Rotherham Titans travel to Loughborough Students on Saturday as they look to register their first away success in National League 1; kick-off at the University Stadium is 3pm.
Following their late and dramatic win over Sale FC last weekend, Rotherham are looking to register back-to-back victories and climb out of the bottom half of the table, as their new squad begins to settle as a group.
However, despite the university-based side currently languishing at the bottom of the pile, narrow defeats to Ampthill and Cambridge demonstrate they can compete with the better sides in the division.
Going into the game Titans have made four changes to the starting XV that beat Sale, with two in the backs and two in the forwards.
Along the back line Ellis Abrahams, fresh from scoring the winning points from the bench last week, starts at inside centre as Joe Barker moves across to fly half, with Callum Irvine occupying a bench spot. Whilst on the wing Connor Field returns from injury and comes in for the injured Jamie Cooke.
In the pack, Canadian Conor Keys has been called up for international duty and is replaced in the second row by Tom Cotterill, who impressed last week from the bench. The final change see Titans latest squad addition, Eru Smith-Wano come into the back row as Luis Ball is given a well-deserved rest.
Speaking ahead of the game Titans Joe Barker said, “We were really pleased with our victory against Sale as they put out a very good side, but all credit to the lads, they stuck at their task, showed bags of character and eventually ran out worthy winners.
“We are still learning as a group, but if we are to have the season we set out to have then we need to improve our consistency and start to pick up points away from home.
“We know Loughborough are a very decent side despite what the league table may say, but we believe as a group if we can perform to our potential we’ll give ourselves an opportunity to pick up the result we all want.”
Titans: 15 Alex Dolly, 14 Henry Roberts, 13 Harry Dunne, 12 Ellis Abrahams, 11 Connor Field, 10 Joe Barker, 9 Connor Dever, 1 Dan Richardson, 2 Ali Thomson, 3 Will Dennis, 4 Dan Preston-Routledge, 5 Tom Cotterill, 6 Eru Smith-Wano, 7 Zak Poole, 8 Seb Nagle-Taylor (Capt.).
Replacements: 16 Jack Bergmanas, 17 Rikki Stout, 18 Jamie Ure, 19 Luis Ball, 20 Callum Irvine.
