Clubs looking to bounce back

Published 2 Dec 2009 16:00 0 Comments

RUGBY PREVIEWS

ABBEY

ABBEY make the journey to rock-bottom Wootton Bassett in South West One East unfazed by last week's upset when they lost to Trowbridge by two points.

Steve Willis and Tom Bryson both return to the pack to add valuable experience and skill, as the Rosehill side look to win more ball.

Elsewhere Owen Rees returns to the centre alongside Tom Waterhouse, as Tom Burns is out of the country.

Skipper Waterhouse says his side remain focused on the task and believes there's time to put things right and secure a comfortable mid-table finish.

He said: 'They were big old boys last week, but we can work on technique to reduce that weight difference and I'm sure the boys up front will give us more this week."

Wootton Bassett have yet to win a match this season, shipping more than 40 points a game on average.

Abbey will really need to take the two points if they are serious about avoiding the drop. And if Bletchley go down to third-placed Oakmeadians, the Emmer Green-based side could be out of the relegation zone by Saturday afternoon.

READING

READING travel to the Hayfields to play Bristol club Cleve on Saturday looking for some confidence after losing five of their last six matches In National Three South West.

Cleve, too, have been inconsistent, having lost five of their last six matches, but they have still won six out of 12 to put them in seventh place, three spots ahead of Reading.

The Green Machine will need to break something of a hoodoo if they are to win as they have lost all four league encounters with Cleve to date.

GENSIANS

INJURY-hit Redingensians make a late choice for the short trip to third-placed Oxford Harlequins in National Three South West.

Fly-half and top points scorers Spike Chandler is definitely out with an abdominal injury and could be missing until well into the New Year.

Second row man Ollie Randall (calf) also sustained an injury in the Old Patesians defeat last Saturday and is very doubtful.

Sid Matthews, switched to fly-half during that match, is set to continue in the No 10 shirt, while Sam Hallett could take over from Randall.

Hallett made a comeback after a five week suspension in the Gensian Tigers' 43-0 defeat of Barnes in the Canterbury Shield Division Two clash on Saturday.

The other concern is hooker Nick Dewland (rib) - a third Gensians player to suffer injury against Patesians.

Coach Alun Rise, looking back to the 19-15 defeat by Old Pats, said: "I considered that to be our best game of the season.

"But we can't expect to win if we present them with all 19 points. Our key words have to be discipline, composure and accuracy."

Victory at Oxford would enable Gensians to leapfrog Harlequins into third place, but they face a stern task against a side on a seven match unbeaten run.

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