Bournville have recalled lock Nick Murphy for Saturday’s Regional One Midlands local derby against Dudley Kingswinford at Avery Fields (2pm).
Murphy will add experience and physical presence to the pack in just his second appearance of the season and first since he started in the defeat at Bridgnorth back in September.
Saturday’s match will also see Murphy line up against one of his former clubs as one of five changes to the side that went down 39-38 to Newent in Bourns’ last outing two weeks ago.
Murphy will partner captain Ben Meakin in the second row with Harry Dawson named as a replacement this week with Scott Rudge starting at loosehead prop.
There are two changes in the back-row with Chris Idehen starting at openside flanker and Callum Nicholls at number eight. Idehen impressed on his comeback from a calf injury as a replacement against Newent and replaces Adam Shaw who suffered a dislocated shoulder in that match.
Nicholls will also face his former club as he comes into the middle of the back-row in place of Jonjo Fanning who will be used as an impact player off the bench this week.
The only change to the back division is in the centre where Mikey Ho returns having recovered from the head knock he suffered in the victory over Bromsgrove four weeks ago.
Although we are six weeks into the New Year Saturday’s match will be only Bourns’ third outing of the year with the scheduled away fixture at Drybrook being postponed three times in the space of four weeks.
Back on home ground and on the artificial surface at Avery Fields there will be no need for pitch inspections this weekend and Bourns will be looking to resume winning ways after a nine-match unbeaten run was ended at Newent.
Bournville were comfortable winners at Heathbrook earlier in the season against a DK side whose sole win this season came against bottom of the table Nuneaton in October. They drew 19-19 in the return match last month and have been competitive in most of their matches, most notably when they gave Stourbridge a fright before going down 26-20 at Heathbrook in December.
Newport now lead the table by four points and four of their last six matches are at Forton Road. But Bourns have a game in hand – the rearranged trip to Drybrook next week – and will have home advantage against Newport on March 28.
Bournville | 15 Mauro Miller; 14 Adam Collingwood, 13 Mikey Ho, 12 Sam Grimshaw, 11 Nathan Decalmer; 10 Jacob Fewtrell, 9 Reiss Price; 1 Scott Rudge, 2 Jamie Harding, 3 Jake Thompson, 4 Ben Meakin (C), 5 Nick Murphy, 6 Kieran Henderson, 7 Chris Idehen, 8 Callum Nicholls.
Replacements | 16 Ben Rhodes, 17 Harry Dawson, 18 Jonjo Fanning.
*Prop Stef Thorp will come out of retirement to make his seasonal debut for Bournville Blues in their Counties Two Midlands West (East) match against Bromsgrove IIs at Avery Fields (1.45pm).
Thorp brought the curtain down on a glittering first team career at the end of last season but did not rule out making an occasional cameo appearance for the Second XV in future.
He has been a regular attender at first team matches throughout this season and will now lace up his boots again to help out the Blues against third placed Bromsgrove.
Poland Under-20s prop Kuba Kijak will be on the other side of the scrum to Thorp having been recalled from a loan spell at Old Halesonians.
Rhys Williams Goldman, who made his first team debut as a centre at Newent two weeks ago, will start at fly-half for the Blues this week with George Jewell, normally a back-row forward, partnering Jamie Maynard in the centre.
Bournville Blues | 15 Stephen Terera; 14 Ben Fellows, 13 Jamie Maynard, 12 George Jewell, 11 Craig Manning; 10 Rhys Williams Goldman, 9 Chris Crutchley; 1 Stef Thorp, 2 Ben Fortes Mayer, 3 Kuba Kijak, 4 Harry Belcher, 5 Ollie Morris, 6 Myles Hibbs, 7 Piers Skeels-Caldwell, 8 Ben Harper.
Replacements | 16 Sean Kimberley, 17 Jack Meakin, 18 Ben Godley.
