Plymstock Albion Oaks Return

The weather did its part to make rugby a difficult game to play when Bude visited St Ives last weekend. The cold and wet seems to be on tomorrow’s menu for the visit of current front runners in the Counties 1 Western West league, Plymstock Albion Oaks. Those who have already booked a place for the pre-match Christmas lunch will be well fed and ‘warmed up’ to spectate The Hakes’ toughest challenge since playing Truro in the county KO cup in October. Despite the anticipated poor weather, the match deserves a good turn-out. At the start of the season PAOs ran out winners by 38 to 26.

Our visitors played host to second placed Kingsbridge last week and won convincingly if the score (44:22) is anything to go by. They have amassed an average of over four points a game in their eleven league fixtures thus far, with eleven try bonus points. Their only loss away from home was one point (27:26) against Tavistock. The two sides last met at The Recreation Ground in April 2016, at the end of a successful season for The Hakes. They gained a hefty win and promotion to Western Counties West. Plymstock Albion Oaks finished in fourth place, having won promotion from Devon 1 in the previous season. The club moved from Devon 2 in 2003 and then spent several years in Devon 1 before further promotion to Cornwall & Devon for the start of the season in 2008. Two years later saw them returning to Devon 1 until promotion to Cornwall & Devon brought the two teams together. National changes to the league system created Counties 1 Western West in 2022-23. Thus, after over seven years the clubs face each other again.

Kick off is at 2:30pm. We hope to see a good crowd.

Squad selection for the match. Below is the reserve side selected to take on Perranporth at 2:00pm.