Albion looking to bounce back after disappointing performance away to Bishop’s Stortford.
Albion will be looking to put the disappointing loss to Bishop’s Stortford to one side this weekend as they face Rotherham Titans at the Brickfields.
The performance against Bishop’s Stortford was ‘lack lustre’ in comparison to the recent performances that had seen Albion win 7 of their previous 8 games.
Commenting on the team performance, Head Coach, Kieran Hallett, had this to say; “As a team we were bitterly disappointed by the loss to Bishop’s Stortford. It was clear to see that our energy levels were just not there and when playing against an in-form side, a poor result is inevitable. The errors that we made throughout the game, in both defence & attack, meant we were punished.”
However, it’s a known fact that Kieran doesn’t dwell on poor results and has been working with the team to ensure they are ready for the upcoming game against Rotherham this weekend.
When the two sides last met back in October 2018, away at Rotherham, the win against Albion was the fifth consecutive win for newly relegated Rotherham Titans and although Albion put up a good fight, they were unable to break their winning streak.
Commenting ahead of this weekend’s game, Hallett said; “After losing like we did last week to Bishop’s, I’d expect an emotional response by the lads. This situation is similar to when we lost heavily to Ampthill in January, following that the boys stepped up and produce three wins on the bounce, so I’ll be looking for the same response this time.”
The game is expected to be a physical encounter and with the season in the final third, both teams will be looking to pick up the honours on the day.
The Albion team sees several changes this week, which Kieran simply responded with; “Given the performance last week, changes are to be expected, you can’t put in a performance like that and not expect consequences.”
There is some great news for the fans though, Dan Pullinger is back in the starting line-up following a shoulder injury that initially seemed as though it would force him out of the squad for the rest of the season. Kieran said; “None of us thought he’d be back, but credit to him, he’s worked hard on his recovery & rehabilitation and is fit to return to the first XV.”
The timing for Dan couldn’t have been more perfect, as at the age of just 24, this will be Dan’s 100th cap for Plymouth Albion.
First XV:
- James Kenny, 2. Ashlee Crouch, 3. Dan Pullinger, 4. Lewis Pearson, 5. Dan Swain, 6. George Mills, 7. Flynn Elworthy, 8. Herbie Stupple, 9. Cam Setter, 10. Connor Eastgate, 11. Jon Dawe, 12. Dean Squire, 13. Seta Raumakita, 14. Jack Arnott, 15. Matt Shepherd
Replacements:
- Davy McGregor, 17. Will Norton, 18. Rusi Tuima, 19. Joe Snow, 20. Dan Powell
The game kicks off at the Brickfields this Saturday 16th Feb at 3pm.
