Honiton travel to Paignton on Saturday in the third league game of the campaign. Honiton have won 2 of 2, but there is no real yardstick for the Lacemen, with Liskeard not having played last week, and OPM not having played on the opening weekend; Honiton don’t really know where they stand.

Paignton started the campaign with a decent home win against Falmouth, and then a narrow loss in Penzance, which does give out some mixed messages.

The league will begin to seperate the haves and have nots this week, especially for Honiton. It’s been sometime since the two sides last met. I recall that it was in Devon and Cornwall many years ago. I remember that Honiton had just been promoted from Devon 1, and it may have even been the opening weekend. Honiton battled valiantly down there, with the game highlighted with a Nathan Hannay chest on chest moment with their massive bearded prop. The collision nearly de-railed the train at the nearby station I seem to recall. We went down by a score or two.

On the return at Allhallows, I was on the bench or injured and Paignton really turned up. They were professional, at the top of the league and clearly on their way up out of the division. They got down to the bottom twenty two line on one particular break, were a bit disorganised, didn’t panic, slowed it down, got personel back where they were supposed to be and went again, and I thought, that’s good. I always remember that, you play at a pace that suits you, at what ever circumstance.

Withy play Boode this week, in an early season 1st vs 3rd clash. That will be an interesting one.

Team News

Harrison, Price, Goulden front row. Guilbert skippers from the row with Lane. Hannay returns to six with Small at seven and Rice at eight.

Locke comes in at nine with Oaten at ten. Caniford and Coutts are in the centres, with Keep coming in on one wing, Bennett on the other and Webber moving to full back.

Bench: Huskins, Doidge, Tatlock

Wos On

The Scots have come to their senses, or 55% of them have. Salmond OUT!

Wos on will have to be done later. Busy busy here.