THERE’S another big weekend of rugby in the Post area this weekend with the highlight being Bude’s top-of-the-table clash at Honiton in the Tribute Cornwall and Devon League (2.30pm).

Angus Hodges’ men sit top by just a point and head to East Devon to tackle a side who are unbeaten in their last nine league games and haven’t lost at home all season. However, Bude ran out 38-24 winners at Bencoolen Meadow back in October and travel having only lost once on the road all year — a 43-13 reversal at Torquay Athletic in September.

Player/coach Angus Hodges has made four changes from last weekend’s 74-7 victory over Hayle which saw Rory Hodges grab a quadruple.

In the forwards, number eight Adam Black and tighthead-prop Chris Allin are away but are replaced by key forward Joe Wilson, who has been working for the last fortnight, and Joel Troke.

Troke takes his place alongside Will Kingdon in the second-row with Matt Williams moving forward to take Allin’s shirt.

In the backs, scrum-half Olly Mounce is on holiday and is replaced by the returning Charlie Watton, while winger Timmy Green is preferred to Jack Horwell, who is on the bench.

Whoever comes out on top will have taken a giant step towards a place in next year’s Western Counties (West) division, and Hodges believes his side will be right up for it.

He said: “After a good week of training the boys are fired up for this week’s clash. We know we’ve got to work hard to stay at the top, and I believe we’re up to the challenge.

“They play very physical and up front rugby, much like us. They’re good at bullying teams so we’ve got to stand up to that to give us a chance of winning the game.”

Bude —

Denford (captain), R Hodges, Sharp, Hilliam-Cooke, Green, S Yates, Watton; Jeffery, Bolt, Williams, Kingdon, Troke, A Hodges, F Fry, Wilson

Replacements: Mead, Dunkin, Horwell

AFTER three defeats in their last four either side of the Christmas break, second-placed Cornish All Blacks will look to get their promotion push back on track when they head to third-bottom Teignmouth in Tribute South West One (West).

In last year’s corresponding fixture, the All Blacks recovered from a 17-6 half-time deficit to claim a 28-17 win on their way to a third-placed finish.

Up until December 15, when they lost at Newent, Launceston had been defeated just once, but in the last fortnight have suffered a derby day defeat at leaders Okehampton (31-13) before slipping up at home to fourth-placed St Ives (13-10).

A crippling injury list hasn’t helped their cause, and once again they will have a host of players missing at the Bitton Park Sports Field against a side who have four and lost four of their eight home games.

Player/coach Ryan Westren and scrum-half Adam Collings are absent for the second week running while forward Torin Clarke is out with a knee problem. Long-term absentees Marc Williams and Will Morton are still not quite ready to return, while Andy Knight is working.

There is just one change in the starting 15 as Brandon Rowley replaces Clarke with the fit-again Chae Jenkins replacing him on the bench. Scrum-half Dom Mulberry is also included amongst the replacements at the expense of Ben Tharme.

Cornish All Blacks —

Pearce, Jacob, Edwards, Crawford, Kneebone, Coles, Sandercock; Bentham, Bulut, Thomas, J Duke, Goldsmith, Lightfoot, L Duke (captain), Rowley

Replacements: Jenkins, Hawken, Mulberry

Camelford’s penultimate league encounter of the campaign in Tribute Cornwall Two sees them make the long jaunt to take on St Just (2.30pm).

The West Cornwall side won 17-12 at Lane End in December so ‘the Ford’ will be desperate to perform like they did in their 37-10 win at bottom side Redruth Albany 13 days ago.

Camelford often struggle for players for away games but only have to make three changes from the side that lost 50-0 to unbeaten St Agnes last weekend with Stuart Roach, Lee Grimes and Ollie Plummer replacing Michael Burton (family commitments) and the working Luke Palmer and Jack Buckley.

Looking ahead to the game, club captain Martyn Baker, said: "Tomorrow is going to be a difficult game as St Just are strong at home. And, with some key players missing, we will have to be at our best to win this match in the mid-table fight!"

Camelford —

O Plummer, Lovell, Grimes, Willshire, Welch, Stuckey, Robinson; Baker, Schofield, Burnard, Evans, Belsey, Headon, Roach, Yeatman (captain)

Replacement: Luxton