DEVONPORT Services start the second half of their season on Saturday when they host ninth-placed Royal Wootton Bassett at the Rectory.
Services have got to the halfway point of their Regional One South West campaign sitting top of the table with just one defeat to their name.
But Topsham, promoted from the league below in the summer, have kept pace with them and just two points separate them after 11 games.
Services know they cannot afford to slip up, especially at home if they are to secure a return to National League rugby.
“We are at home this weekend and we are expected to win,” admitted Devonport head coach Ben Russell.
“Topsham also have Marlborough at home and they will also be predicted to win.
“There are games in this league where people are expected to pick up victories, but we have seen this season, maybe more than ever, that teams have slipped up more than usual.
“You look at (third-placed) Brixham who have played 11, won six but lost five. They normally lose only about three games a season.”
Services beat Royal Wootton Bassett 50-19 away early in the campaign, scoring eight tries.
But Russell does not want his team to think it will be easy to repeat that.
“We went up there in the second game of the year and they (Royal Wootton Bassett) did play some lovely rugby,” he said. “They are a team that like the off-load and to move the ball around.
“If it is dry, then it will play into their hands as they will be able to do that.
“We know we have to be on our game and make sure we defend really well.
“If we are in the right mind-set then our attack should take care of itself.”
Services are without backs Matt Neyle and Warren Weerakoon, who both started last week’s game away at Marlborough, but they should have Harrison Coonick, Dan Lilley, Tom Richards and possibly Tom Davies back and available for selection.
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE will also be marking the start of the second half of the season with a home match as they welcome North Petherton to Cross-in-Hand on Saturday.
When the sides met in Somerset in September, North Petherton, coached by Mat Tichias, brother of Ivybridge’s second team coach James Tichias, narrowly won 37-32.
But Ivybridge have enjoyed the better form since then and have only lost three more games.
The Bridgers are unbeaten at home and want to keep that record going in the second half of the campaign.
“We are really looking forward to this weekend after a week off due to the weather,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson.
“It should be a great game.
“We know a bit more about North Petherton now after the great game at their place at the start of the season.
“We have made a few adjustments but are still going to go out and move the ball around.”
Ivybridge are missing centre Adam Lilley due to an arm injury, but they are set to bring back Matt Skeemer at 12, while Jack Guyver is likely to be available again on the wing.
The club will be having their Christmas social after the game so will be hoping to celebrate with another home win.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks and Saltash will both be desperate to pick up wins this weekend to try and move out of the bottom three.
Saltash sit bottom with 14 points, while Oaks are just three points ahead in 10th spot. Both clubs, though, are still within touching distance of the teams above.
Oaks, who have lost their last three league games, probably have the hardest test this weekend with a trip to second-placed Paignton on the agenda.
Paignton are so far unbeaten at home. They have enjoyed so big wins at Queen’s Park, including beating Barnstaple II 50-19, Kingsbridge 35-7 and Newton Abbot 52-24.
Ironically, the only team that has pushed them all the way at home is Saltash, who were unlucky to lose 36-33 there in October.
Oaks will probably take hope from Saltash’s performance against them and the fact that they pushed leaders Wiveliscombe all the way last weekend before narrowly losing 20-19.
“We had a half-decent scrum last week and did all right,” said Oaks coach Mike Lewis. “We should have scored a couple more tries and realistically won the game. I think Wiveliscombe were pretty happy they won that game as it was a potential banana skin for them.
“Our scrum was a lot better last week, our line-out was functioning really well, our maul was fantastic and we went around them a couple of times. We just have to keep building on it.
“We are the nearly boys at the minute, but we just have to stick at it and keep building.”
He added: “Paignton seem to be doing really well.
“But we know we can do it and how to do it. We just need to do it for more than 40 or 60 minutes a game.
“We had a couple of games – St Ives and Kingsbridge – where we had a bit of a dip in form but if we get back to where we were before we will be all right.
“I’m sure we will push on again, even if it is after Christmas.”
Oaks hope to have a strong squad for the trip to Paignton.
“Front-row is where we are a bit stretched at the moment, but everywhere else we are okay,” said Lewis.
Saltash have a big home game against ninth-placed Truro, who sit just five points ahead of them.
The Ashes have only played four home league games so far after switching a fixture at the start of the season due to work on their Moorlands Lane pitch.
They will be hoping to make the extra home games count between now and the end of the season to move them up the table.
Truro are still looking for their first away victory this season so both sides will have plenty to play for on Saturday.
The clubs have not met in a league fixture since 2019 when Saltash narrowly edged Truro out 13-12 in a Western West match at St Clements Hill.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
TAVISTOCK make a much-needed return to Sandy Park on Saturday when they host second-placed Bideford in Counties Two Devon.
Tavvy have not played at home since November 8 when they beat OPMs 19-15.
Since the they have lost away at Ivybridge II, Topsham II and Crediton II and struggled for availability.
The run of defeats has seen them drop down to third-from-bottom, but they have played more matches on their travels than on their own pitch.
They know it will be tough against a Bideford side who were in the same league as them last year before both were relegated, but they are boosted by the return of a number of players.
Andrew Schuttkacker, Freddie Fuller, Toby Teague, Olly Plummer and Josh O’Neil are among those back, but they are missing influential back Liam Watts, Sheldon Higgins and John Hudson.
“It’s a good week with selection issues for the right reasons, although we still have a few injuries and absences” said head coach Leigh Puttock.
“Losses create opportunities, and one notable one is Rob Milligan getting the chance to show his worth at full-back.
“Training was positive with plenty to build on, and the lads are eager to impress in front of what will hopefully be a festively merry crowd before the club Christmas meal.”
He added: “We know where we are in the league and I’d be worried if I wasn’t seeing the attitude and desire this squad shows every week.
“We know Bideford will be tough – home or away – so we need to cross that while line with the top two inches firmly switched on.”
There is a big match at King Geoge V Playing Fields where OPMs host neighbours Ivybridge II.
The two clubs have had some good battles in recent years and the last two meetings have been decided by just one score.
OPMs go into the game sitting in eighth spot and are 14 points ahead of second-from-bottom Ivybridge II, but the Vandals have picked up form over the past month and have beaten Tavistock and Dartmouth and last week pushed Honiton all the way before losing 38-37 to a late score.
“I think they like playing against us,” said OPMs head coach. “They’ve got some former OPMs players and we have got Dan Adams, Dan Bristow and Jack Mitchell who have come across to us from them, so I’m sure they will be up for the game as well.
“We are hoping we will pick up five points before visiting Topsham II, which we know will be a hard game.”
He added: “At the beginning of the year our ambition was to try and finish a couple of spots higher than we did last year and we are on for that.”
Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson said: “The Vandals are looking forward to OPMs. Hopefully, they’ll put in another performance they can be proud of after the last few games.
“The team are still adjusting to this league, but they seem to have clicked a little bit after some player chats and where we want to be at the end of the season.”
Ivybridge II are missing Luke Martell this week and so Aaron Joynt is set to start at fly-half after impressing at centre in recent weeks.”
Leaders Devonport Services II face a tricky trip to ninth-placed Withycombe on Saturday.
Withycombe’s form has picked up in recent weeks after the arrival of some players from their Australian partner club Wollongbar Alstonville.
They have drawn their last two games, away at OPMs and at home to South Molton, and only lost 32-27 to title-chasing Bideford in the game before that.
“It is a game the twos need to win,” said Services head coach Ben Russell.
But Services II are going to have to make plenty of changes to the squad that beat South Molton II last week.
“I think seven of the team that played last week are away this weekend,” said Russell.
COUNTIES THREE
SECOND-placed Plymouth Argaum face a tricky test away at fellow high-flyers Torquay Athletic II on Saturday in Devon South & West.
Torquay are currently fourth in the standings just four points behind Argaum, but they have played two games less and have only lost once this term.
“It looks quite competitive around the top of the table,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“Hopefully we can get another similar squad to last week and travel well.
“It is very much about how well people travel in this league.
“If you can get a consistent team to travel week-in and week-out then you are going to do well.”
Tamar Saracens also have a tricky trip on the cards this weekend as they visit Salcombe.
The clubs sit sixth and seventh in the table and are only separated by one point.
Salcombe are one of those teams this season that do not travel too well, but are strong at home.
Tamar Saracens, though, have won on their last two trips to Twomeads, but Salcombe did win the last league meeting between the clubs – a narrow 3-0 victory at the Parkway this time two years ago.
Old Techs will be expected to move up the table this weekend as they host struggling Kingsbridge II at Weston Mill.
Kingsbridge are yet to win this season and have not played a game since October 11 due to a postponement and handed out a couple of walkovers.
They have told Techs that they do intend to travel this weekend.
“The game is still on, as far as we know,” said Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith. “And we have to prepare properly.”
Techs were without a league match last weekend, but did play OPM Jesters in the Ellis Trophy, winning 61-17.
“It was not an easy game,” said Bedford-Smith. “It was a good run-out.
“In the first half we weren’t very good at all, but in the second half we swapped a few things around and got the ball wide and scored some good tries.
“We did try a few new players out and tried people in different positions and OPMs did make it hard for us and gave us some things to think about and work on in training.”
Also, in Devon South & West, ninth-placed Plymstock Oaks II are due to host third-placed Paignton II at Horsham Fields.
Plympton Victoria do not have a league game but are set to host OPM Jesters in a club match at St Mary’s Field.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II are due to visit St Ives II.