Sprules looking for a big finish

DORCHESTER head coach Mike Sprules hopes to bring the curtain down on his tenure with victory at home to high-flying North Dorset(3pm).

Sprules is stepping down from the county town helm after three years in charge and wants to mark the occasion in style.

He said: “It was all a bit strange at training and there were a few comments about it being the last one together.

“It does feel a bit odd but I won’t worry about that until after the game as the main concern is trying to get a win.

“In three years together we’ve gone up from Dorset & Wilts One South and consolidated our position in Southern Counties South. It would be nice to finish on a high.”

Standing in the hosts’ way tomorrow are third-placed North Dorset.

Sprules, who will be without the services of Lee Harvey, Matt Read and Ben Hunt added: “North Dorset have strung together some good results but hopefully we will give a good account of ourselves.

Also after 18 seasons, Rob Hodges after will be playing his last game of rugby for Dorchester tomorrow.

Sprules ready to step down

MIKE Sprules is keener than ever to see his Dorchester side end the season on a high – after revealing he will be stepping down as head coach.

The county town boss took over from predecessor Chris Burton after Dorchester suffered relegation from Southern Counties South in April 2009.

Sprules then led the Coburg Road outfit to the Dorset & Wilts One South title at the first attempt before consolidating their place in Southern Counties South with a sixth-placed finish last term.

But he is due to bow out at the close of the current campaign.

Sprules, whose side host Frome tomorrow afternoon (2.30pm), said: “I went straight into coaching after my playing career was stopped by injury so I’ve not had a break since 1985.

“I’m going to step back for a couple of years as I’ve also got a new business venture that I need to dedicate time to.

“I will still be involved with the club but it’s even more significant, from a personal point of view, to finish the season on a big high.”

Toby Waddington and Rob Hodges are both on holiday but Rich Bament, Matt Read and John Warren all return for tomorrow’s encounter.

Sprules added: “We had a good old game at their place earlier in the season and it was one we felt we should have won, so we’re hoping to make a better show of ourselves this time.”

Revenge is on the menu for Sprules

HEAD coach Mike Sprules is eager to show Sherborne the real Dorchester when the two rivals lock horns at Coburg Road tomorrow (2.30pm).

The county town outfit suffered a narrow 30-25 defeat in the reverse fixture earlier this season – a match in which Sprules felt his side failed to reach their usual high standards.

But victory for Dorchester tomorrow could hoist them to fifth position in Southern Counties South as well as avenge that disappointment.

Sprules, who is expected to welcome back Tom Bamlett, said: “We went there before Christmas and lost a game we should have won. Sherborne didn’t see the best of us then.

“Everyone’s bunched up in the middle of the table so a win could open up a gap. We finished sixth last year, so anything better than that would be great.”

Dorchester need to bounce back after defeat to Salisbury last week

Dorchester need to bounce back from three successive reversals and tomorrow visit a rejuvenated Devizes in Southern Counties South (2.30pm).

Head coach Mike Sprules said: “They have had a bit of a resurgence in the last month and they beat Corsham away.

“It’s never easy going to Devizes and winning but we really need to do it after a couple of losses.”

Reflecting on last weekend’s 40-14 defeat to runaway leaders Salisbury, Sprules added: “If you take away the first 20 minutes, we played some of the best rugby we have played all season.

“Salisbury are a class side and they punished every mistake we made, but we showed them far too much respect.”

County town out to topple leaders

DISLOCATED SHOULDER: Jamie Morgan

Dorchester face the unenviable task of welcoming runaway leaders Salisbury to Coburg Road tomorrow afternoon (2.30pm).

The Wiltshire outfit are unbeaten in 15 Southern Counties South encounters, notching an average of 48 points per game and conceding just seven at the same rate.

Head coach Mike Sprules admits his men face an uphill challenge but is determined to see them become the first side to inflict defeat on tomorrow’s visitors.

He said: “Salisbury have drawn with Oldfield Old Boys and beaten everyone else quite convincingly.

“You have to be concerned about their ability but you can’t be too worried about it. You can only play your own game to the best of your ability.

“We sent one of our coaches to watch them recently and we’ve picked up some details about their strengths.

“The longer we hang on to the ball the less they can do with it, but that’s easier said than done.

“It would be nice to become the first team to beat them but we’ll have to be at our best.”

Jamie Morgan looks set to miss the remainder of the season after dislocating his shoulder in last week’s 24-16 defeat to – Dorchester’s first home loss of the season.

Rich Bament (elbow) could also be out of action tomorrow but Sam Prior, Matt Read and Tom Bamlett are all in contention.

Fortress Coburg is put to the test

MISSING OUT: Dorchester’s Sam Prior is unavailable tomorrow

Dorchester will be out to protect their perfect record at Coburg Road when third-placed Corsham come to town.

The county town outfit are yet to be defeated on home turf and could overtake their opponents with victory in tomorrow’s Southern Counties South clash (2.30pm).

However, they will have to produce a better display than the one that saw them fall to a 40-7 loss in the last meeting between the two sides.

And with Corsham entering the match on the back of successive defeats, head coach Mike Sprules is keen to add to their misery.

He said: “They were going really well at the start of the year and they turned us over quite convincingly at their place.

“However, they have lost their last two games and hopefully we can capitalise on that.

“It’s a game we would dearly like to win because there are four teams all within five points of each other.

“So if we don’t pick up points tomorrow we could slip down the table.

“However, we are still unbeaten at home this season and we pride ourselves on that record.”

Matt Read and Sam Prior are unavailable but there is a welcome return for Ian Dixon.

Rich Bament faces a late fitness test on a troublesome elbow injury.

After last weeks derby success Dorchester face a stern test away to Oldfield Old Boys

Dorchester travel to Oldfield Old Boys in Southern Counties South (2.30pm), hoping to build on their derby-day triumph over Bridport.

The county town outfit ran out 16-7 winners at the Brewery Ground but are sure to face a much stiffer test tomorrow when they take on their second-placed opponents, who are undefeated in nine matches.

Head coach Mike Sprules said: “It’s going to be a tough old game and we are certainly going to have to be at our best to come away with something. But we are capable of doing it.”

Adam Makepeace (finger) is sidelined while Rich Bament (elbow) is doubtful. On a positive note, Matt Read is available once more.

Dorchester should be the stronger team but with local derbies that counts for nothing

Dorchester away to Bridport in local derby at the Brewery Ground tomorrow (2.15pm).

Mike Sprules said: “You can always chuck the form book out the window when it comes to derbies. We’ve played them at our place already so both teams know how each other plays, it might be a case of trying something different to catch the opposition by surprise.

“Given our league standing, we should be the stronger team but with local derbies that counts for nothing.”

Dorchester meanwhile, welcome back Rich Bament.

Relegation-threatened Bridport currently lie seven places and 36 points adrift of the county town side and were on the wrong end of a 32-19 verdict when the two teams last met in Southern Counties South.

However, Ninnim believes his troops are equipped to overturn their local rivals – providing they reach their full potential.

The Blues’ coach said: “I’m sure it will be a tight game and I think we can match them if we play to our potential. We are capable of winning, but it’s about how we perform on the day.

“It’s important that we get off to a good start. Recently we have not started well and when you are chasing the game it makes things difficult.

“But I expect us to be able to compete with Dorchester, who are very organised and are strong up front. They defend very well too, so we are going to have to be at our best to break them down.”

Ninnim revealed that Mike Pibworth is unavailable tomorrow but hopes to have Idris Croft and Nick Hill in his line-up, as well as Rob Sullivan and Ricky Stubbs, who are both nursing knocks.

Injuries force Sprules' hand

INJURY-HIT Dorchester are expected to make a host of changes for tomorrow’s visit of Bradford-on-Avon (2.30pm).

Last weekend’s 21-13 defeat at Frome was compounded by the loss of key men Tom Bamlett and Carl Mitchell.

The former tore a calf muscle during the game while the latter sustained a broken ankle.

With Jamie Morgan (shoulder) also sidelined and Rich Bament (arm) a major doubt, fringe players are set to be handed a chance to “stake a claim”.

Sprules, who hopes to welcome back Lee Harvey, said: “We will have quite a changed team this weekend as we’ve lost a few players. Tom and Carl are both long-term injuries and we’re not quite sure about Rich.

“Having said that, the guys who will be stepping in have all played first-team rugby and it’s a chance for them to stake a claim.

“We were looking to change things for this game anyway but our hand has been forced somewhat.”

Bradford-on-Avon are rooted to the foot of Southern Counties South with 12 defeats from as many outings.

Dorchester prepare to visit Frome in Southern Counties South (2.15pm)

Dorchester head coach Mike Sprules has called for more of the same from his charges as they prepare to visit Frome in Southern Counties South (2.15pm).

Despite falling to a narrow defeat at Trowbridge in their last outing, Sprules was pleased with his side’s display and is eyeing a repeat performance tomorrow afternoon.

Previewing the contest, in which Lee Harvey (ribs) remains sidelined, he said: “Frome have been a bit up and down this year and it’s difficult to work out why. A lot of their games have been close so perhaps things just aren’t going their way.

“We had a good game last weekend. I was disappointed with the performance against Marlborough the week before but the commitment was back on Saturday and it was a cracking game to watch. Hopefully we can carry that on tomorrow.”

Toughest test for Dorchester

Dorchester visit Trowbridge tomorrow (2.30pm) with head coach Mike Sprules warning his men to expect their “toughest test for a while”.

After a seven-week break, the county town outfit returned to Southern Counties South action with a comfortable bonus-point win over struggling Marlbor-ough.

However, Sprules is fully aware that his side must improve on that display if they are to get the better of their Wiltshire opponents.

He said: “When the season started they were looking to be one of the major teams so it will be our toughest for a while.

“We were fortunate to play one of the lesser teams in the league after such a long lay-off and we did enough to get a bonus-point win.

“But tomorrow will be a lot different, that’s for sure.”

Dorchester’s only doubt for tomorrow is centre Lee Harvey (ribs), who scored the opening try last week but injured himself at the same time.

Trio give Sprules New Year cheer

Dorchester will be boosted by the return of three key players as they kick-off the New Year with tomorrow’s visit of lowly Marlborough (2.30pm).

Rich Bament, Matt Read and Tom Bamlett have all recovered from injury and could line up in tomorrow’s 2011 curtain-raiser.

The county town outfit are strong favourites going into the Coburg Road clash having racked up 31 points in Southern Counties South to Marlborough’s four.

Dorchester also enjoyed a 44-26 win when the two sides last met, but head coach Mike Sprules is taking nothing for granted as his side prepare for their first game since November 20.

He said: “Marlborough beat Bridport at their place last month so they are no pushovers and if we don’t get back into the swing of things tomorrow then they could pose a few problems for us.

“The result at Bridport has given them a boost and a couple more points will pull them away from the bottom two.”

Sprules added: “It was good to see Rich and Matt train hard earlier in the week and with Tom also due to return we should hopefully be at full strength.”

Updated fixture list with the rearranged games added (in larger bold text)

Dorchester given a year-end target

ANKLE KNOCK: Adam Makepeace

HEAD coach Mike Sprules is urging Dorchester to sign off 2010 in style with a victory at much-fancied Oldfield Old Boys tomorrow (2.15pm).

The fifth-placed county town outfit, who have not contested a Southern Counties South fixture for a month, overturned Oldfield 36-20 in the reverse match earlier this season.

But Sprules is expecting a much tougher assignment this time round against a side full of confidence having compiled six straight victories and climbed to third.

Speaking to Echosport, he said: “I’ve heard rumours that Oldfield have picked up quite a few players from Bath Academy, which could explain their rise up the table.

“Last week they beat Corsham, who are a good team. But from our point of view the only thing we can do is focus on our own game, not theirs.

“We are pleased with how things have gone so far – we just need a bit more consistency. It would be nice to get a win under our belts before the Christmas break and finish the year on a high.”

Matt Read and Rich Bament remain sidelined through injury and have been joined on the treatment table by Adam Makepeace, who is nursing an ankle knock.

Sprules' secret to stop leaders

MIKE Sprules has devised a game plan that, if executed by his players tomorrow, could finally halt the charge of runaway leaders Salisbury.

Dorchester face their toughest test of the Southern Counties South season tomorrow as the table-topping Wiltshire outfit visit Coburg Road (2.30pm).

Salisbury have so far recorded nine wins from nine, scoring, on average, more than 45 points per game.

Asked how he was planning to stop the opposition, the county town head coach said: “They are flying high and are by far the strongest side in the league.

“But we have got as much information on them as we can and hopefully we’ve got a game plan that can halt their progress. If it comes off then I’m sure it will be close.

“It all depends on what the players’ heads are like on the day. Around 70 per cent of the game is played between the ears and if the attitude is right then we can give them a good game.

“We play well at home and people find it hard to take points off us.”

Injured duo Matt Read and Rich Bament are once again expected to miss out.

Re-arranged fixtures due to recent weather conditions

Dorchester also face Frome opposition in the form of the Somerset outfit’s first XV (2.30pm).

The county town side sit three places and nine points clear of tomorrow’s hosts but Frome are on the up following a dismal start to the Southern Counties South campaign.

Dorchester’s head coach Mike Sprules said: “Frome are usually very much near the top of the table so I was surprised to see them near the bottom earlier in the season.

“However, they are stringing some results together and it’ll be another tough one.

“Given the recent weather I don’t know what their pitch is like at the moment. However, given the forecast it will probably go ahead.”

Sprules is sweating on the fitness of Rich Bament (elbow) and Matt Read (hand).

Sprules out to end decade of despair

DORCHESTER will be looking to end a decade of despair when they visit near neighbours Sherborne tomorrow (2.30pm).

The county town outfit have failed to win at their Dorset rivals in more than 10 years but with the visitors sitting nine points clear of their opponents in the Southern Counties South table, head coach Mike Sprules is hopeful of a change in fortune.

He said: “It would be nice to do something about that record.

“The games between us are always good ones. We played very well at home last season but at their place we played poorly.

“I was very pleased with our second-half performance against Devizes last weekend and besides one tactical change, we’re keeping the same team for tomorrow’s game.

“Sherborne did lose their way a bit earlier in the season but they put 50 points past Devizes recently and 69 past Marlborough last Saturday, so they’ll be on a high tomorrow.”

Chris Miners is set to retain his place at hooker following an impressive display in last weekend’s 34-13 win over Devizes.

We’re out for revenge, says Dorchester coach Mike Sprules

The county town side were dumped out of the Dorset & Wilts Senior Vase by their Wiltshire rivals a month ago and will be out to make amends in tomorrow’s Southern Counties South encounter.

Mike Sprules’ charges will also be keen to return to winning ways following a 40-7 defeat at the hands of Corsham.

The head coach said: “We played Devizes in the cup and lost so to play them at home in the league is a good chance to see if we have come along.

“At home we will have a much better chance of getting a result.

“We lost quite badly against Corsham and although we beat Bridport recently, we didn’t play as well as we would have liked to.

“We’ve tried to analyse what we are letting slip and it’s probably a bit of complacency. Hopefully we can put that right against Devizes.

“We know that if we play the type of rugby we’re capable of then we can finish somewhere in the top four. It’s about maintaining that level of play.”

Dorchester welcome back Steve Hodgson and Paul Broadbent but are without the services of Tom Bamlett.

Sprules added: “Paul’s got a huge amount of enthusiasm and hopefully he will bring the best out of his second row partner Adam Makepeace.”

Points difference is all that separates Dorchester and their opponents Corsham

Buoyed by last week’s derby triumph over Bridport, Dorchester travel to fellow high-fliers Corsham in Southern Counties South (3pm).

Both sides enter the clash in fine form, with the county town outfit looking to enhance their five-match winning streak and Corsham hoping to notch a fifth successive victory of their own.

Points difference is all that separates the two teams in the table with the Wiltshire side second and Mike Sprules’ men third.

Derby pressure on Dorchester

Tom Bamlet returns to the line up

MIKE Sprules insists the pressure is all on his Dorchester side ahead of tomorrow’s derby date with Bridport (3pm).

The county town outfit hold home advantage for tomorrow’s clash and currently sit six places, and 14 points, clear of their near neighbours in Southern Counties South.

However, all that will “count for nothing” come tomorrow afternoon, according to head coach Sprules.

He said: “It’s nice to be involved in a local derby again and hopefully there’l be a good crowd.

“It’s still early days and league positions count for nothing in this sort of game. They’l be looking to raise their game in order to gain bragging rights and won’t worry about where we are in the league.

“They have been playing better in the last few games and we won’t be taking anything for granted.

“They’ve got nothing to lose while all the pressure is on us as we’re expected to win given our respective league positrons.

Opposite number Paul Ninnim admits his charges will need to be operating at their potential if they are to topple their local rivals.

Despite being hampered by a spate of injuries to players such as Tony Herbert, Rob Sullivan and Matt Butler, as well as un availabilities, Ninnim believes his players are more than capable of springing a surprise.

He said: “It’s a local derby and that adds something extra to the game, but to me it’s just another game that we need to get some points from.

“Dorchester are more settled than we are and that is shown in their league position. They have probably picked up a few new players since we last played them.

“I think it will be a close game, played at a fast pace. If we can get the right team out and match our potential then we have every chance of getting a result.”

Adam Makepeace and Tom Bamlett both return for the county town side, who are at full strength.

Captain's boost for county town

Dave Gower returns after injury

DORCHESTER welcome back influential captain Dave Gower for tomorrow’s Dorset & Wilts Senior Vase tie at Southern Counties South rivals Devizes (2.30pm).

The county town skipper was sidelined for a fortnight after suffering an eye injury in training, but is now back in contention.

Head coach Mike Sprules though, is faced with a selection dilemma. He explained: “It’s awkward as we’ve got a few players carrying knocks. The league is the most important thing but it is always nice to have a good cup run.

“Therefore I’m not too sure if we’re going to give some fringe players a run-out. Although the knocks are nothing serious, we have got some of the league’s top teams coming up and we want to be at full-strength.

“Dave Gower is back this week though, after getting the all-clear from the doctor. He got a finger in the eye during training and suffered a tear in his cornea, which put him out for two weeks. So it’s a bonus to have him back available, as well as Tom Bamlett.”

Of tomorrow’s opponents, Sprules added: “They have had a reasonable start to the season and won at Bridport last weekend, so hopefully I’l be able to have a chat with Bridport’s coach Paul Ninnim to find out a bit more about them.”

Mike Sprules has warned against complacency ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Southern Counties South Bradford-on-Avon.

Dorchester notched an impressive win over much-fancied Trowbridge last weekend but tomorrow face a side languishing at the foot of the table.

Sprules said: “We were really pleased with last Saturday’s result. It was probably our best performance in a long time but we need to prove it wasn’t just a flash in the pan.

“The difficult part is now maintaining that form and making sure the players don’t relax and think that tomorrow’s going to be an easy game because of where Bradford are in the table.

“If the players go there with the attitude that it’s going to be easy then there’s the chance they will catch a cold.

“It’s up to me to make sure they go out there and do a professional job.”

Dorchester’s Southern Counties South credentials come under scrutiny

Dorchester’s Southern Counties South credentials will come under scrutiny when they welcome much-fancied Trowbridge to Coburg Road tomorrow (3pm).

The sixth-placed county town outfit beat strugglers Marlborough 44-26 last weekend but will face a much sterner test against a side who boast an unblemished record.

Skipper Dave Gower is a doubt after picking up a shoulder injury and head coach Mike Sprules said: “At the beginning of the season we looked at Trowbridge and knew they would be very strong.

“But we tend to raise our game against better opposition and know that it would be a massive boost for us to come away with a positive result.

“We will assess Dave before making a decision on whether he plays or not. Obviously we want him to be in to be on the pitch, but we won’t play him if he is not right.”

Dorchester visit early strugglers Marlborough (3pm).

Tomorrow’s opponents are yet to open their account following defeats to Corsham and Devizes but county town head coach Mike Sprules remains cautious.

He said: “They came up last season from Dorset & Wilts One North having won all their games, while we played them in a cup match two years ago and lost so it might be that they are taking some time to find their feet this year.

“We were pleased with certain parts of our game last Saturday but we could do without shipping so many points. We are though, still very much a work in progress.”

Carl Mitchell and James Spensely return to the Dorchester line-up but Tom Bamlett (work commitments) and Jamie Morgan (collarbone) miss out.

Sprules calls for more cohesion

DORCHESTER head coach Mike Sprules is looking for more cohesion from his players when they host Oldfield Old Boys tomorrow (3pm).

The county town side suffered a 37-21 defeat at North Dorset in last Saturday’s Southern Counties South curtain-raiser, much to the disappointment of Sprules.

But they have the chance to rectify that result when the Old Boys, who narrowly lost out to Devizes, visit Coburg Road.

Sprules said: “We were disappointed with our performance last week. It was a game that we let slip.

“There was a lack of cohesion but hopefully we can put it behind us. We’ve been working hard in training and hopefully tomorrow we will play with more togetherness.

Asked about tomorrow’s opponents, the head coach added: “The thing with Oldfield is that you never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes they can be outstanding and other times they can be the complete opposite.”

Carl Mitchell is unavailable, so Tom Bamlett will play at number eight.

New look Dorchester start their campaign with a tricky visit away to North Dorset

Dorchester are set to hand debuts to fly-half Ben Hunt and number eight Carl Mitchell in tomorrow’s opening-day trip to North Dorset (3pm).

And head coach Mike Sprules is keen to see how the duo will fare in a tricky Southern Counties South encounter.

He said: “It’s not the easiest of starts as North Dorset seem to be in the top three or four each year. You’ve got to play everybody though and I’m looking forward to seeing how our new-look line-up goes.

“We’ve got a new fly-half in Ben, Carl was here towards the end of last season but we couldn’t get him registered in time, while Sam Prior is back in the area having just finished university.

“We have though lost James Rossiter, who’s off to university, and Adam Jones, who may be on the bench tomorrow but is due to go traveling soon.”

Another change in the county town line-up sees Simon Pengelley come in for the injured Matt Chalker (ankle).