Hooker Conor Thorneycroft will make his first competitive start for Bournville in Saturday’s National Two West match against league leaders Camborne at The Rec (2.30pm).
Thorneycroft, who joined Bournville from Sutton Coldfield towards the end of last season, impressed when he made his league debut off the bench in last week’s defeat by Hornets and he will start this week as one of seven changes – plus three positional – to the starting XV.
With Freddie Morgan unavailable as he is attending a wedding and work commitments preventing number eight Jasper Smith from travelling to Cornwall, Bournville have switched Nathan Decalmer from the left wing to full-back and Louis Mifsud from the blindside flank to the middle of the back-row.
Jacob Fewtrell, who started at fly-half last week but finished the match in the centre, will partner Sam Grimshaw as the starting centres at Camborne with James Mann recalled at fly-half and Dan Rundle on the left wing.
Clarkson McLeod starts at tighthead prop in place of the unavailable Stef Thorp with Nick Murphy recalled in the second row for his first match in two months.
Kieran Henderson returns at blindside flanker in a re-jigged back-row.
There is one potential debutant on the bench with lock/back-row forward George Jewell included in the squad for the first time.
Bourns have been forced into a late change on the bench with former Scotland international Alex Grove dropping out having suffered a compound fracture of a leg in a non-rugby related injury. His place has been taken by Director of Rugby Paul Sumner who made his last first team appearance off the bench at Clifton last season.
Jewell joined from Cheltenham-based Old Patesians last month having played for Birkenhead Park last season and has featured for Bournville Blues in their recent Counties Three Midlands West (South) matches.
Bourns head to Camborne seeking their first away win of the season but face a side who have yet to be beaten at home.
Camborne’s only defeats this season have come on their travels, at Loughborough Students in September and at Cinderford last month.
Last season Bournville beat Camborne at Avery Fields having taken two bonus points from a 29-24 at The Rec earlier in the campaign. A point or two on the road this weekend would be most welcome.
Bournville | 15 Nathan Decalmer; 14 Alex Evans, 13 Sam Grimshaw, 12 Jacob Fewtrell, 11 Dan Rundle; 10 James Mann, 9 Reiss Price; 1 James Burgoyne, 2 Conor Thorneycroft, 3 Clarkson Mcleod, 4 Nick Murphy, 5 Ben Meakin (C), 6 Kieran Henderson, 7 Adam Shaw, 8 Louis Mifsud.
Replacements | 16 Jonjo Fanning, 17 James Weaver, 18 George Jewell, 19 Paul Sumner 20 Joe Jenkins.
*Bournville Blues face Old Yardleians in a crunch Counties Three Midlands West (South) match at Avery Fields on Saturday (2.15pm).
The Blues are third in the table, just four points adrift of league leaders Woodrush, and one place above Old Yardleians who won at Tilehouse Lane earlier in the season.
Centre Joe Nellany will again captain the Blues as he continues his comeback from injury with Poland Under-20s prop Kuba Kijak set to make his first appearance in a year off the bench.
Bournville Blues | 15 Niall Demel; 14 Liam Turner, 13 Jack Mitchell, 12 Joe Nellany (C), 11 Luka Rajkovic; 10 Alex Warner, 9 George Ayliffe; 1 Kurtis Payne, 2 Sean Kimberley, 3 Kieran McGuire, 4 Sam Beckford, 5 Harry Belcher, 6 Will Taylor, 7 Bhairaj Rai, 8 Ben Harper.
Replacements | 16 Kuba Kijak, 17 Jamie Avery, 18 Chris Crutchley, 19 Kristers Krupenciks.
