Bournville will give a debut to wing Cam Smith in Saturday’s Regional One Midlands match against Bridgnorth at the Edgar Davies Ground (2pm).
Smith has arrived at Avery Fields from Fylde via Birmingham Moseley, where he spent pre-season, and comes straight into the starting XV for the second league match of the season.
Smith previously had a spell with Stourbridge and he is an old boy of Malvern College.
His arrival is well-timed as Bourns are without wings Alex Evans, who is playing club rugby in Australia until Christmas, and Nathan Decalmer who is injured.
Centres Josh Bloomfield and Sam Grimshaw were both injured within five minutes of each other in last week’s 69-7 victory over Nuneaton and are ruled out this week.
The return of Joe Jenkins, who was unavailable last week, has filled one of the gaps but he will partner Chris Idehen, normally a back-row, in a new centre combination.
Mauro Miller, who impressed on his debut on the right wing against Nuneaton, switches to full-back this week as Mikey Ho is unavailable.
There are four changes in the pack with Clarkson McLeod, Ben Rhodes and George Jewell, who were all replacements last week, called up at loosehead prop, hooker and number eight respectively.
Lock Nick Murphy will make his first league appearance of the season as captain Ben Meakin’s second-row partner with Danny Griffin, Harry Dawson and Jonjo Fanning, who started last week, making up an all-forwards bench.
Saturday’s match will be the first meeting between Bournville and Bridgnorth since December 2019 when Bourns won 24-13 in Shropshire to complete a Midlands Premier double following a 38-13 victory at Avery Fields three months earlier.
Bournville | 15 Mauro Miller; 14 Adam Collingwood, 13 Joe Jenkins, 12 Chris Idehen, 11 Cam Smith; 10 Jacob Fewtrell, 9 Reiss Price; 1 Clarkson McLeod, 2 Ben Rhodes, 3 Jake Thompson, 4 Ben Meakin (C), 5 Nick Murphy, 6 Kieran Henderson, 7 Adam Shaw, 8 George Jewell.
Replacements | 16 Danny Griffin, 17 Harry Dawson, 18 Jonjo Fanning.
*Bournville Blues face Warwickshire club Harbury at Avery Fields on Saturday (3pm) looking to bounce back from last week’s narrow defeat at Berkswell & Balsall in their Counties Two Midlands West (East) opener.
Wing Eddie Wiggins returns from the ankle injury he sustained in the pre-season friendly against Silhillians three weeks ago.
Bournville Blues | 15 Niall Demel; 14 Eddie Wiggins, 13 Tyler Westwood, 12 Jamie Maynrd, 11 Tom Harrington; 10 Chris Crutchley; 9 George Ayliffe; 1 Kieran McGuire, 2 Scott Rudge, 3 Kuba Kijack, 4 Harry Belcher, 5 Ollie Morris, 6 Tom Underwood, 7 Piers Skeels-Caldwell, 8 Ben Harper.
Replacements | 16 Sean Kimberley, 17 Steve Smith, Ben Fellows.
