Western Counties West rugby: Match previews

WESTERN COUNTIES WEST

TAVISTOCK will go on the attack against high-flying Teignmouth tomorrow when the two sides meet at Sandy Park (3pm).

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   CLEAN SLATE: Devonport Services will want to bounce back from their mauling by Ivybridge against Wellington

   
   

The Sandy Park side need to bounce back from a 46-0 demolition job inflicted on them by leaders Burnham-on-Sea last weekend.

Tavistock were without some influential players, including fly-half Richard West, but team boss Mike Lewis reckoned he would have a side out tomorrow capable of making the visitors sweat.

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Head coach Lewis said: “Whoever we’re playing, we always try to go out to win every game.

“Last week, we were on the back foot with players not wanting the ball. At times, it looked like we hadn’t trained, let alone played rugby.

“I hope the players recognise that and realise we’re not going to be on the back foot against Teignmouth.

“I don’t know how well Teignmouth are travelling this season, but Tavistock is a place nobody enjoys coming to.

“We’ll have a good crowd up there and I don’t see why we can’t push Teignmouth close.”

DEVONPORT Services are also trying to wipe the slate clean tomorrow when they face Wellington in Somerset.

Services are looking to bounce back from an uncharacteristic defeat against Ivybridge last week which saw them lose an astonishing 51-26 against their local rivals.

The Bridgers, who have a free league weekend, moved up to third place as a result of their win – just a point shy of second-placed Teignmouth.

Services, however, who finished third in the table last season, never really got going against their far more motivated visitors.

That is not the sort of performance expected from Services in a local derby and the club’s first-team management are keen to put the game behind them.

First team manager Kieran Leach accepted that Services face a difficult task at Wellington, who have won two, drawn one and lost one in their opening four matches.

But he said: “Having lost twice to them last season, we will be looking to get back to winning ways.

“Our defence, which is usually a rock, was breached several times by Ivybridge and we will be aiming to improve that.”

Services are forced into three changes, two of them in the front-row, for tomorrow’s game.

Pete Farrow is unavailable and Declan Sexton is injured.

Ollie Dugmore and Ignatius Oberholzer have made themselves available this week.

Full-back Connor Wallace-Sims is unavailable so Ryan Morris makes his first appearance for over a year after impressive performances for the second team.

Services: Ryan Morris, Ben Mcgowan,Manoa Tikoisava, Scott Williams, Matthew Morrison, Charles Attis, Mike Lane, Ollie Dugmore, Phil Wilson, Ignatius Oberholzer, Jack Martin, John Mellor, Richard Young, Elliott Worrall, Joe Page, Ed Northcott, Matt Gregory, Callum Perkin

CORNWALL-DEVON

SALTASH can jump a place in the Cornwall-Devon League at Moorlands Lane tomorrow (3pm).

The sixth-placed side are a point below Honiton, who have slipped after a decent start to the season.

The Ashes also started well, until they came up against Exeter University and a heavy defeat two weeks ago.

Last week, Saltash lost at Withycombe 22-10.

Head coach Nick Skinnard said they were looking for a win at home, although he conceded Honiton would provide a stern test.

He said: “It will be an interesting and tough fixture. They (Honiton) started well, like us, then they were defeated at home by Exeter University, although they seem to have done better than we did.”

Skinnard said the Ashes, who were finalising their team last night, would not be at full strength.

He said: “We perhaps will not have as quite a strong side this week, as we’ve got injuries in the second row and the backs.

“If we win the game, we will be looking in reasonable shape – if we don’t, we’ll be looking at the lower end of the table.”

Ashes’ rivals OPMs have a week off from Cornwall-Devon action. Their next game is away at third-placed Crediton on October 12.

Article source: http://caledonianmercury.com/2013/09/30/rugby-a-tale-of-two-cities/0042008

Western Counties West rugby: Match previews