DEVONPORT Services will secure the Regional One South West title and a return to National League rugby if they beat Marlborough in their final home game of the season on Saturday (3pm).
Services know any type of a win over the team sitting second from bottom will be enough to lift the level five crown for a second time in three years ahead of Topsham, who have been handed a walkover this weekend by Matson.
“We definitely know what we have to do as Matson have pulled out of playing Topsham, who are now one point behind us now that they have already got their five-point win,” said Services head coach Ben Russell.
“But we knew Topsham were probably going to win anyway.
“We have always known what we had to do.
“We would just like to wrap it up this weekend. It would be good to do it at home as we didn’t get to do it there last time.
“It would be lovely if we could get a decent crowd and, hopefully, they can see us win the league.”
Russell admits it would mean a lot if they could win the title and return to National Two West, where they spent last season before coming straight back down.
“As a squad of players we said at the start of the season that we wanted to go straight back up,” said Russell.
“We felt we didn’t give as good of an account of ourselves as we could have (in National Two West). We battled and got close in a load of games, but we only won four out of 26.
“Ever since we got relegated we have wanted to go back up to show that we can actually compete in that league and do better.
“I’m a competitive person and so are the lads and we all just want to win.
“It could be a really special year for the club as the ones could win their league, the twos could win theirs, the women are still in the mix and could potentially win their league and the colts have Exeter Athletics this weekend in the Devon Shield final. For us as a club that is brilliant.
“It has just been a real squad effort.
“We have used 81 players so far this year in the ones and twos and of those we have a lot of young lads that have come into both teams and performed really well.”
Two of those young players – Ben Whysall and Nathan Todd – are set to make their first starts against Marlborough on Saturday after coming off the bench against Launceston last weekend, while Henry Gascoyne could make his first team debut after been named among the replacements.
James Hocking will be missing as he has injured his knee, while Richard West is set to drop to the bench as he is away until Saturday morning and will be making a mad dash back from London on the day.
Services’ seconds, who sit top of Counties Two Devon, are also at home on Saturday when they host South Molton (1.30pm).
However, there will be no vehicle access to the Rectory or surrounding streets this weekend due to works by Wales and West Utilities, but there will be parking at Stonehouse Creek.
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE will end their home league campaign on Saturday when they host bottom side Wellington at Cross-in-Hand.
The Bridgers will be expected to pick up a full five points against their winless Somerset opponents.
If they do and other results go there way, then they could still sneak into a play-off spot as they will end their campaign away at Winscombe, who are currently two places and four points above them in the final play-off spot. Fellow play-off rivals Crediton will end their season with a match against unbeaten Weston-super-Mare.
“It is really on how other results go now really,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson.
“I think we can still possibly sneak in, but it does depend on a couple of other results.
“If results go our way then it could come down to the Winscombe game.
“But last week (against Wadebridge) was a bit of a shame. We had hoped to get a little bit more out of the game, but we just didn’t really execute. But we are always positive.”
Seventh-placed Ivybridge only played Wellington two weeks ago, beating them 54-20 away.
“We have gone up there and have seen what they are about,” said Atkinson. “They had a couple of good backs, but they have had a lot of lads retire.
“Hopefully, we can put some points on them, but you never know. It is always hard, but we are looking forward to Saturday.”
Ivybridge will be without prop Matt Finn, who has injured his elbow, while fellow prop Will Johnson could be making his final appearance for the club on Saturday.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks will be looking to cause an upset on Saturday when they travel to Western West leaders Wiveliscombe.
Oaks boosted their hopes of staying up by narrowly beating Kingsbridge 16-12 last weekend.
That victory moved them seven points clear of Penryn and Saltash who fill the bottom two places, but, on paper, Oaks do have the tougher remaining fixtures.
Plymstock know every point could be crucial and they would love to return with a win from Somerset.
When they played Wiveliscombe at Horsham Fields earlier in the season they were narrowly beaten 20-19.
“When we played them at home, we only lost by a point and we had a kick right at the end to win it,” said coach Mike Lewis.
“I feel on the back of last week, we should be pretty confident as we played such good rugby against a well-drilled side.
“I know it is away game this week, but I wouldn’t put it past us to cause an upset. It is something we should be striving for anyway.
“The pressure is on them as well as they have to keep winning to stay at the top of the table.
“We have to try and stay above the pack below us, and they have to try and stay above the pack below them. So, we are both in the same boat really, but just at different ends of the spectrum.
“I think we are dead keen to have a go at them.
“This league is probably the most entertaining. Torquay have won a couple of games and have gone miles away from it (the bottom) and that’s what we have to try and do.
“We just need to keep chipping away. If we go away and get a point or two it is going to matter.
“We need every point we can get to the end of the season, but a win would be even better.”
Saltash will also be targeting points as they host Redruth II at Moorlands Lane.
It will be one of three home games for Saltash in their remaining four fixtures, with relegation rivals Penryn and Newton Abbot also set to visit Moorlands Lane.
The Ashes know they have to try and make that home advantage tell.
They have enjoyed some close games with fifth-placed Redruth II, who just edged them out for the Counties Two Cornwall title in 2023-24.
Redruth II are known for their good home form and six of their nine wins have come on their own turf.
The Ashes will be hoping to have a few players back who missed last week’s trip to Barnstaple II.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
OPMs finally returned to winning ways on Wednesday when they beat lower league Totnes 45-25 in the semi-finals of the Devon Junior Bowl at Horsham Fields.
That victory ended a run of five league and cup defeats that has seen the Old Boys dragged into the Counties Two Devon relegation battle.
Will Varley, Kal Malone, Pete Regan, Jack Mitchell, Phrankie McNulty and Chris Carpenter scored their tries against Totnes.
Head coach James Digweed is now hoping his team can use the win to boost their struggling league form. They will visit Withycombe on Saturday.
“I was very happy for the boys as they needed that win after three or four tough weeks,” said Digweed.
“In the first half we weren’t as clinical as we should have been, but second half we really stepped it up.
“We are now in the final against New Cross, but unfortunately it is on the Easter weekend. We’d had that weekend booked off for ages, so I had to tell the boys the bad news.
“But it’s good to in be a cup final. We won it last year and hopefully we can do the same.
“We have a job to do against Withycombe now. We have got four games left in the league and ideally we want to get 10 or 12 points from them and hopefully we’ll be safe.”
Tenth-placed Tavistock sit just one point and one place behind OPMs. They have a massive home match on Saturday when they host Crediton II at Moorlands Lane.
Tavistock could overtake Crediton II if they could beat them on Saturday and move further clear of the bottom two placings.
The Sandy Park side are keen to put on a show at home after their mini winning run was ended by Topsham II last Saturday.
“It’s been an interesting week following our defeat to high-flying Topsham II. There’s a real sense of disappointment in the camp, with the feeling that had we put our best foot forward, we could have taken something from that game.
“Looking back at the away fixture against Crediton, it was a similar story – a game we felt was there to be won but ultimately slipped away from us.”
He added: “This week, it’s about rediscovering our enjoyment in defence, while bringing structure and patience to our attack.
“If we get that right, we’ve got a team more than capable of getting the job done.
“And with the club hosting a former players’ lunch before kick-off, we’re hoping for a big crowd and plenty of noise to drive the lads on. That energy could make all the difference as we push to secure a vital ‘W’.
Tavistock will be without scrum-half Oscar Slater and fly-half Freddie Fuller, who will be supporting from the sidelines ahead of Monday’s varsity match. Liam Watts is also missing after taking a knock last weekend.
But Tavistock are boosted by the return of front-rowers Hammy Kerswill and Harry Ball and backs Charlie Bowden and Jack Easton, who Puttock describes as ‘two top-quality clubmen’.
There will also be first starts Rory Cox and Maxwell Haddy, who have impressed in training and from the bench.
With Fuller missing, Richard Cann will take over the captaincy.
Ivybridge II have not given up hope of producing a great escape.
They currently sit second-from-bottom are eight points behind 10th-placed Tavistock with just four games to go.
This weekend, they probably have their toughest remaining fixture when they travel to second-placed Honiton.
But the Bridgers did push Honiton all the way at Cross-in-Hand before narrowly losing 38-37 in December.
“Hopefully we can get something out of the game this weekend,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson.
“We just lost to them at home. I think they scored in the last minute.
“It should be a good game on Saturday. The boys are looking forward to it after the win last week (against Exeter Saracens).
At the other end of the table, Devonport Services II will be looking to move a step closer to securing the league title when they host South Molton at home (1.30pm).
Services II could have virtually wrapped the title up last weekend had they not lost 43-38 away at Bideford.
“We lost last week but we shouldn’t have done,” said head coach Ben Russell. “However, we just made too many errors, but we are still nine points clear.”
But Services II know that all their remaining four fixtures are all at home.
After entertaining South Molton this weekend, they will then play Withycombe, Dartmouth and Tavistock at home.
Two wins from their remaining four games will be enough to lift the title and secure promotion to Western West.
COUNTIES THREE DEVON SOUTH & WEST
PLYMOUTH Argaum will be looking to do the double over second-placed Paignton II when they make the trip to Queen’s Park on Saturday.
Fourth-placed Argaum beat Paignton II 19-10 at Bickleigh Down in December and they would love to overcome them again this weekend to close the gap on third-placed Old Techs, who are without a match this Saturday.
“It has been frustrating with availability for away games, but hopefully we have good availability for this one,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“I think we beat them (Paignton II) at home and we just want to try and finish as high as we can.”
There is another derby match in the division with Tamar Saracens hosting Plympton Victoria at the Parkway.
Sarries will be looking to bounce back after their loss to Old Techs last weekend.
“Hopefully, we will have good availability,” said Tamar Saracens captain Adam Corbett, who is again likely to be missing with a bicep injury.
Plym Vic have moved off the bottom in recent weeks after beating Oaks II and picking up a bonus point last weekend against Totnes.
They know it will be tough against a Sarries side, who have beaten the likes of Techs and Argaum this term.
“Every game is a hard game for us,” said Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt. “Every team seems to bust a gut to get a team to play us. They are all tough and all challenges.”
Plym Vic players John-Paul Browning and Oli Pile both represented the Devon Deaf squad on Wednesday night against a Cornwall Clubs’ XV at Wadebridge.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II are due to visit Camborne School of Mines.