Match Preview

Back to business for Bees after week layoff

Bees welcome Lichfield to Portway, hoping to keep early season momentum going

It's back to NLM3 action tomorrow (Saturday 22nd October, KO 3pm) as Birmingham & Solihull welcome Lichfield to Portway.

The Bees' away win against a previously unbeaten Derby a fortnight ago was a great boost for everyone associated with the club, as well as being just reward for a great deal of hard work which is been done to date by Pete Glackin, Ben Woods and indeed the whole squad. This is particularly so, given the recent challenging injury situation.

The win at Derby meant that after six rounds of NL3M action, the Bees have won four games, drawn one with just one loss and occupy fifth spot in the league. In contrast, Lichfield have had a difficult start to the season – with just one draw to their name so far. The squad will know from previous encounters that they are a good side capable of playing some attacking rugby, so there is no room for complacency.

Having had last weekend off, it is important that the men in black continue the momentum built up in the first six rounds - coming, as we are, into an important autumn period leading up to Christmas.

The Bees coaching duo have kept faith with the side that was victorious up at Derby, although an injury to Charlie Mumford sustained in training this week means that Jacob Ham gets a start at scrum half. There is also a positional change in the backs, with Issac McNulty starting at 10 and Max Rodman moving to inside centre.

Chris Goddard starts at second row in an otherwise unchanged pack, with Matt Spink named on the bench alongside Kurtis Payne and Mitch McGahan.