining matches are against high-flying Torquay Athletic, Exeter Saracens, Honiton and OPMs that would be a tough feat.
This weekend they host unbeaten league leaders Torquay, who could win the title if they were to beat Argaum and Devonport Services II fail to overcome Topsham II.
“Torquay is a tough task,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery. “But they are coming to us and availability is looking quite good.
“You never know if we can get a good enough side out.
“They are pretty much mathematically champions now so they might come down and just have an off-day.”
Argaum do hope to have Harry Hart, Ryan Neagle and Kieran Burring back in the squad.
Tamar Saracens are one of the teams Argaum are trying to catch.
Sarries have found results hard to come by in the second half of the season and have dropped to third from bottom.
They have a crucial home match on Saturday against their old rivals Dartmouth, who are just three points ahead of them in eighth spot.
“It is a must-win game,” admitted Saracens head coach Mike Lewis. “We don’t normally call them that, but I think we need to apply a bit of pressure to ourselves – I’m sure Dartmouth will be doing the same.
“Looking at the remaining fixtures, Dartmouth have a few they could – and should – win, so we need to make sure we win on Saturday. It doesn’t matter whether it is by one point or 50, but by hook or by crook we have to score points on them.
“We have got 25 lads who all want a game this weekend and to try and push us to that victory, so we have got a bit of a selection dilemma going into the game.
“We are still missing a few key players, however, that’s the life of a local rugby coach and team, but looking at it we have a strong side going out this weekend, which should be able to challenge most teams in this league. Hopefully, we can just do enough to get that win and put us a step further ahead of Exmouth II below us.”
He added: “We know they have a pretty forward-orientated game and so we have got to come up with a plan to nullify that.”
Adam Coutts and Luke Cole are among those back in the squad to boost Saracens’ front-row options.
Seventh-placed OPMs should now have enough points to guarantee another season in the division.
They are currently 15 points ahead of second-from-bottom Exmouth II and nine above third-from-bottom Tamar Saracens.
OPMs do have some tough games coming up, starting this weekend when they host fourth-placed Exeter Saracens.
But the Old Boys did beat Exeter at home last season and pushed them hard away in November before losing 37-22.
An OPMs spokesperson said: “Having had a weekend off whilst Exeter Saracens travelled to Plymouth to face Services, we know that they will be firing on all cylinders.
“But our lads have had time to rest and recover and will be looking to try and get one over on them and continue our push up the league.”
Devonport Services II are also at home as they welcome Topsham II to Keyham.
Services II need to win to delay Torquay’s promotion party, ahead of facing them next weekend at the Recreation Ground.
Topsham II are in sixth place and have shown on their day they can be a threat.
“They do play a lovely style of rugby and you can see why their ones are doing so well,” said Services II coach Tom Richards.
“It should be a good game us against them. You would like to think it will be free-flowing and we’ll both be looking to throw the ball around.”
COUNTIES THREE
TITLE-chasing Ivybridge II and Old Techs are both on their travels in Devon South & West.
Leaders Ivybridge II will visit bottom side Kingsbridge II, while second-placed Old Techs have a tricky trip to sixth-placed Torquay Athletic II.
Techs comfortably beat Torquay II at home in November, but they did lose on their last visit to the Recreation Ground and they are aware that second teams can be particularly strong some weeks – as they found out against Paignton II.
“That Paignton game has been mentioned this week,” said Old Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“You never really know when you are going away from home. I think we lost at Torquay last year.”
Techs were frustrated last weekend when their Devon Junior Cup semi-final at Exeter Athletic was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
It has meant the final has had to be moved and has not helped Techs’ fixture backlog.
“It was a bit frustrating,” said Bedford-Smith. “We have the league, Devon Junior Cup, Ellis Cup and Papa Johns Cup to play for.
“It is going to put a bit of a strain on the squad as we are going to have a tough run in, but I think you would rather have that as it means you have plenty to play for.
“I think we will probably end up having to play the Ellis Cup games in mid-week.
“We are just going to have to try and manage the squad.”
Techs are missing Nathan Webb for the rest of the season due to a knee injury and this weekend they are without Brett Tunnicliffe and Eddie Ramazani, but they are able to welcome back Ryan Smith and Luke Taylor.
Ivybridge II will be big favourites away at Kingsbridge II.
They are set to hand a start to young scrum-half Charlie Moody, while George Vertessy and Patrick Gaunt also come into the backs and Marcus Prout could make his comeback after being named on the bench.
“It’s exciting for the seconds and it’s nice that we still have something to play for,” said Ivybridge’s Neil Thomson.
Also in the division, second-from-bottom Plymstock Oaks II are due to visit Salcombe, while Plympton Victoria have been forced to hand title-chasing Brixham II a home walkover.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II are due to host St Ives II at Moorlands Lane.