Wing Alex Evans will make his first appearance of the season for Bournville in Saturday’s Regional One Midlands derby against Stourbridge at Stourton Park (3pm).
Evans missed the first half of the season as he has been playing club rugby in Australia for Scone in north New South Wales but he returned home last week having enjoyed a successful stint Down Under.
He comes straight into the starting XV at Stourbridge as one of six changes to the side that beat Bridgnorth last week and will renew his wing partnership with Nathan Decalmer after a gap of nine months.
Centre Henry Harper will also make his seasonal debut having focused on his playing commitments and studies at Birmingham University so far. He will partner Sam Grimshaw who returns to action after recovering from a knee ligament injury sustained in the season opener against Nuneaton in September.
Grimshaw made a successful comeback in the second XV, the Blues, last Saturday when he scored a hat-trick of tries in the victory over Birmingham & Solihull.
There are three more changes in the pack with Ben Rhodes restored at hooker in place of Jamie Harding who had an outstanding match against Bridgnorth but has now been recalled from his loan spell by Birmingham Moseley.
Clarkson McLeod starts at loosehead prop with Adam Shaw, who impressed off the bench last week, back at openside flanker. Kieran Henderson switches to the blindside and Callum Nicholls to number eight in place of Jonjo Fanning who took a blow to the head last week.
Lock/back-row forward George Jewell returns to the squad as a replacement having pressed his claims in the Blues in recent weeks.
Bournville head to Stourbridge seeking a double over their hosts following a 20-13 success at Avery Fields earlier in the season. On their last visit to Stourbridge in November 2022, Bournville won 34-29 which they followed up with a 34-33 home win later in the season.
Bournville | 15 Mauro Miller; 14 Alex Evans, 13 Sam Grimshaw, 12 Henry Harper, 11 Nathan Decalmer; 10 Jacob Fewtrell, 9 Reiss Price; 1 Clarkson McLeod, 2 Ben Rhodes, 3 Jake Thompson, 4 Ben Meakin (C), 5 Harry Dawson, 6 Kieran Henderson, 7 Adam Shaw, 8 Callum Nicholls.
Replacements | 16 Scott Rudge, 17 George Jewell, 18 Oscar Fawkes-Underwood.
*Twins Alfie and Tom Chandler will line up alongside each other for Bournville Blues who travel to Lutterworth Seconds in Counties Two Midlands West (East) (2.15pm).
Alfie starts at full-back and Tom at openside flanker in a side that also includes another product of the club’s successful Player Development Pathway Programme.
Eddie Wiggins returns to the scene of his first team debut last month when he started on the wing in the one point victory over Lutterworth in Regional One Midlands.
Alex Warner returns at fly-half having recovered from flu which ruled him out last week and he will captain the Blues.
Bournville Blues | 15 Alfie Chandler; 14 Niall Demel, 13 Craig Manning, 12 Eddie Wiggins, 11 Zaki Slater; 10 Alex Warner (C), 9 Chris Crutchley; 1 Kieran McGuire, 2 Ben Fortes-Mayer, 3 Sean Kimberley, 4 Harry Belcher, 5 Joe Durrant, 6 George Bann, 7 Tom Chandler, 8 Ben Harper.
Replacements | 16 Johnson Otuoyne, 17 Jake Whitmarsh, 18 Tom Harrington.
