DEVONPORT Services make their longest trip of the season as they travel to Cheshire to take on Lymm in National Two West on Saturday.
Services are still looking for their first win since their promotion after losing heavily to Taunton away and Redruth at home.
Devonport did pick up a try-scoring bonus point against Redruth and head coach Ben Russell is not too concerned yet about their start.
“I’m not worried at the moment,” he said. “The two teams we have played are both good sides.
“Taunton away first game was always going to be tough and they are going to be a top six or top four side.
“And looking at Redruth, I think they will be battling for the top four. They have recruited well and got some boys on loan from the Pirates.
“I think going to Lymm this week, they play kind of the same rugby as ourselves and try to move the ball.
“We just have to go up there and be better than we were the week before.
“We’ve just got to front up and be better.”
He added: “Looking at the stats, in the first half last week we attempted something like 92 tackles in the first half but only carried the ball 20 times. It just showed that we just didn’t have the ball.
“But in the second half, when we got the ball, we looked dangerous and scored tries. It was just those little errors and wrong choices in the second half that killed us.
“However, if you only play for 30 or 40 minutes per game in this league you do get pumped. If you play for 60 minutes, you come closer and get a losing bonus and score four tries but still probably don’t win. So, we know we need to play for longer as if we don’t it is going to be a long old season.”
Lymm currently sit in fifth spot with one win and one defeat to their name.
They beat Loughborough Students 50-27 at home on the opening day before losing 43-38 at Bournville last Saturday.
Despite a trip of 275 miles, Services are going to make the trip on the day. They will be leaving Plymouth at 6.30am.
“Two years ago, when we played Hinkley and Macclesfield we stayed over the night before, but the feedback was that the boys like sleeping in their own beds.
“I do get it, and as pretty much everyone in the team are grafters and work, they are used to getting up early. So, we are going to travel up on the day. It’s a 3pm kick-off so we have loads of time to get up there.
“But, although I and a few others will be coming back on the day, the rest are going to be staying in a hotel in Liverpool and having a night out as a social.”
Russell admits it is about trying different things for a club not used to making long trips.
Services are going to have to make a number of changes to their side that lost to Redruth.
Harrison Coonick, Henry Gliddon, Dan Lilley, Jake Bond and Ethan Hilland are all missing, but they do have the experienced Henry Clement back.
They are also set to hand first starts to Royal Marine backs Fergus Wood and Harry Pickett and forwards Shaun Crouch and Cal Arnold.
Yianni Costas and Billy Orchard are also set to return to the squad.
Meanwhile, other amateur teams in the area will be fine tuning their preparations for the new league seasons for teams below level four that start next weekend.
Regional Two South West side Ivybridge will host higher league Sidmouth at Cross-in-Hand (2.30pm), while Plymstock Oaks will take on Launceston II at Horsham Fields (2pm).
Tavistock, OPMs and Devonport Services II will play a three-way fixture at Sandy Park on Saturday.
Tavistock will open the fixture with a match against OPMs at 1.30pm, before the Old Boys then play Services II at 2.30pm and then Tavistock will take on Services II at 3.30pm.
Plymouth Argaum are due to play their first pre-season fixture when they host Liskeard-Looe at Bickleigh Down (3pm), while Saltash are due to visit Bude (3pm).