Rotherham Titans expect to be tested on Saturday when they host Hull Ionians in a rearranged game in Nat 2 North; kick-off at Clifton Lane is 2pm.
Following the disappointment of losing to Wharfedale last week, Rotherham will hope with a few players back in contention for selection, they will be able to give high-flyers Hull Ionians a run for their money.
Ionians currently sit third in the league and will arrive at Clifton Lane full of confidence, having beaten the Titans earlier in the season at Brantingham Park and having notched an impressive 36-21 win away at Tynedale last time out, running in 6 tries.
Going into the game Roth have made five changes to their starting XV, three of which come in the pack.
In the front row Gareth Denman comes in at tighthead for Danny Rylance, in the second row Theo Nwosu-Hope comes in for Lewis Allan and skipper Zak Poole returns to the back row for Aydan Godden.
Across the backline Callum Bustin comes back in at inside centre, as Luckas Sableman-Blue moves on to the wing for George Tucker and new signing Tomasi Tanumi from Hull starts at outside centre, as Lloyd Hayes moves to fly half and Connor Dever to scrum half for Sam Boxhall.
Speaking ahead of the match Titans head coach, Gary Pearce said:
“We’ve got a number of our lads back and we’re hoping to replicate the performance we put in at Fylde, but hopefully this time we can get on the right side of the result.
“Hull Ionians are a very good all round side that are very well coached and very well organised.
“In Joe Makin they have a great servant who’s been there a long time and he does some coaching too. They are pretty well drilled up front, they have a good set-piece, in particularly the line out and in behind they have threats.
“They have a good pairing at half back that has played at a good level for some time and they are very accomplished and then obviously with Lewis Minikin and Jack Townend they have players who offer a massive threat from all over the park and we can’t forget Sam Wilson who has a lot of speed.
“Ionians are probably the second best all-round team in the division just behind Sedgley Park, but not too far behind and they play a nice style of rugby too; so it should be an entertaining game.
“We know what lies ahead and we know it’s going to be tough, but if we can show the same effort, commitment and power up front, as we did against Fylde and combine that with a real keenness for defence, then I think we can push them very close.
“This is another opportunity for the lads to come out and show us just what they’re made of and that’s what I want to see. I want to see bags of effort, bags of commitment and bags of enthusiasm and to really play for themselves and for the club.
“We are at home and we want to give our supporters something to shout about.”
Titans: 15 Sam Veall, 14 Jack Taylor, 13 Tomasi Tanumi, 12 Callum Bustin, 11 Luckas Sableman-Blue, 10 Lloyd Hayes, 9 Connor Dever, 1 Charlie Capps, 2 Jack Bergmanas, 3 Gareth Denman, 4 Matt Challinor, 5 Theo Nwosu-Hope, 6 Marcus Payne, 7 Rupert Kay, 8 Zak Poole (Capt.).
Replacements: 16 Tom Richardson, 17 Danny Rylance, 18 Lewis Allan, 19 George Tucker, 20 Sam Boxhall.
