Championship Round 15 Preview
Your guide to the team news ahead of Round 15.
The weekend's action in The Championship kicks off on Friday night at the Alpas Arena, where Hartpury take on London Scottish, followed by four eye-catching matches on Saturday. The Round 15 draw sees Cornish Pirates return to the fold, as top-of-the-table Doncaster Knights take a bye week. Here's a look at how the 10 sides line-up.
Friday
19:45 | Hartpury v London Scottish
Hartpury make wholesale changes for Friday night's clash against London Scottish, with one name, in particular, jumping off the teamsheet - that of their latest recruitment at No. 8, recent England international Nathan Hughes, who joins the Westcountry outfit on loan from Bristol Bears. In the front five, Totti Benz-Salomon and Luke Stratford come in for Conor Maguire and Will Crane, and Cameron Jordan gets the nod alongside James Dun in the second row. Mitch Eadie switches from 8 to 6 to accommodate Hartpury's big-name acquisition, Nathan Hughes, as Oli Robinson moves across to openside. In the backline, Toby Venner - fresh from a stellar performance against Coventry last weekend - has a new half-back partner in Tommy Mathews, as James Williams moves to 12 and takes over captaincy duties from Will Crane. While in the back three, Deago Bailey returns on the left wing, with Ben Foley switching to 14, and George Simpson comes in at full back.
London Scottish name two debutants in an exciting back three for the trip to Hartpury, with Wasps loanee Cameron Anderson starting at full back and new signing Levi Davis - previously at Bath - named on the right wing, alongside Sam Baker, who returns to his old stomping ground. Elsewhere in the back line, Javiah Pohe is rewarded with a starting berth in the midfield after impressing off the bench, and the injured Stephen Kerins makes way for Dan Nutton at scrum half. Up front, Maurice Nwakor and Dan Gamble come in at loosehead and tighthead, respectively, and Matas Jurevicius returns from Harlequins to start in the second row. While a reshuffled back row sees Jack Ingall recalled at openside, as Harry Wilson switches flanks, and Cameron King starts at No. 8.
Saturday
13:30 | Ampthill v Jersey Reds
Ampthill welcome Jersey Reds to Dillingham Park looking to build on the momentum gained from last weekend's stunning win against Bedford Blues at Goldington Road, as Paul Turner makes just two changes to his starting XV. Captain Charlie Beckett leads an unchanged pack, but two switches in the back line see Josh Bragman come into the midfield for Tom Hudson, and Joe Goodchild replace Josh Gillespie on the right wing.
Jersey make seven personnel changes, and one positional switch, as the Reds look to reverse a two-game losing streak at Dillingham Park. Harvey Biljon rings three changes to a formidable pack, as Luke Yendle comes in at tighthead, and Alex Humfrey and Tim Grey start in the back row, both having featured from the bench last weekend. A new half-back pairing sees James Elliott getting the starting 9 jersey after scoring twice against Doncaster Knights, where he is joined by Tom Pittman on his second start for the Reds, as Brendan Owen moves across to 14. Jack Roberts comes in for the injured Ryan Olowofela at outside centre, and Scott Van Breda rounds off the changes at full back, having impressed a substitute last weekend after coming on for the injured Harry Simmons.
14:30 | Cornish Pirates v Nottingham
Cornish Pirates return to action for the first time in six weeks since their 13-26 win at Ampthill on 11 December and a subsequent string of fixture postponements due to COVID. Among the headlines in the hosts' starting line-up, scrum half Tom Kessell has been named as captain, fly half Harry Bazalgette and lock Lewis Pearson make their first starts for the Pirates, and centre Callum Patterson makes his long-awaited return from an ACL injury.
Nottingham head to Penzance off the back of an impressive performance against Ealing Trailfinders under the lights at Lady Bay last week. Craig Hammond names an unchanged pack, but rejigs the backline for the trip to the Mennaye. With Charlie Thacker unavailable, Jacob Cusick comes into the midfield, as the club's newly-crowned "Championship Top Try Scorer", David Williams, takes the captain's armband, and Sam Edwards comes in for Michael Stronge at scrum half.
15:00 | Ealing Trailfinders v Coventry
Ealing welcome Coventry to the Trailfinders Sports Ground, looking to go five points clear at the top of The Championship. Ben Ward makes just one change to the side that started against Nottingham last week, as Craig Willis comes in for Steven Shingler at fly half, with the Welsh marksman named among the replacements.
Coventry, meanwhile, will take plenty of positives from Saturday's thrilling win against Hartpury at Butts Park Arena. After a spate of back luck with injuries, including "season-ending" injuries sustained by lock Jon Kpoku and scrum half Joe Snow, Rowland Winter makes a handful of changes for the trip to West London. In the pack, Nile Dacres slots back into the second row alongside new-signing James Tyas, and Fred Betteridge returns to the back row at blindside. In the back line, Josh Barton starts at 9 after a lively performance off the bench last weekend, and Rob Knox comes in for the unavailable Sam Apland-Robinson on the left wing.
15:00 | Richmond v Bedford Blues
Richmond will be looking to make it back to back wins against Bedford Blues at the Athletic Ground on Saturday, and make just one change to the side that beat London Scottish in Round 14, as lock Will Carrick Smith returns to the starting line-up for the first time since the reverse fixture in October.
Bedford Blues, meanwhile, make five changes to the side that suffered defeat at the hands of Ampthill last weekend. In the pack, Karl Garside starts at tighthead, fresh from a Champions Cup outing with Northampton Saints, and Bailey Ransom comes into the back row and starts at blindside. In the backs division, another dual-registered Saint, England U20 starlet George Hendy, starts on the right wing, with fellow international teammate Ethan Grayson named in the centres, and Alex Day rounding off the changes at scrum half.