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South Wales Scorpions are looking for their only double of the season when they entertain Oxford at Caerphilly RFC this Sunday (kick-off 3pm).

The match is just one third of a #BigDayOut that sees Scorpions’ Development side take on an Irish RL Select at noon, whilst the domestic Welsh Grand Final between Aber Valley Wolves and Bridgend Blue Bulls takes place at 4.45pm.

 

Scorpions didn’t have a game last week but a few of their players had run outs for community sides, whilst others had a well-deserved week’s break.

 

Coach Phil Carleton said: “We had some bumps and bruises so it was nice to give the boys a rest but after that win it would have been good to play. But we’ve used the time efficiently so it shouldn’t count against us.

 

“I’ve been keeping a close eye on all the teams in that bottom seven. Oxford have had a couple of wins but also some tough losses as well. We know it’s not going to be easy this weekend but at the same time we’re expecting to put in a performance and hopefully we’ll win.”

 

After a couple of good wins Oxford lost 62-18 at home to Newcastle Thunder last week.

 

Their coach Tim Rumford said: “Newcastle, a team with plenty of experience, just rolled us in the middle. Our forwards were far too weak and weren’t willing to put their shoulders to the metal and their outside backs just bounced us on the edges. If you don’t turn up against teams like that with the right attitude, it’s going to be a long afternoon.

 

“Earlier in the season we lost to South Wales and it was probably our most disappointing defeat of the season. They are a real honest, hard-working side and as a club and a team that have come on in leaps and bounds.

 

“They keep the ball in the middle quite a lot and are very direct and they become hard to deal with if you’re not prepared to tackle them as hard as they want to run.

 

“If we don’t turn up with a real good attitude and really want to whack them about in the middle especially, we’ll be in for another tough afternoon. We need to produce our best to get anything out of the game.”

 

Neither side have any dual registration players but Alex Davidson and Jamie Murphy still continue to star for the Scorpions on their loan spell from Gloucestershire All Golds, whilst Aaron Nicholson and Chris Cullimore, on loan from Keighley Cougars to Oxford, will be two of their men to watch.

 

Scorpions’ Development side head coach Paul Emanuelli says that his side will get a big test against the touring Ireland side, in the first game of the day at noon.

 

Emanuelli took his side over to Dublin to face Longhorns earlier this season, winning 24-6, and many of those players are expected to visit Wales in the return game on Sunday.

 

“It’s great we have sorted another huge game for the lads against international opposition,” he said. “I’d like to thank Casey Dunne over in Dublin for organising the opposition, it’s great to continue to connect with likeminded people in another country who want to help progress the game of Rugby League. It was a tough game out there and I’m sure that Sunday will be no different.”

 

The Welsh Grand Final sees Aber Valley Wolves and Bridgend Blue Bulls meet for the third year in a row but this time it’s the Senghenydd-based side who will go into the game as favourites after topping the table in the regular season.

 

However their coach Bobby Andrews is well aware that Bridgend are the only side to have beaten them this season.

 

He said: “The guys are in good shape and looking forward to Sunday’s final. Numbers have been great in training and picking a 20-man squad is going to be very difficult for the coaching group. It’s been a stop and start end to the season with two games cancelled, but we have got a good core of experienced players who give us continuity.

 

“We are all square with the Bulls after winning at home and losing away. Every game is exciting and high scoring so I am expecting a roller coaster come Sunday that hopefully we will nudge.”

 

Bridgend’s team manager Stephen Smith is equally looking forward to the clash.

 

“We are excited about the game on Sunday to cap a great day of rugby league in Caerphilly,” he said. “It’s Been a good year for the club new and old faces appearing.

 

“We have set a foundation for the junior sides to develop next year but now we are considering on a deadly Wolves side who looking strong again this year and we hope to have an exciting game again.”

 

 

SCORPIONS SQUAD	SPONSOR	TWITTER
2 Ian Newbury	NatWest	@iannewbury
3 Kyle Scrivens	Body Balance Sports and Hollistic Therapies	@scriv15
7 Paul Emanuelli	Sian Golden Translation and HG Landscapes Ltd	@10PAULO
9 Connor Farrer	Gareth and Julie Laugharne and OJH Building Services	C Farrer
10 Izaak Duffy	Duffy and Co Solicitors	@IzaakDuffy
13 Chris Vitalini	www.ianlovell.com	C Vitalini
14 Osian Phillips	9-3 Change Management	@Osian_Phillips
16 Dafydd Hellard	Mark Haynes – Norfolk Bull	@dafhell
19 Kristian Baller	Mirmidon Ltd	@kballer1987
20 Anthony Symons	King Construction Consultants	A Symons
21 Scott Gregory	Castle Health Ltd	@scottgregs12
22 Christiaan Roets	United Konsultants Ltd	@roetsy458
23 Barrie Phillips	United Konsultants Ltd	@bizzalkicks
24 Zak Williams	AG Williams Building Maintenance and Forces Fitness	@wzak77
25 Sion Jones	Statstoner Cardiff	@Sionjon1997
27 Courtney Davies	United Konsultants Ltd	@CourttDavies7
28 Alex Davidson	On loan from All Golds	@AlexDavidson29
30 Jamie Murphy	On loan from All Golds	@themurphyman

 

OXFORD (from)

Scott Fleming

Josh Nathaniel

Marcus Brooker

Harvey Burnett

Luke Gardiner

Casey Canterbury

Nathan Kitson

Ryan Backhouse

Danny Allan

Mark Hayes

Curtis Macdonald

Andrew Hoggins

Jack Pickles

Chris Cullimore

Daniel Igbinedion

Aaron Nicholson

Harry Griffith

Adam Flintham

Adam Withington

 

 

Scorpions’ Development Side to play Ireland Select

1. Rhys Gant
2. Lewis Willicot
3. Ben Jones (Captain)
4. Josh Stafford-Smith
5. Lewis Hughes
6. Shane Lee
7. Cobi Green
8. Jake Thomas
9. Macauley Harris
10. Rhys Davies
11. Mike Edwards
12. Lloyd Selby Smith
13. Ethan Coombes
14. Huw Parks
15. Matt Williams
16. Sam Buckthought
17. Lloyd Bodman
18. Josh Williams

 

What do you think?

 

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