Plymouth Albion player-coach Graham Dawe has
warned his side to prepare for battle ahead of Monday's Easter showdown with the
Cornish Pirates at Kenwyn (3pm).
Having faced each other twice
this season, both sides claiming a victory apiece, Monday's third instalment will
not only serve as a potential seasonal decider between the two clubs, but will
go some way to ultimately deciding who claims a top three finish in National League
One.
Back
in November Albion landed the first telling blow of their seasonal duel when they
inflicted a 36-20 defeat on the visiting Cornishmen in the Powergen Trophy. However,
a month later and it was the Pirates who sailed out of the Brickfields with the
four-point treasure in the league, this time courtesy of a narrow 26-23 success.
It is little wonder that both camps admit they are relishing the
chance of tackling their Tamarside rivals for a third time.
"As in
all derby games, they are a long time coming and when they arrive they are over
very quickly so we need to be spot-on," warned Dawe. "It should be a good game
of rugby. We are looking forward to Monday. They
are a team that we have
to respect and they are a team that are highly likely to finish third, so they
deserve that respect."
With Harlequins already confirmed as National
One champions, some observers may feel there is little to play for as the season
enters its final straight. However, try telling that to these respective camps
come Monday afternoon.
Local pride and bragging rights for
another year - not only among the supporters, but the players alike - will ensure
Monday's clash should be a mouth-watering encounter for rugby enthusiasts of all
kinds.
Like Dawe, Pirates coach Jim McKay cannot wait to get stuck
into the heat of battle. Having seen his side record a hard-fought win at Otley
a fortnight ago, the affable Australian is keen for his team to reproduce
the
goods again against Albion.
That won't be easy, particularly as Albion
themselves will be brimming with confidence following their five-try, 31-10 win
over London Welsh.
"It's going to be a really tough game," said McKay.
"Plymouth, along with Exeter, have been one of the dominant sides in National
One for several seasons now. In some respects we are the new kids on the block
and we are still trying to establish ourselves as one of the top sides.
"We have full respect for Dawesy and his team. They have some very good
rugby players and can really cause you problems."
With both sides
waiting until nearer kick-off to confirm their starting line-ups, team news from
both camps has become somewhat sketchy.
For the Pirates, former Albion
players Tom Barlow and Nick Adams both return to their squad following niggly
injuries, while the Devon visitors will assess the fitness of Samoan powerhouse
Alfie Tooala over the
next 24 hours.
Chris Lowrie, Brett Luxton
or Tom Hayes are all options available to Dawe, who has called on the Albion support
to turn out in force in a bid to quell
the home faithful.
"There
will be a fair exodus from Plymouth and East Cornwall going to watch the match
to support Plymouth Albion," he said. "There should be a great atmosphere, but
we have got to give our supporters something to cheer about. Monday will be a
great challenge for our club and one we're very much looking forward to."
Pirates (from): M Jess; R Welding, D Roke, W Kelly, K James; L Jarvis, T
Barlow, G Cattle (capt), A Paver, N Makin, V Ma'asi, D Seal, N Adams, D Parkes,
H Senekal, J Beardshaw; J Bearman, S Betty, A Nicholls 40, M
Evans, T Cowley,
N Chivers, S Peters, S Hockings.
Albion (from): L Arscott, E Lewsey,
J Fabian, N Sestaret, N Saumi, R van Eyk, K Fisilau, E Barnes, N Cane, M Albina,
M Rice, S Friswell, G Dawe, S Pearl, R Hopkins, A Livesey, B Luxton, T Hayes,
N Rouse, M
Lewis, M Schusterman, D Thomas, C Lowrie, A Tooala.
