Match Preview

Match preview –Bees v Nuneaton Saturday 13th February

Top four opposition set to test Bees’ new-found form

Birmingham & Solihull Rugby Club welcome Nuneaton to Portway this Saturday (13th February KO 2.15pm) where they will be able to put their recent improvement in form to the test up against a side who currently sit fourth in the National League 3 Midlands table.

The Bees will be hoping to give a much better account of themselves than they did in the corresponding fixture at Liberty Way back in October. “The boys just didn't turn up "was the then frank post match assessment of Backs Coach Lee Cassell, as the Bees slipped to a 25-3 defeat on a wet afternoon in the most populous town in Warwickshire.

However, confidence is likely to be significantly higher four months on, as the Bees come into Saturday’s game on the back of three consecutive wins – away at Lichfield, at home to Longton and, most recently a 5-18 away victory at Newport Salop

Speaking ahead of Saturdays’ game, interim coaching duo Paul “Willy” Williams and Mike “Spanner” Spencer said, “It has been an interesting four weeks for us since we have come onboard. We have been delighted that we have been able to help the lads put a mini run of three winning performances together. “

“Since our last home victory here against Longton three weeks ago, we made the trip up into Shropshire a fortnight ago and came back with another hard fought win. We did well to hold them to 0-0 against the wind and up the hill in the first half. Then in the second half we weathered a difficult first twenty minutes before we were eventually able to put the game away in the final quarter.”

“We were pleased with the doggedness and resilience that the guys showed that day. It was also good to break the ‘three wins on the trot hoodoo’ – we believe that the last time we did so was 2012.”

“The lads have enjoyed the last two weeks, working on building up levels of fitness and strength. It will nice to see how far we have come over the last four weeks by playing a top 4 team in this league.”

“Nuneaton have fared relatively well so far this season, bagging 11 wins to date which has put them in 4th spot in the table. They beat Sutton Coldfield 44-12 on their last league outing two weeks ago and put us away rather too comfortably when we met them at their ground back in October, winning 25-3 in a game that, so we are told, we didn’t really turn up in.”

“So today’s game against Nuneaton is sure to be a big test and we will just need every player to continue to give 100% effort and keep developing the little things that are making the team a tightly knit group of players who play for each other.”

The Bees make just two changes to the squad that won up at Newport a fortnight ago. Sam Davenport replaces Arron Wilson on the wing, with fit again Kurtis Payne coming onto the bench for Josh Evans.

Birmingham & Solihull team selected v Nuneaton Saturday 13th February 2.15 pm KO:- Alex O’Malley, Sam Davenport, Mikey Whettell, Brian Sibiya, Nyle Beckett, Mitchell McGahan, Martin Hooker , Matt Tibbatts, Ashley Scriven, Darren Forder, Matt Spink, Chris Goddard ©, Pete Koziot, Zane Raimondi, Dan Toth. Replacements – Kurtis Payne, Michael Stephens and Chris Fensome.