Rotherham Titans are back at home this weekend for what is a huge top-of-the-table clash against Plymouth Albion in round 23 of National 1; kick-off at Clifton Lane on Saturday is 2pm.
Whilst last week’s 22-15 defeat at Blackheath was disappointing, there was a fair bit of mitigation for the Titans.
Adversity struck before match when scrum half JB Bruzulier had to pull out and matters worsened during the first half when fly half Rob Povey departed with a shoulder injury and line-out caller Harry Gilson-Fox twice had to go off injured.
Despite those setbacks, Rotherham battled tenaciously against a good side and were able to come away with a losing bonus point.
The effort displayed perfectly highlighted the character and resilience within the squad and indeed it’s that bonus point at Blackheath which keeps them at the top just ahead of Albion.
Titans will look to respond after that difficult outing, as attention now turns to the visit of a top-class team in Plymouth.
The Devon based outfit will arrive at Clifton Lane full of confidence following their 60-26 hammering of Rams, which saw them run in 8 tries as they took apart the Berkshire outfit.
A fiercely contested encounter is anticipated on Saturday, just as the reverse fixture delivered earlier in the season at Brickfields, where an injury time penalty saw Albion take the spoils 22-21 and it’s likely that small margins will again decide the outcome.
The teams have a long history having first faced each other in 1994 and have gone on to contest 33 league games and unsurprisingly the head-to-head is close, with Rotherham just edging matters 17-15 with one draw.
Additionally, to highlight just how closely-matched the sides are, the last 6 games have been decided by 7 points or less.
Going into this week’s game, Rotherham have made four changes to their starting XV.
In the front row hooker Morgan Veness comes in for Luke Cole and he’ll be flanked by Alastair Donkor at loosehead prop with Andrew Foster at tighthead.
In second row Frankie Gascoigne links-up again with Harry Gilson-Fox, whilst in the back row John Okafor is at blindside, with skipper Harry Newborn on the openside and Callum Bustin, who comes in for Jack Baldry, at number 8.
The backline sees a half back combination of JB Bruzulier, who comes in for Will Metcalfe at scrum half and Lloyd Hayes, who comes in for Rob Povey at fly half, whilst Mitchell Lacey-Babalola moves from the wing to join Travis Gordon in midfield.
Across the back three Jackson Barling is on the right wing, with James Norman coming in for Mitchell Lacey-Babalola on the left wing, and Isaac Shaw at full back.
Speaking ahead of the match Harvey Biljon said:
“It goes without saying that we were disappointed to lose against Blackheath, it was an exciting game to be part of and one you always want to come away from with a result. However, the team had to deal with a fair bit of adversity in the lead up to the game, as well as on match day morning and during the game.
“Nonetheless, what was exceptional was the resilience and character the team showed to come away with a point and there was a couple of moments where you thought the draw might even be on the cards.
“On the flip side, how good is it having a game like that leading into a fixture like Plymouth; because you can clearly identify areas where we probably came off second best and that will allow us to sharpen up in those areas.
“The players are smart enough to understand the magnitude of the game, but if you look at the game you look at end goal. So, the way to make sure that you are prepped for the big occasion is to make sure you have trained and focused on the detail you require for the match.
“It’s very difficult in the modern game to be able to win each week and it isn’t always going to go your way. But the fact that we have gone the whole season and continued to pick up points each week, that’s important and I believe the season won’t be settled until the very last game.
“Like us, Plymouth have lost to Blackheath, but there’s a reason we are both top of the table, it’s because both teams are competitive, both are balanced in the forwards, backs, attack and defence and we are two very well-matched teams and it may come down to the bounce of the ball or a decision or whatever that looks like.
“If you are a neutral and you’re looking at this competition, how exciting is it to be part of this; we can’t look too far away from that. If you are a neutral great, if you’re one of the Rotherham supporters it probably adds a bit of anxiety, pressure, excitement and tension, but that’s why we are part of this amazing game.
“So, let’s embrace it, let’s accept it and let’s also remember to enjoy these moments because they don’t come around too often.”
Titans: 15 Isaac Shaw, 14 Jackson Barling, 13 Mitchell Lacey-Babalola, 12 Travis Gordon 11 James Norman, 10 Lloyd Hayes, 9 JB Bruzulier, 1 Alastair Donkor, 2 Morgan Veness, 3 Andrew Foster, 4 Frankie Gascoigne, 5 Harry Gilson-Fox, 6 John Okafor, 7 Harry Newborn (Capt.), 8 Callum Bustin.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cole, 17 Zach Toerien, 18 Xavier Valentine, 19 Jack Baldry, 20 Sinjin Broad.
NOTE: Cash only on the gate £15 members - £20 non-members - please have the right money. Cards accepted at the bar.
