Plymouth: home at last

Posted on Jan 25, 2011 in Rugby News

Plymouth Albion play their first home match in this season’s British & Irish Cup tonight when they entertain Newport at Brickfields in Pool A (7.45pm).

The match should have been played in December, but Newport were unable to travel to Devon due to bad weather in south Wales.

Unfortunately, now neither Albion nor Newport can progress through to the quarter-finals of the competition.

However, Albion’s chairman of rugby Graham Dawe, whose team have faced tough away trips to Leinster, Cornish Pirates and Worcester in their opening three games, still believes tonight’s the Anglo-Welsh clash will be a competitive affair.

The teams played out a 3-3 draw when they met at Rodney Parade in the cup last season and Albion claimed a narrow one point win when Newport last visited Brickfields in August 2009.

"Although the game won’t have a say on the quarter-final places, I think it will be competitive for the full 80 minutes," said Dawe.

"We will be looking to create a great atmosphere tonight at Brickfields."

Albion will hand first home starts to youngsters Rupert Freestone, Sam Matavesi, Max Venables and Jamie Tripcony.

Teeanger hooker Freestone made his first appearance in an Albion shirt at the weekend against Worcester Warriors at Sixway.

However, Albion, who have an important league match had Doncaster on Saturday, have named the experienced Ryan Hopkins, Tom Skelding, Wayne Sprangle, Sam Hocking, Fionn McLoughlin and Cameron Mitchell in their side. They have also have plenty of exeperience players on the bench for the match.

Tickets for the match can be purchased on the gate starting at £1 for children and £14 for adults.

Albion: M Venables, F McLoughlin, C Mitchell, S Johns, J Coleman, M Lee, T Kessell, M Manton, R Freestone, R Hopkins, J Tripcony, T Skelding, W Sprangle, S Matavesi, S Hocking. Reps: R Cushion, A Davies, K Hallett, D Morton, A Carpenter, D Collier, S-M Stephen.

Albion hand teen duo a chance

Posted on Jan 21, 2011 in Rugby News

Plymouth Albion will hand teenage hooker Rupert Freestone his debut in Saturday’s British & Irish Cup match against Worcester Warriors at Sixways (3pm).

Freestone’s chance comes due to injuries to fellow hookers Gareth Evans and Gavin O’Meara.

The 19-year-old, who has been gaining league experience on-loan at Tavistock this season, will line-up in a youthful front-row, alongside 21-year-old loosehead prop George Porter and 22-year-old tighthead David Morton.

Another teenage forward, Sam Matavesi, is also included in Albion’s starting team.

Flanker Matavesi, who only turned 19 last week, will be making only his second start for the club. His first came in Plymouth’s opening British & Irish Cup match against Leinster in December.

With 20-year-old backs Tom Kessell and Mark Lee also in their team, Albion will have plenty of young West Country talent on show at Sixways on Saturday.

The trip to Worcester will be Albion’s third consecutive away match in the British & Irish Cup, with the club having also face tough trips to holders Cornish Pirates and Leinster.

But Albion will finally have a home game on Tuesday when they play Newport in a re-arranged match at Brickfields (kick-off 7.45pm).

Graham Dawe’s side, who currently sit eighth in the Championship table, will then face an important league game away at sixth-placed Doncaster on Saturday, January 29.

Albion’s team to face Worcester: M Lee, F McLoughlin, B Mercer, K Fisilau, C Mitchell, K Hallett (capt), T Kessell, G Porter, R Freestone, D Morton, R Copeland, T Hotson, W Sprangle, S Matavesi, S Hocking. Reps: R Cushion, A Davies, S Tu’ipulotu, R Hopkins, A Carpenter, T Skelding, S-M Stephen.

Pirates side to face Newport

Posted on Jan 20, 2011 in Rugby News

On Friday the Cornish Pirates have what is now a mightily important British & Irish Cup Pool A match away to Newport RFC, the game scheduled to be played at the Welsh club’s famous Rodney Parade ground where they’ll be looking for revenge for the Pirates having beaten them 26-20 at Camborne in March. The kick-off is at 7.15pm.

When Newport won 25-23 away to Currie last week, former Cornish ‘Pirate’ Rhys Jones landed a match winning penalty in injury time. Besides Rhys, two other former Pirates players based in Newport are Nicky Griffiths, who has competed for the scrum-half shirt, and Joe Bearman, who left the Pirates to join the Dragons in 2006. On the comeback trail after recovering from a groin injury that threatened his career, Joe made a cameo appearance for Pontypool on Tuesday evening, when he gained valuable game time as a replacement in a Welsh Premiership match against Cardiff.

The Cornish Pirates presently top Pool A in the British & Irish Cup with 15 points from their three games played. Leinster, who beat Worcester 38-23 on Sunday, are second with 14 points from four games, Newport are third (6 from three), Worcester fourth (5 from two), Currie fifth (1 from two), and Plymouth sixth (0 from two). The Pirates final game in Pool A is away to Worcester on the 26th February.

Speaking ahead of Friday evening’s match, Cornish Pirates high performance manager Chris Stirling has said: "We were pretty happy with our performance in the cup against Plymouth Albion, but we know it’s going to be really tough at Newport. They will bring physicality to the match and can also play with width, and we’re expecting a real battle."

Cornish Pirates: R. Cook, W. Davies, D. Locke, T. Luke, R. McAtee, J. Bentley, J. Doherty, L. McGlone, T. Holmes, C. Morgan, B. Gulliver (capt), I. Nimmo, J. Currie, D. Ward, P. Andrew.

Replacements: R. Storer, T. Cowan-Dickie, R. Brits, M. Myerscough, K. Marriott, S. Winn, G. Pointer.

Abbott signs two year deal with Worcester

Posted on Jan 11, 2011 in Rugby News

Exciting and dynamic back row forward Jake Abbott has today signed a new two-year deal at Worcester Warriors.

Worcester born and bred, Abbott has been connected to the club since the age of six as a mini/junior and was a key member of the starting line-up during the opening months of the RFU Championship season before injury ruled him out of action.

The 22-year-old home-grown ace – who has made 20 appearances for Warriors and scored seven tries – first broke into the team at Sixways in October 2008 when he started the EDF Energy Cup game with London Irish. Less than a month later he scored his first senior try in the same competition against Harlequins.

Abbott continued to come of age during the 2009/10 season with the athletic former Worcester Sixth Form College student making seven appearances and scoring three tries, including a memorable double against Olympus Rugby Madrid XV.

The athletic and skillful back row, who has been a key member of the England Sevens set-up, cemented his place in the team at the start of this season and scored tries against Birmingham & Solihull, Esher Rugby and Moseley Rugby.

However, Abbott suffered a serious knee injury during the league game with Bristol Rugby in October is expected to miss the rest of this season.

Head Coach Richard Hill has backed Abbott to come back even stronger from the injury setback and underlined his belief in the openside flanker by handing him a new contract to continue his outstanding progress at Sixways.

Hill said: “It is fantastic news for everyone connected with Warriors that Jake has signed a new two-year deal and we can now all look forward to seeing him back in action.

“It was a bitter blow to lose Jake to injury as he was a star for us at the start of the season and he made an immediate impression on me when I arrived at the club.

“Jake had a big decision to make over at the beginning of the campaign, whether he wanted to go to the Commonwealth Games in India with England or stake his claim at Sixways and show he was good enough to earn a place in the team. He decided to back himself at Warriors and he was simply fantastic for us.

“Jake is always very eager to learn and listens and does what he is asked to do, therefore he was a quick learner and really established himself in the team. He understood what was required at the start of the season and really delivered.

“Every Warriors supporter could see the progress he had made and how well Jake started out. I would have offered him a contract based on his first month such was his progress and he is now a big asset to the club. Jake is Worcester through and through and is passionate about the club and its future.”

Arscott wings in for table topping clash

Posted on Jan 7, 2011 in Rugby News

Worcester Warriors call-up flying back Tom Arscott for the top-of-the-table RFU Championship clash with Bedford Blues at Sixways Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Arscott, who has scored seven tries in 15 appearances this season for Warriors, is named on the wing with Miles Benjamin moving to the replacements.

Scrum half Jonny Arr will also start alongside points machine Andy Goode at half back as Head Coach Richard Hill makes just two changes to the starting line-up that defeated Bristol Rugby to extend the lead at the top of the league to 12 points.

Skipper Kai Horstmann and back row partner Pat Sanderson will both make their 150^th appearances for Worcester Warriors in the fixture.

England Under-20 rising star Matt Kvesic – who grabbed a brace against Esher Rugby in his last Worcester appearance – is named on the bench.

"Bedford will come and look to play so it will be an exciting game," said Head Coach Hill. "The Blues are one of the best handling and 15-man rugby teams in the RFU Championship.

“They have no fear and will run from anywhere and try quick drop outs, quick throw ins, quick penalties – you cannot turn your back on Bedford for one second, if we do that we will be in trouble.

"When we played Bedford at Goldington Road we were very disciplined and we will need to repeat that. We will look to try and dominate up front and have selected a pack of forwards that can scrummage and can try and wear them down."