Full-back Stephen Terera will make his debut for Bournville in Saturday’s rearranged Regional One Midlands match at Drybrook (2.15pm).
Terera arrived at Avery Fields in November from Nottinghamshire club West Bridgford and he has impressed playing for the Blues in recent Counties Two Midlands West (East) matches in recent weeks including in last week’s big home win over Harborne.
Terera, who previously played for Old Elizabethans in Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare, comes into a reshuffled back line that is missing centre Mikey Ho and wing Mauro Miller, who were both injured in last week’s victory over Bromsgrove.
Oscar Fawkes-Underwood switches from full-back to the right wing with Adam Collingwood recalled to partner Sam Grimshaw in the centre.
There are three more changes in the pack with hooker Ben Rhodes and number eight Jonjo Fanning both unavailable this weekend.
Jamie Harding, who scored an important second-half try against Bromsgrove, starts in the middle of the front-row in Rhodes’s absence with Chris Idehen recalled in the back-row.
Idehen made his comeback from a calf muscle injury in the Blues last week and starts at blindside flanker this week with Callum Nicholls moving across to number eight in place on Fanning.
Scott Rudge starts at loosehead prop with the versatile Clarkson McLeod named as replacement this week to cover all three front-row positions.
Head Coach Alex Grove comes into the squad as replacement back and is set for his second appearance of the season having started in the win at Lutterworth in November.
This will be Bournville’s first visit to Drybrook’s Mannings ground high in the Forest of Dean with the scheduled match two weeks ago postponed because of snow.
Bournville won the first fixture between the clubs at Avery Fields back in October since when the clubs have enjoyed contrasting fortunes.
Bourns are seeking a tenth straight win and their fifth in a row away from Avery Fields while Drybrook have won only twice – against Nuneaton and Dudley Kingswinford – in their last ten games.
Bournville | 15 Stephen Terera; 14 Oscar Fawkes-Underwood, 13 Sam Grimshaw, 12 Adam Collingwood, 11 Nathan Decalmer; 10 Jacob Fewtrell, 9 Reiss Price; 1 Scott Rudge, 2 Jamie Harding, 3 Jake Thompson, 4 Ben Meakin (C), 5 Kieran Henderson, 6 Chris Idehen, 7 Adam Shaw, 8 Callum Nicholls.
Replacements | 16 Clarkson McLeod, 18 George Jewell, 19 Alex Grove.
*Jack Meakin, the younger brother of first team captain Ben, will make his debut for the club in Bournville Blues’ Counties Two Midlands West (East) match at Claverdon on Saturday (2.15pm).
Meakin, a former Stourbridge Colt, will start at number eight as the Blues attempt to avenge a narrow defeat on their previous visit to Ossetts Hole Lane in friendly back in August.
Meakin is one of eight changes to the side that started against Harborne with Ben Harper switching from hooker to the centre to partner Jamie Maynard and Kieran McGuire from tighthead to the middle of the front row.
Bournville Blues | 15 Niall Demel; 14 Ben Fellows, 13 Jamie Maynard, 12 Ben Harper, 11 Craig Manning; 10 Alex Warner (C), Chris Crutchley; 1 Johnson Otuonye, 2 Kieran McGuire, 3 Sean Kimberley, 4 Harry Belcher, 5 Ben Godley, 6 Ollie Morris, 7 Myles Hibbs, 8 Jack Meakin.
Replacements | 16 Lionel Muskwe, 17 TBC, 18 TBC.
