Cornish Pirates

Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates

Website match preview http://www.cornish-pirates.com/match_previews_09-10/bedford_away_30-01-10.htm

Westren Morning News view www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk

Birmingham & Solihull v Doncaster Knights

The Bees embark on their first match in three days against Doncaster Knights tomorrow and make a welcome return to Sharmans Cross Road for the first time in over a month.

Bad weather forced the postponement of several fixtures but the Bees have regrouped and have started to gain momentum for the play-offs after recent improvements on the field.

However one player missing from their line-up for the visit of the Yorkshire side is former Pirates flanker Chris Cracknell who has returned to Worcester Warriors.

The 25 year-old goes into the Warriors side to face Gloucester tomorrow and told the BBC, “I had a couple of games with the Bees and it's been an enjoyable two weeks just playing rugby. Getting some match fitness and used to the bumps you get in the game.”

Story http://news.bbc.co.uk

Bees squad news http://www.beesrugby.com

Lynn Howells has challenged the Knights to win four out of their last six matches as they continue to fight for a place in the top eight.

The director of rugby told the Doncaster Free Press,

"We've still got Birmingham, Rotherham, Coventry and Plymouth Albion to play and they will be four very important games. Anything we get against Bristol and Bedford will be a bonus.”

"But it's now vital we beat the sides in and around us in the table. There's still a long way to go and we're still very upbeat about finishing in the promotion play-off spots.
"Four wins from the last six and we should be fine."

Howells added,

“We need to start getting in front in matches because it does have a big affect on the way the game is played. The game has changed so much and once teams get in front the onus is on defence and forcing turnovers.”

"The Nottingham game was disappointing because we were by far the better team. But London Welsh were better than us on the day. We've just got to take that on the chin and learn from it.”

Story www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Exeter Chiefs v Nottingham

Recent signing from Edinburgh Steve Jones will make his debut in the Number 15 shirt for Exeter Chiefs at home to Nottingham tomorrow.

The 27 year-old has been given his chance just two weeks after moving to Sandy Park as Sean Marsden misses out for the Chiefs.

Jones played in an Exeter XV against Wales Under-20 last week but told the Express & Echo that he is raring to go.

He said, “Now I've had two weeks of full training, I've learned the moves and I've had an 80-minute hit-out. I feel like I'm up to speed now and can take that into the game and hopefully I'll put in a good performance. Our eyes are on the play-offs but we've got to focus first of all on Nottingham."

www.thisisexeter.co.uk/rugby

And www.exeterchiefs.co.uk

Glenn Delaney knows he faces a tough task at Sandy Park as he pushes his squad through nine matches in just over a month.

He told the Evening Post, “We will make changes from the game against Plymouth, but we are learning that the squad is perhaps deeper than we thought.”

"All the players will get a chance because of the number of games we are having in such a short space of time. It's a big ask – quite ridiculous really – but that's the situation we are in."

The Green ands Whites are likely to select Grieg Tonks at fly-half after Tim Taylor`s move to Gloucester and Delaney added, “We will be rotating our squad but we will go into each game with our strongest possible side and with the belief we can win.

I am aiming to have my top team fit and healthy and all geared up for the play-offs.

I think we are pretty much on course to be there at the end of the season."

www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

London Welsh v Coventry

The Exiles welcome back Paul Sampson at full-back for the visit of Coventry along with flanker Michael Hills.

Danny Wilson also hands debuts to loanees Charlie Gower, a centre from London Irish, and Ospreys scrum-half Liam Davies.

Team www.london-welsh.co.uk/r

Meanwhile the off-field problems at Old Deer Park rumble on ww.telegraph.co.uk/sport/

Coventry are yet to announce their team for the trip to the capital but new head coach Dave Addleton has told the Coventry Telegraph that failure to stay in the Championship is “not an option”.

He said, “We have to make sure we stay in the Championship – it’s as simple as that, we can’t think about anything else. Phil Maynard felt we needed some direction and I was happy to be asked to do the job.

It is going to be tough in the play-offs and we have to make sure we put in the hard work that is needed to get there in the right shape, but it’s a challenge I am relishing. Everyone knows how I feel about this club and I will do everything I can to make it work.”

Story www.coventrytelegraph.net

Rotherham Titans v Moseley

Craig West`s Titans side are looking to build on their spirited fight back in Cornwall against the Pirates last weekend as they prepare to do battle with fellow relegation candidates Moseley.

The Titans went down 29-24 at Camborne against the Pirates but salvaged two losing bonus points after trailing at one stage 22-0. However the Yorkshiremen were guilty of squandering a comfortable lead in the reverse fixture against Moseley during November finally losing 31-27.

Home form will be crucial to Rotherham who only have one remaining Championship fixture to play at Clifton Lane when Coventry visit on February 20^th.

However Moseley, who sit one place above the dreaded bottom four, still have to play Bedford, Exeter and Bristol in their regular season run-in.

Bristol v Plymouth Albion

Plymouth Albion travel to the Memorial Ground with renewed confidence after a solid performance in defeat at Nottingham a week ago but with tough fixtures to come Graham Dawe needs something from his trip up the M5.

Albion still have to face London Welsh at home next weekend and after a break for the British and Irish Cup conclude their Championship programme at Doncaster on March 13^th – a potential winner-takes all scenario.

Dawe told The Herald,

“I would be disappointed if we don't go there and try and get the four points. If things are different in the closing stages of the game and we aren't in a position to win the match, we may need to reassess and refocus. But we are going to Bristol to try and get a win."

He added, “Our aim is to control the ball and field position and to work their defence.

We want to put their players under pressure whether that comes from the back of the scrum, with them having to catch high kicks, or at set-pieces."

Story www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

Team news www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk

Bristol will be without lock Roy Winters who is getting married this weekend and injured Number 8 Dan Motntagu.

However out-of-contract flanker Ian Grieve has given the club a boost by telling the Evening Post that he wants to stay with Bristol and play in the Premiership next season.

He said, “I've come through the Academy here and Bristol is the place that I love to be at. In a sense, my main goal this season is to try to get Bristol into the Premiership – and that's pretty much what everyone else's goal is.”

"If I could do that, it would be a massive boost for me. I'm one of those who are out of contract – but hopefully, with things going the way they are . . . we'll see what happens.”

"We moved to Bristol when I was turning 15, so I've pretty much been with the club since then and I've loved just about every minute of it."

Story and team news www.thisisbristol.co.uk