DEVONPORT Services are set to hand league debuts to former Saltash hooker Rob Walsh and young centre Elliott Pocknell as they visit Chew Valley hoping to bounce back from last week’s narrow defeat to Brixham.
There could also be a first league appearance for another ex-Saltash player, Freddy Dover, who is set to be named among the replacements, while back Charlie Over will make just his second Regional One South West appearance.
Services do have to make some changes as they are without Shaun Crawford, Kyle Felton, Billy Orchard, Harrison Coonick, Dan Lilley and Fin White.
But they are able to welcome back key prop Oli Symons and fly-half Sam Brown for the trip to Somerset, while Billy Sutton is also set to be promoted from the second team to offer scrum-half cover from the bench.
And head coach Ben Russell feels some of the players coming in deserve their chance after impressing for the second team and in training.
“We have promoted Rob Walsh as we need to win some line-outs and his throwing is good,” said Russell. “He’s good around the park and in the set-piece.
“Freddie Dover is set to come on to the bench for the ones. He’s been playing really well for the twos
“And Elliott Pocknell is going to get his chance to start at 12.
“He’s a second-year colt who has been training really, really well. He was on the bench for the twos last week. He talks loads for his age and he understands how we want to play.
“Charlie Over is set to start at 13 and he will give us a bit of pace that we were missing last week.”
Second-placed Services are keen to bounce back from their 10-9 home defeat to Brixham last weekend – a game they were leading until the 74th minute and then still had two kicks to win the match.
Russell felt his team should have won, but he does want them to increase their work-rate against a Chew Valley side that are good at home on their narrow pitch and are known for a strong set piece.
Services did beat them 46-21 at home in early October, but Chew were missing a host of regular first team players.
The Somerset club have lost their last two matches, but they did narrowly beat Services 12-11 when the sides last met at Chew Lane back in October 2023.
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE could move into the top three in Regional Two South West this weekend, if they can beat second-placed Tiverton at Cross-in-Hand.
The fifth-placed Bridgers sit just two points behind Tiverton in a tight table, where just five points separate second from seventh.
Ivybridge are still unbeaten at home and they go into Saturday’s game boosted by claiming their first away win in 15 months by beating Okehampton 26-21 at the Showground last weekend.
They will also have their eye on revenge this Saturday after narrowly losing 27-23 to a late score away at Tiverton back in October.
“It was a really good game at their place,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson. “It was quite early on in the season and our lads, particularly the young ones, were still getting to grips with senior rugby.
“But now they have quite a few games under their belts.”
Atkinson feels many of his players will remember the frustration of losing late on Coronation Field and will be keen to prove a point on Saturday.
The Bridgers are boosted by fly-half Harry Newman-Wild and Jack Guyver making themselves available this weekend before going off travelling.
“We have got pretty much the same side as last weekend,” said Atkinson. “But we have got Tom Scoles back which is nice as he’s a really good player.
“Will Johnson is back on the bench. He took a little knock a couple of weeks ago.”
The play-off positions, introduced this year, are definitely up for grabs for any of the current top seven in the division, with Weston-super-Mare appearing unstoppable for the one automatic promotion place.
“I think it is going to be a really exciting finish to the season,” said Atkinson.
“There is like a group of five or six of us.
“But we are looking for another home win.”
He added:” We’ve got some lads who are going travelling and so we’ll just see how we get on.
“But it’s nice really as we don’t really have any expectations as we have had all these young lads come through and we just want them all to enjoy their rugby.”
Atkinson admitted the team really enjoyed last week’s long-awaited away win.
“Massively,” he said. “I think the lads had a really good Saturday night, but it is all forgotten about now as we have another job to do.
“However, training on Tuesday was lovely and I don’t think I had to raise my voice once.”
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks will be aiming to move out of the bottom three this weekend when they make the trip to fifth-placed Redruth II.
Oaks have won their last two matches, and, although they have not yet moved from 10th spot, they are now only two points behind sixth-placed Truro and only six points behind their opponents this weekend.
They are probably playing Redruth II at a good time as the Cornish club are on a three-game losing run and were beaten 73-33 away at Paignton II last Saturday.
However, all those games have been away, whereas at home the Reds second team are a different beast and they have yet to lose at the Recreation Ground this season.
Saturday’s match does clash with Redruth’s first team’s National League fixture against Syston.
The Cornish club did ask Oaks if they would play on Friday or Saturday night but Plymstock did not want to make the long trip on an evening.
Instead, the game will be played on Redruth’s top pitch at the same time as the National League fixture.
“Redruth II have tried to change the fixture four times in the politest of ways as they have a first team game at home,” said Oaks coach Mike Lewis.
“I’m sure it was just about logistics, but if we change the timings or the day, then we are likely to lose three or four players.
“We have said we are happy to play on the back second team pitch. We are not worried about being centre of attention. We just want to go down and play rugby.”
In the same division, second-from-bottom Saltash will be desperately hoping to make home advantage tell when they host in-form third-placed side Kingsbridge at Moorlands Lane.
Kingsbridge, under former Tavistock coach Joel Caddy, are on a five-game winning run, but Saltash will take some confidence from pushing them hard at High House back in October.
In a tight match, Saltash were narrowly beaten 27-22.
Saltash, whose last league win over Kingsbridge came in 2018, have been hit with injuries in the last few weeks and they have lost hooker Rob Walsh to Devonport Services, but they are set to welcome back captain James Moriarty this weekend.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
TAVISTOCK could hand a debut to Royal Marine Michael Chapman when they make the trip to Exmouth to take on eighth-placed Withycombe.
Chapman has been named on the bench for Tenth-placed Tavistock who are boosted by the return of forwards Hammy Kerswill, Tylo Coupland and Vaughan Glover, while James Lamb also returns in the backline.
Tavistock got 2026 off to a good start by beating an understrength Dartmouth side 73-5 last weekend, but they do have Ivybridge II breathing down their necks.
“We know how tough a challenge Withycombe will be at home,” said Tavistock head coach Leigh Puttock. “But we are very much looking forward to the contest.”
He added: “We had a good session on Tuesday, working on a few key areas we felt needed attention.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend Thursday’s session after a challenging week with my health, but I was absolutely delighted to hear that the lads took it upon themselves to get together and hit the streets for a run.
“That kind of initiative really pleases me and reinforces what we already know – this group is committed, driven and always looking to put the work in.
“Travelling away, especially somewhere as far as Withycombe, always brings selection challenges, but I must say I’m really happy with the squad we’re putting out.”
Second-from-bottom Ivybridge II are just four points behind Tavistock and have won their last two matches.
However, they have a tough trip this weekend when they visit second-placed Bideford, who beat them 58-12 at Cross-in-Hand at the start of October
“Bideford have come down from the league above,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson. And when we played them at home, I think we had just a bare 15. It wasn’t really a true reflection of us, certainly to where we are now.
“We’ll take it to them this week. It is not really one we are targeting, but I have so much confidence in the lads. I have watched the last couple of games back and I have been really, really impressed with them.”
At the other end of the table, Devonport Services II will have a much-changed side for their home game against a Honiton side who are on a five-game winning streak.
Services II opened up a 10-point lead at the top of the table last weekend by beating Exeter Saracens 59-27 away.
But Toby Moss and Sam Fincham are unavailable this weekend, while Billy Sutton, Charlie Over, Elliott Pocknell and Rob Walsh have been promoted to the first team.
Services II will be hoping that they can continue their unbeaten home record this season despite all the changes they will be making.
Honiton are the only team to beat them this season when they won 34-31 at Allhallows on October 4.
Seventh-placed OPMs are another team looking for some revenge this weekend when they visit sixth-placed South Molton.
South Molton are the only team to have beaten OPMs at King George V Playing Fields this season when they narrowly sneaked a 17-15 win in October.
“We have only lost one game at home and that was against South Molton, who we have got this week” said OPMs head coach James Digweed.
“Is not the greatest pitch up there, but we look forward to the game.
“I think we have finished eighth and then seventh, so we are still on for that sixth place, which is our aim.”
COUNTIES THREE
PLYMOUTH Argaum will be aiming to upset unbeaten league leaders Brixham II at Bickleigh Down on Saturday in Devon South & West.
Brixham II are running away with the league and sit 15 points ahead of anyone else.
But Argaum sit in third place and really want to show they are better than when they played Brixham II away earlier in the season and lost 48-7.
“We absolutely want to try and win,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery. “And obviously, I have a lot of history with Brixham.
“They stuffed us quite heavily up at their place, but we know when we have good availability we can beat anyone.”
He added: “I think most clubs want them (Brixham II) out of this league as they are the strongest team.
“But we want to try and get something out of the game as we want to be finishing in the top three.”
Old Techs also have their eyes on the top three now after winning their last three matches.
They currently sit in fourth place, just three points behind third-placed Argaum.
This weekend they make the short trip to Horsham Fields for a tricky match against Plymstock Oaks II.
Oaks II have only got three wins to their name so far this term, but they did push Techs hard early in the season before losing 39-26.
“They certainly gave us a game at our place,” said Old Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith. “They really ran us close.
“But we’ll probably have a different team out and they will also.”
He added: “We are playing some good rugby at the moment. We have beaten some good sides and we want to keep that going.
“We’ve beaten Argaum and Torquay, but you have to play like that every week as you only have to lose two or three games and you can be well down the table.
“There is a nice feeling around the club at the moment. Even last Thursday when there was a weather warning out we still had 18 or 19 players at training. I could hardly believe it, but it just shows the lads are enjoying it.
“We are having to make at least four or five changes every week but we have got a bit of strength in the squad now so it is not affecting us too much.”
Techs should be able to welcome back Josh O’Hare, Ollie Davey and James Smith-Jones this weekend, while Sion Norville could also be back after a lengthy spell out.
Second-from-bottom Plympton Victoria have another tough fixture when they host Torquay Athletic II at St Mary’s Field.
“Every game is a hard game for us,” laugh Plym Vic Chris Hunt.
Torquay did beat Plym Vic 57-13 away early in the season, but the Plymouth Combination side will be keen to show that they have improved since then.
Tamar Saracens are without a match this weekend in that division, while in Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II are due to visit Camborne School of Mines.