Bournville will give a debut to Birmingham University centre Henry Harper in Saturday’s National Two West derby against Luctonians at Avery Fields (2.30pm).
Harper has experience of National One rugby from a stint with Birmingham Moseley last year having played his formative rugby for Heaton Moor in his native Stockport.
He made his Bournville debut for the Blues in their recent victory over Edwardians II and has now been promoted to the first team to partner Sam Grimshaw in the centre.
Harper will be the second Birmingham University student in as many weeks to make his Bournville debut following wing Will Loftus, who started at Old Redcliffians last week and who is on the bench against Luctonians.
Harper is one of six changes to the starting XV with Joe Jenkins returning at full-back along with wings Alex Evans and Nathan Decalmer.
Jacob Fewtrell switches from centre to fly-half this week in place of James Mann, who has been named as a replacement.
In the pack, Adam Shaw returns after five weeks out with a shoulder injury which allows Kieran Henderson to revert to the blindside from number eight and skipper Ben Meakin to move back to the second row to partner Nick Murphy. Jonjo Fanning starts at number eight this week having been front row cover at Old Redcliffians.
Poland Under-20s prop Kuba Kijak features in the first team squad for the first time this season having returned recently from a long injury lay-off. He will make his first senior appearance in 13 months if he comes off the bench.
Bournville return to Avery Fields for their penultimate home match of the season – the other is against Clifton – now nine points adrift of Macclesfield in 12th place and just six clear of bottom club Devonport Services.
Bourns have yet to beat Luctonians in a National Leagues but produced one of their best away performances of the season against their North Midlands rivals in a Mortimer Park mudbath in November.
Although Luctonians have lacked last season’s consistency, they will arrive at Avery Fields in good heart having beaten league leaders Camborne last Saturday.
Bournville, as a whole club, are supporting the Rugby Against Cancer charity all weekend.
Rugby Against Cancer was set up in 2018 and has since raised more than £200,000 to support people who have been diagnosed with cancer.
The fund-raising weekend will begin on Friday when Bournville Golds – the women’s first XV – take on Old Halesonians under the Avery Fields floodlights (7.30pm).
Bournville | 15 Joe Jenkins; 14 Alex Evans, 13 Henry Harper, 12 Sam Grimshaw, 11 Nathan Decalmer; 10 Jacob Fewtrell, 9 Reiss Price; 1 Clarkson McLeod, 2 Jake Bailey, 3 Scott Rudge, 4 Nick Murphy, 5 Ben Meakin (C), 6 Kieran Henderson, 7 Adam Shaw, 8 Jonjo Fanning.
Replacements | 16 James Weaver, 17 Kuba Kijak, 18 Harry Dawson, 19 Will Loftus, 20 James Mann.
*Bournville Blues head to Upton on Severn for a potential Counties Three Midlands West (South) title decider (3pm).
The Blues are third in the table, seven points behind leaders Upton with three games to play.
Centre Josh Tutt and lock George Jewell, who were both replacements for the first team last Saturday, start for the Blues this week.
Bournville Blues | 15 Niall Demel; 14 Jack Mitchell, 13 Josh Tutt, 12 Matt Serrell-Cooke, 11 Liam Turner; 10 Alex Warner, 9 George Ayliffe; 1 Sean Kimberley, 2 Conor Thorneycroft, 3 Kieran McGuire, 4 George Jewell, 5 Harry Belcher, 6 Bhairaj Rai (C), 7 Eddie Wiggins, 8 Ben Harper.
Replacements | 16 Matt Spence, 17 Will Taylor, 18 Chris Crutchley, 17 Luka Rajkovic, 19 Paul Sumner.
