Bristol v Coventry

Bristol go into the first Championship match to be televised by Sky Sports at the Memorial Stadium tonight knowing there can be no slip ups against the Midlanders.

Following last weekend’s surprise defeat in South Yorkshire against Doncaster Knights, Paul Hull’s team have now lost twice as they try to build the momentum which will propel them back to the Premiership at the first time of asking.

Fly-half Adrian Jarvis told the Evening Post that there would be no hiding places on the field tonight. The former Harlequins Number 10 said,

"We've got a point to prove – and there's no better opportunity than to do it on TV. We're very disappointed with the performance at Doncaster and there's a lot to put right."

He highlighted ball retention as a key failing in their game to date. Jarvis explained,

“We just seemed to turn the ball over so easily and let them score soft tries. If someone holds onto the ball for 20 phases and scores a try against you, you can at least say 'we defended 20 phases'. But we're turning it over and they're scoring within one or two phases, which is disappointing.”

Bristol will be without Argentina lock Mariano Sambucetti tonight as he has an ankle injury. Sambucetti has also been called up by his country for their autumn tour of the UK.

Full story and Bristol team.. www.thisisbristol.co.uk/bristolrugby

Phil Maynard will hand a debut to wing Simon Frewin who has recently been on loan at Stourbridge. Leicester Tigers have recalled Will Hurrell leaving Maynard with no option other than to hand the former Sandal player his debut.

Prop Dai Maddocks is also out with a knee injury prompting a front row re-shuffle.

Maynard told the Coventry Telegraph,

"Bristol are a dangerous side with a very effective kicker so our discipline will have to be spot on but we are going down to play a positive game.

“I’m pleased with the way we are trying to play rugby, and what we have to do now is concentrate on the small things which are starting to come right. We’re competitive and, with a new squad and a lot of youngsters, I think we have made a reasonable start. We will be going into the game with the right attitude and aiming to build on what we did against Plymouth.”

Full story and Cov team.. www.coventrytelegraph.net

Bedford Blues v Exeter Chiefs

In an attempt to increase their winning run to nine games the Chiefs have drafted Emyr Lewis, Chris Bentley, Chad Slade and James Scaysbrook back in to the side for the trip to Goldington Road.

Exeter face three tough weeks before emabarking on their British and Irish Cup campaign with Nottingham visiting Sandy Park next weekend followed by a tough trip to Camborne to face the Cornish Pirates.

Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter told the club website,

“These three games are very, very good for us. By design, we have tried to create a scenario for the players where they meet different challenges throughout the season. We know these games will test them. They have given us a focus for the last month.

“We know tomorrow is going to be a big challenge. Bedford are playing good rugby and the way they play at home makes it tough, but we have been waiting for a number of weeks for a challenge like this.

“I am not massively concerned about the points. We lose our way a bit when we over-focus as a team on results. If we knuckle down and concentrate on individual performance, we are a very good side. This is a high pressure game so we must go up there to perform well.”

Exeter team.. www.exeterchiefs.co.uk

The Cornish All Blacks have made a surprise move to sign Exeter back Josh Matavesi on a dual-registration deal.

Full story.. www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk

Fourth-placed Bedford Blues currently have seven first team players side-lined with injury and face the Chiefs after surrendering the lead at the death against Nottingham last time out.

The Blues conceded four tries including a killer score when they overthrew their own lineout five metres short of their line.

Player coach Nick Walshe told Rugby Times, “We seem to be getting on the wrong side of these close games but hopefully in time luck will go our way later in the season.”

Birmingham & Solihull v Moseley

Moseley head coach Ian Smith has warned his side no to become caught up in the emotion of tomorrow’s high octane Midlands derby at Sharmans Cross Road.

With the Bees having been granted another month to prove to the RFU that they are a financially viable concern, this match takes on added significance as a week ago it was not going to take place.

He told the Birmingham Mail,

“ Bees are used to it. They have been living with this for weeks. We have to be careful not to get drawn into what has been going on. We have to prepare as we would normally for what is going to be a difficult game.

“They are not unduly stressed by all the goings-on, and with what is happening this week they may be more positive so we have to be on top of our game.”

Full story.. www.birminghammail.net

Bees player coach Russell Earnshaw believes that his side can kick on from a torrid start to their Championship season despite going into the match on minus fourteen points after taking an RFU sanction this week.

He hopes to field former Cornish Pirates on-loan scrum-half Ben Jones as well as Worcester Warriors full-back Mike Penn to bolster his ranks.

Earnshaw told the Birmingham Mail,

“Once there is some stability then he will be looking to bring in players to strengthen the squad and picking up points ahead of what looks like a crucial run-in.

“We will be looking at targeting the last six matches of the season and we have the players here who can play in those sorts of matches. We are scoring tries but the defence is an issue we need to resolve.”

Full story www.birminghammail.net

London Welsh v Doncaster Knights

Welsh head coach Danny Wilson believes that his team are developing a hard-nosed approach to their game which will see them through in tight matches.

The Welsh were far from their best as they ground out a narrow 21-17 win at Moseley last Saturday but Wilson told the Richmond & Twickenham Times,

“It is really important for us as far as building character and confidence goes that we can play in these tight games and come away with a win.”

“Sometimes you really have to dog it out and that is not something the players are used to, but we are working on.”

Looking ahead to the visit of the resurgent Knights to Old Deer Park he added,

“It will be another physical game and they have hit a bit of form. They are definitely a side on the up and I think they will continue to improve - just hopefully not on Saturday.”

Full story.. www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk

After ending a winless start to the season with back to back wins against Plymouth Albion and Bristol, Doncaster Knights have been urged by Head Coach Lynn Howells to find some consistency.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to London Welsh he told the Doncaster Free Press,

“When we get a good result, like we did on Saturday, we need to follow that up with an even bigger performance and build on it.

"We beat Leeds last season and then lost to Coventry the following week. It's about keeping the standards up - and the players know that.

"London Welsh haven't lost at home and we've not won there while I've been in charge. But no-one gave us a chance against Bristol so you just never know."

Full story.. www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk

The Knights will field an A team in a friendly against Scottish side Gael Force at Castle Park on Monday night.

Gael Force have been drawn in the same British and Irish Cup group as the Cornish Pirates and Scotland National Academy manager Stephen Gemmell said,

“ Gael Force will be chosen from the ranks of our National Academy players and will be supplemented from players within our two pro-team squads, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors, who are not figuring in Magners League action during games in the British and Irish Cup.’’

Doncaster have also signed wing Matt Williams, 20, from Waterloo.

Plymouth Albion v Nottingham

The pressure is on at Brickfields where Plymouth Albion, without a win since October 3 rd, take on in-form Nottingham.

The Green and Whites are unbeaten since losing their opening match to the Cornish Pirates and last Sunday overcame Bedford Blues with an injury time converted try.

Albion will risk Tongan centre Sione Tu`ipulotu for the match despite on-going knee ligament problems although hooker James Owen and flanker Darren Clayton will definitely miss the match.

Rory-Watts-Jones comes in for Clayton whilst the inclusion of Tu`ipulotu means that Gary Kingdom drops to the bench.

Plymouth Albion team.. www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/albion

Albion chairman of rugby Graham Dawe was in a defiant mood ahead of the game. He told The Herald,

"Of course, we believe we can turn them over. We made too many errors and our penalty count was too high to win a game of rugby against a good team (Doncaster). So we have to aim a lot higher. Our ultimate aim is to win."

Full story.. www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/albion

Nottingham director of rugby Glen Delaney has had to shuffle his team due to an increasing injury list and is expected to include fit again Sam Raven in his XV against Albion.

Ian Nimmo (broken leg), Matt Parr (broken arm), Sam McDonald (rib cartilage) have now been joined in the sick bay by Luke Sherriff, who scored the fourth try against the Blues last weekend, after he injured his shoulder in the process.

Calum Green and Dan Hemingway have been recalled by Leicester Tigers ahead of the autumn internationals. Hooker Tom Youngs remains at Welford Road due to the injury to Joe Duffey.

However Delaney has been able to recall Ben Johnston, Andy Savage and Dave Jackson for the trip to Devon.

He told the Evening Post,

“They are all tough games now and when you are in second position like we are, the other clubs will be looking to knock us of our perch. We have to maintain our own standards and try to keep on improving."

Full story and Nottingham team… www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

Rotherham Titans v Cornish Pirates

Match preview on this site can be found here..

The Titans are bidding to end a three match losing streak of their own tomorrow at Clifton Lane in front of what they expect to be their biggest crowd of the season.

The departure of assistant coach John Stankevitch this week has increased the workload on head coach Craig West drastically. Forwards coach Colin Noon left in the summer and has not been replaced.

However Titans skipper Mike Whitehead called on his side to make home advantage count against the Pirates. He told the Sheffield Star,

“When we are on our own pitch, we find it easier to deal with the opposition's power, but we struggle away," he said

"It's very important tomorrow that we pick up four points, and we have the potential in our squad to be doing a lot better

"I think we have underachieved so far. The players Craig West has brought in have stepped up and done well. There are good players here and we have the ability to move up the table.”

Full story.. www.thestar.co.uk/rugbyunion

This Match Wil Be Live On Pirates TV