REGIONAL One South West leaders Devonport Services will end 2025 with a tricky trip to in-form St Austell on Saturday.
Services sit two points clear of Topsham at the top of the standings after the opening 12 games of the season, with a big gap then down to third-placed Lydney.
With Devonport and Topsham neck and neck, both know they cannot really afford to slip up anywhere, if they do want to win the title.
But this weekend will be a major banana skin for Services as St Austell have not lost since Topsham beat them at Bonfire Field on October 11 and have been slowly climbing up the table after a slow start to the campaign.
“They are a good team, especially at home,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “They beat Brixham in their last game at home and beat Lydney away last week – and Lydney is a tough place to go. They are on a good run.
“They have got a bit of form. I think they are unbeaten in seven games.
“From the side that played us in the third game of the season to now, they have massively improved.”
He added: “We just have to improve on the last two weeks.
“Against Launceston we started quite fast and played really well in the first half, but the last two weeks we have started slowly, but came good in the second half.”
St Austell’s second team match, which was due to be played on Friday evening at the club, has been postponed due to all the rain, but they do expect their pitch to be playable on Saturday.
Services do have a few selection decisions to make, although they are likely to name a similar squad to the one which beat Royal Wootton Bassett last weekend.
Liam Jarvis, who has started at hooker in the last two matches, is likely to need a fitness test after coming off last weekend with a knock.
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE will be hoping to claim their first away league win of the season on Saturday when they visit struggling Teignmouth.
The Bridgers, who sit fifth in the table, have not won on their travels for more than a year.
They had hoped to put that record right two weeks ago against winless bottom side Wellington, but that match was postponed.
They now have another chance to end that poor away run at Bitton Park on Saturday against a Teignmouth side who sit third from bottom.
“We’ll be really pushing for that away win,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson.
“We’ve had a couple of really close away games this season.
“I’m not sure it is a monkey on some of the boys’ backs, but I think a few of the lads think about it.
“We said at the start of the year that we just want to win our home games and try and pick up a couple of away wins here and there as it is a rebuilding year.
“We obviously target every away game, but this is definitely one we will be targeting.
“It should be another good weekend. I think everyone is buzzing for it as it’s the last weekend before Christmas.”
When the sides met at the start of the season at Cross-in-Hand, Ivybridge narrowly won 31-26.
That was Teignmouth’s first defeat of the campaign, having won their opening two games, but they have only won two more since – at home to Winscombe and Wellington.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks and Saltash will both be eyeing vital wins to end 2025 and lift themselves up the Western West table.
The two sides currently fill the bottom two places in a tight league where there is little to choose between any of the sides.
Oaks have got three wins but have less bonus points than anyone else in the standings.
They have lost their last four league games and so will be desperate to end that run against mid-table Newton Abbot, who have yet to win away this season.
“We just need to build confidence and back ourselves a bit more,” said Oaks coach Mike Lewis.
A win for Oaks could move them out of the bottom two and put them within touching distance of a host of teams.
Bottom side Saltash also have the carrot of moving out of the bottom two dangling above their heads as they visit third-from-bottom Penryn on Saturday.
Penryn sit just three points above Saltash in the standings so it could be all change at the foot of the table.
The Ashes have found wins hard to come by since their promotion, but they have picked up bonus points in every match apart from one.
Saltash and Penryn have not met in a league game since the covid-hit 2019-20 season, but the sides did meet in the RFU Community Cup back in October.
The Ashes named a much-changed team for that Counties One South Plate match and lost 38-0.
However, they did win on their last league visit to the Memorial Ground back in April 2018.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
DEVONPORT Services II are set to end the year at the top of Counties Two Devon.
Services II are currently four points clear at the top of the standings going into the final match of the year.
They are due to take on bottom side Dartmouth at Keyham on Friday night.
The match should have been played at the Rectory, but that pitch is out of bounds.
Dartmouth have yet to win a game this season and have already indicated that they will hand Services II the walkover before playing a ‘game-on’ match as they are struggling to get a full 15.
They did the same against Bideford and it means they will avoid a five-point deduction.
“They have said they are coming,” said Services head coach Ben Russell. “But we don’t quite know what they are bringing.”
Tavistock face a tricky pre-Christmas trip to sixth-placed South Molton on Saturday.
Tavistock have dropped down to third from bottom after losing their last four games, but they did show what they can do last weekend by pushing title-chasing Bideford right to the wire before losing 11-10.
The Sandy Park club have found trips to Unicorn Park tough in previous years, but they will travel on Saturday boosted by the return of Jack Easton from Australia, and fellow backs Liam Watts and Sheldon Higgins, who missed last weekend.
However, they are without Hammy Kerswill, due to a slight shoulder injury, Vaughan Glover, Toby Teague and Tylo Coupland.
They are set to hand debuts to three colts – Joel Shears, Billy Sherman and Maxwell Haddy.
Shears is set to start at flanker, with Sherman and Haddy named on the bench.
“I’ve been watching these lads closely from the sidelines and in training and have seen the progress they’ve made under the guidance of our colts coach Ed Tait,” said Tavistock head coach Leigh Puttock.
“I, along with the whole club, am really looking forward to seeing what they can bring to the team this week.”
Puttock says it has been a ‘positive week’ after the performance against Bideford.
“Listening to the group in training, they took a lot of heart from last week’s performance,” he said.
“While we know South Molton will be a real challenge at their place, especially with a wet and windy day forecast, the lads are keen to continue their steps back towards the level of performance we know we are capable of.”
Weather providing, mid-table OPMs will be looking to cause an upset when they visit title-chasing Topsham II.
The Exeter-area side sit third in the table but were surprised last week when they lost 37-12 away at Honiton, which was only their second defeat of the season.
The only other team to beat them are leaders Services II.
However, Topsham II do rely heavily on student players, with many of them likely to be away this weekend.
“Topsham are a good side this year, but we will give it our best shot,” said OPMs captain Fred Smale.
Also in the division, Ivybridge II will be bidding to continue their improved form when they host Withycombe at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday.
In their last five games, Ivybridge II have picked up two wins, lost by just one score in two games and picked up a try-scoring bonus point away at Exeter Saracens.
They do still face a big battle to try and finish outside the bottom two, as they are nine points behind third-from-bottom Tavistock, but they are keen to give it a go.
Ivybridge II have recently strengthened their squad with the signing of Plympton Victoria forwards Sid Bear and Benn Burgess, who made their debuts last weekend in their 24-19 away defeat to OPMs.
COUNTIES THREE
THE big match in Devon South & West this weekend is at Bickleigh Down where Plymouth Argaum host city rivals Old Techs.
Argaum sit fourth in the table, with Techs seven points behind in seventh.
Argaum, who were in the league above last season, have had the better of recent meetings with Techs.
Techs’ last league win over their Plymouth Combination rivals came in September 2021.
The sides did meet in the RFU Community Cup at Weston Mill earlier in the season, with Argaum winning 55-13.
“I think when we played them down at Weston Mill in the cup, they weren’t as strong as they will be on Saturday so I’m not going to look too much into that result,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“Like Techs, we have quite a lot of military personnel who will be going home so availability will be key for both teams.
“Hopefully, we should have more available than last week and people will be fighting for shirts.
“We have got a sponsors’ day and a few Christmas drinks planned afterwards, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith added: “Other than playing Tamar Saracens, there is probably no bigger game for us than this one. It is a big local derby and we are looking forward to it.
“We tried to move on quickly from that cup defeat.
“It’s not been forgotten, but you have to move on.
“They did do a bit of a number on us that day and it is about trying not to let that happen again.
“We will probably have a different team out and so will they.
“We did have a bit of a re-set after that cup game and we have come out of it better. I think that was a bit of a turning point for us.”
Plympton Victoria will be hoping to finally get their first win of the season when they visit fellow strugglers Kingsbridge II.
Both sides have yet to win this term and sit adrift in the bottom two places.
“Kingsbridge II are a bit like us this year,” said Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt.
“It would be massive if we could get a win and I think the lads certainly deserve one.
“We have got a team this week, but we are a bit shy as we have people away for Christmas.
“But we’re looking forward to it as it’s the last game of the year.”
Tamar Saracens will be hoping to upset unbeaten league leaders Brixham II at the Parkway.
The pitch is likely to be heavy and Sarries will be hoping to use that to their advantage.
Sarries captain Adam Corbett admits they have ‘absolutely’ nothing to lose.
“It depends on how they travel and who their first team have available,” he said.
“But we’re looking forward to it. It’s our Christmas party in the evening as well.”
Third-from-bottom Plymstock Oaks II have a tricky trip to mid-table Totnes on Saturday.
Totnes have really improved after a few tough seasons and currently sit in sixth place with four wins out of nine.
Oaks II have yet to win away yet this term, but they will be hoping to travel strong to Borough Park.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II are due to host St Agnes on Saturday. The Saints have only lost one game so far this season.