Rotherham Titans are all set and fully prepared to be tested on Saturday when they welcome joint top-of-the-league side Ampthill to Clifton Lane for a 2pm kick-off.
Following two disappointing away defeats to Plymouth Albion and Chinnor, Rotherham will be delighted to be back home and eager to get back on the winning trail.
However, the visitors have ambitions to be playing Championship rugby next term and they will have their own agenda when they make their first-ever visit to Clifton Lane.
Going into the match Titans have made 3 changes to the starting XV which lost 48-35 to Chinnor last time out.
Along the backline; at full back Tom Allott is given the nod over Alex Dolly who drops to the bench and at outside centre Jamie Cooke returns from a hand injury, allowing Seb Nagle-Taylor to return to his pack duties at number 8.
Zak Poole accommodates his return by moving across to the openside for Tom Cotterill and rounding off the changes Dan Preston-Routledge comes back into the second row for Kieran Frost.
Commenting ahead of the game, Titans Joe Barker explained, “It was very disappointing to lose at Chinnor last week as we played some really good rugby and were very dominant in parts. I said after the game that I thought in attack at times we played some of the best rugby that we’ve seen here at Rotherham in quite a while and I stick by that.
“However, we made some skill errors and it was those errors that let us down. It wasn’t anything to do with our systems or how we played in certain areas, or even our decision making; it was simple skill errors which cost us and that’s an area where we need to improve.
“Certainly against Ampthill we will need to be better because they are a very good side, as being joint top-of-the-league would suggest. They are a big side and they will be physical, they will also be very strong up front, allied to that they have some electric backs behind them.
“So we know it’s going to be a big challenge, but it’s a challenge that excites us and it’s one we are very much looking forward to.”
Titans: 15 Tom Allott, 14 Dan Leake, 13 Jamie Cooke, 12 Harry Dunne, 11 Connor Field, 10 Joe Barker, 9 Connor Dever, 1 Dan Richardson, 2 Jack Bergmanas, 3 Will Dennis, 4 Dan Preston-Routledge, 5 Jamie Ure, 6 Luis Ball, 7 Zak Poole, 8 Seb Nagle-Taylor (Capt.).
Replacements: 16 Ali Thomson, 17 Jessie Williams, 18 Rikki Stout, 19 Tom Cotterill, 20 Alex Dolly.
