REGIONAL One South West leaders Devonport Services will be hoping to avoid a major banana skin on Saturday when they visit second-from-bottom Marlborough.
The Wiltshire club have only won two games so far this season and have conceded 70 points in two of their last three games.
But those statistics do not really show a true picture as they have played six of their 10 matches away from home, while on their own soil their biggest defeat is only by eight points – and that was against second-placed Topsham.
They beat Sidmouth at home, drew with St Austell on their own pitch and only lost by three points to Chew Valley.
“They are a much better side at home than they are away,” said Services head coach Ben Russell.
“They are like a French team from the early 2000s – unreal at home, but don’t travel well.”
He added: “I don’t think the weather is going to be great and I doubt the pitch is going to be great either, so we just have to go up there and dig in the trenches.
“We have to play the conditions but will also still try and play some rugby and move the ball around.”
Russell knows his team will have to be mentally on it and make sure they do not take their opponents lightly.
“In my first year here we only finished fourth as we lost to teams that we shouldn’t have lost to, like at Old Centralians and at Okehampton at home,” he said. “We have got much better at winning games that we need to do, even when not playing our best.
“Marlborough will be tough. They are at home and if you look at their results, they have only lost by a maximum of eight points at home.
“They have won a couple of games, but it is just away from home where they struggle.”
Services are likely to field a similar team to the one that beat Launceston 57-27 last weekend.
However, centre Dan Lilley, who picked up the man of the match award against the Cornish All Blacks, is unavailable, but Shaun Crawford is back after missing last Saturday.
Services are still waiting to see if lock Mike Rickard is available again after missing last week due to injury, but Fin White is back in the mix.
Rikki Bentham is still missing. He has yet to feature this season for Services due to injury.
That has created an opportunity for Tyler Busfield, who has featured in all 10 of their league matches this term, having switched to the front-row from the back-row.
“Tyler has been brilliant for us,” said Russell. “We said to him last year that we thought he should convert to the front-row. He did all right last year learning it and this year he has been cracking. He works really hard around the park as well. He is doing really well.”
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE will be finally hoping to claim their first league away win for more than a year on Saturday when they travel to Regional Two South West strugglers Wellington.
The Bridgers, who sit in fifth place, level on points with fourth-placed Okehampton, will be big favourites to pick up their first victory on their travels since October 2024 as Wellington have yet to win a match this season.
The Somerset club have gone through a lot of changes since last season, with head coach Graham Dawe, who guided them to two promotions, stepping down in the summer and their squad has changed a bit.
Brad Field stepped up to the head coach role at the Athletic Ground, but he is still waiting for his first league win.
Ivybridge will be favourites to claim a victory on Saturday, but their head coach Steve Atkinson does not want them taking anything for granted.
“I just don’t want us going up there thinking we have already won,” he said.
“I still think anyone in this league can beat anyone on their day.
“I look back to when we played Cullompton and they scored two late tries to get a bonus point against us, even though they were at the bottom of the league. Anything can happen.
“But we are going up there with the belief that we are going to win.”
Atkinson feels it is about time Ivybridge did finally secure a victory on their travels.
“It has been a while,” he admitted. “We have had a couple of close away games that could have gone either way. Hopefully, this weekend we can get that first away win. It would be really nice.”
Ivybridge are likely to name a similar squad to the one which convincingly beat Wadebridge 45-7 at home last Saturday.
“We played really well last week and we are looking forward to Saturday,” said Atkinson.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks will be looking to cause something of a surprise on Saturday and beat league leaders Wiveliscombe ay Horsham Fields.
Oaks have had a couple of weeks to forget, losing 38-12 last weekend away at Kingsbridge and 46-12 at home to St Ives the previous Saturday.
Their up and down start to the season has left them in ninth place, just two points ahead of bottom side Saltash, in a league where just nine points separate fifth from 12th.
Oaks are currently one of the teams most opponents will worry about as their form has been so unpredictable.
“It’s a bit strange at the moment,” said coach Mike Lewis.
“We look at ourselves and the team we have got, and we should be doing much better than we are at the minute.
“Training is really positive and we look really great, but we are just not quite getting it to click at the minute.
“It was clicking earlier in the season, and we were getting better each week.”
He added: “We have not been winning games as we haven’t been doing the simple things, but I don’t know why we haven’t been doing them as we do them all week in training and in the warm-up and it looks great.
“I’m hoping that this week as the underdogs we know we have nothing to lose and so might just play with a bit more freedom.”
Oaks have won their last two meetings against Wivelisombe, who have only lost once this season. They did beat them 43-13 at Horsham Fields back in February, although the meeting in Somerset was a lot closer, with Oaks just edging it 15-12.
Wiveliscombe’s current position in the table has probably been helped by the fact that they have only played three away matches in the league. In those games on their travels, they just edged out Saltash 36-35 and Kingsbridge 27-26, while they lost 21-17 at Truro.
Their far from impressive away results, will give Oaks hope that they can claim a fourth win and kick-start their season.
Plymstock are still likely to be struggling for front-row cover with prop Sean Wills and hooker Rob Hall likely to be missing again.
Saltash, who are hoping to move of the foot of the table, will visit their old rivals Redruth II on Saturday.
The two clubs had a good battle during the 2023-24 season for the Counties Two Cornwall title.
Redruth just edged them out, winning a title-decider 26-20, but Saltash did win the league crown the following season to join them in Western West.
The Ashes have so far found it hard to come out on the right side of tight games at the higher level. They did comfortably beat second-placed St Ives, but their other seven games have all gone down to the wire and been decided in the final few minutes.
Redruth II may sit fourth in the table, but their biggest win has only been by nine points – a 21-12 home victory over Torquay Athletic – and they have been beaten by Wiveliscombe and Newton Abbot.
They have not yet lost at home, but Saltash know what it is like playing at the Recreation Ground and will know the Reds’ strengths and weaknesses.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
TITLE-chasing Devonport Services II have another tough fixture as they head to fifth-placed South Molton on Saturday in Counties Two Devon.
Services II have faced promotion rivals Bideford and Topsham II at home in their last three games, sandwiched by a tricky trip to Crediton II.
They did beat Crediton and Topsham but had to settle for a 17-17 home draw last week against Bideford, which saw them drop down to second in the table.
“The twos should be a bit stronger this week as we have some boys back,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “But they have a tough one away at South Molton. They are much stronger at home and play their pitch very well.”
Another team with a tricky away trip in the division is Tavistock.
They head to Crediton II on Saturday, which be a third successive away trip for them, following on from games at Topsham II and Ivybridge II.
Tavistock have lost their last two matches to dropped down to 10th in the table and they are once again struggling for a settle side for an away game.
“It’s déjà vu, as we once again battle to get a team to travel away,” said head coach Leigh Puttock.
“We all know the strength of the squad we have in our back pocket, but getting bodies on the road is always tough, especially at this time of year when family time takes priority.
“We’re also without three lads who are away competing at a fitness competition this weekend: Freddie Fuller, Jai Popplewell and Henry Shaw.
“With Freddie unavailable, the ever-impressive and constantly improving Chris Watts steps up to lead the side.
“I was genuinely pleased during our huddle at training this week when club stalwart Richard Cann spoke about earning the right to play expansive rugby by doing the hard yards first. It was spot on – and shows that the whole group is buying into what we’re trying to build.
“I also want to give a shout-out to all coaches out there. It’s no easy task developing teams and getting them on to a pitch every Saturday.
“Rugby has changed. Saturdays used to be rugby days, but with the cost-of-living crisis and work becoming more demanding, selection is harder than ever.
“I’ve spoken to our committee about these challenges, and I’m genuinely grateful that Tavistock is such a supportive, understanding and welcoming club.”
Tavistock are boosted by the return of experienced hooker Hammy Kerswill, but they will have a makeshift second-row and backline.
Seventh-placed OPMs have the chance to open up a gap between themselves and eighth-placed Withycombe this weekend when the sides meet at King George V Playing Fields.
OPMs are currently a point ahead of their Exmouth-based opponents.
The Old Boys will be hoping to bounce back from a frustrating 19-3 defeat at Honiton last Saturday, where they suffered a number of injuries.
OPMs do have a good recent record over Withycombe and have beaten them in their last three meetings.
On Withycombe’s last two trips to Elburton, they have lost 36-12 and 40-0.
Ivybridge II will be hoping to pick up some more valuable points as they welcome Honiton to Cross-in-Hand on Saturday.
The Bridgers, sitting second from bottom, have won two of their last three games and did pick up a bonus point on the road at Exeter Saracens last weekend.
“Hopefully, we might be able to nick a win,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson.
“If they play like they did against Tavistock, I think they will be in with a chance.”
COUNTIES THREE
THERE is another derby match in Devon South & West with Tamar Saracens hosting Plympton Victoria at the Parkway.
After a slow start to the season, Sarries have won three out of their last four league games, including beating city rivals Old Techs and Plymouth Argaum.
They are currently in ninth place in the table, just one spot above winless Plym Vic, but they could move into the top five if they were to win this weekend.
Sarries will be favourites to continue their winning form on Saturday, but Plym Vic will be hoping they can cause an upset.
“They are a different team to when we last played them,” said Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt. “But they are a club with a good pedigree and long history.”
Plymouth Argaum moved up to second last weekend with a 31-5 away victory over Plymstock Oaks II and they will be aiming to cement that spot with a big home game against third-placed Paignton II on Saturday.
The teams are level on points in the table, but Argaum just have a better points difference.
Argaum do hope to have a number of forwards back for this weekend’s game, including Dan Smith and Tom Worboys, and some of their Fijians, but they are set to be missing Adam Walker and Adam McCrohan.
Plymstock Oaks II are due to visit leaders Brixham II, but that game is in doubt, with the visitors having front-row issues.
Old Techs are not in league action but they are due to host OPM Jesters in the Ellis Trophy at Weston Mill, while in Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II are due to visit Illogan Park.