Chinnor have dropped their leading scorer, Ed Keohane, to the bench for tomorrow’s tough match away to second-placed Dorking in National 2 South.
A prolfic goalkicker, Keohane started this season at fly half, but has been switched to the wing in recent matches because of the form of Sam Angell at half back.
Chinnor’s director of rugby, Matt Williams, whose side beat leaders Henley 28-21 in a pulsating match before Christmas, said there were two factors behind Keohane’s demotion.
“First, Sam Angell is a formidable goal-kicker, and secondly wing is not Ed’s best position,” he said. “So I’ve gone for a backline which has the best attacking potential.”
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So Reuben Haile and Martin Nutt have been brought in to start on the wing. In the only other change from the side that beat Henley, Simone Carloni replaces Rikki Cano in the front row.
Chinnor are sixth, 16 points behind Henley and Worthing, but Williams has not ruled out promotion.
“It’s a long shot,” he said. “It all depends on what happens this month when we travel to Dorking and Worthing. A couple of wins and we could be right in the hunt.”
Henley’s head coach, Pete Davies, has rung the changes for their match at home to lowly Lydney.
Only six players, who started against Chinnor – their second straight defeat after 14 straight wins – keep their places.
Piers O’Connor (full back), wings Lloyd Owen and Xavier Andre, return to the backline, in which London Irish scrum half Conor Murphy will start, having been restricted to the role of replacement by his parent club against Chinnor.
Dave Manning returns at loose head, while the back row sees Tom Hall switching from No 7 to No 6.
This reflects the loss of Ryan Newman, who has returned to New Zealand after an outstanding contribution to Hawks over the last five years.
Making his debut at No 7 is Tom Steindle, while versatile Oskar Horskyj-Douglas comes in at No 8.
Oxford Harlequins will have a new half-back partnership for their first visit to Chard in National 3 South West.
Kristian Northwick steps up to fly half to link up with scrum half Ethan Carlisle.
Keni Fisilau reverts to his normal centre spot and Ed Yeats returns to the wing after injury.
Changes up front see flanker Richard Battson switch to blindside, with Jonathan Miller return after injury to openside.
TOMORROW'S LINE-UPS
Chinnor (v Dorking, away, 2.15): Olley, Nutt, Hayes, Fatialofa, Haile, Angell, Jones, Cambareri, Williams, Carloni, Manning, Salmon, Tibbatts, Long, To’oala (capt). Reps: Cano, McKee, Molitika, Boughton, Haile.
Henley Hawks (v Lydney, home, 3): O’Conor, Andre, Pierrepoint, Eastwell, Owen, Comben, Murphy, Manning, Edgson, Titchfield, Clements, Woodward, Hall, Steindler, Hirskyj-Douglas. Reps: Milford Scott, Coghlan, O’Leary, Randall, Allen.
Oxford Harlequins (v Chard, away, 2.30): Avery, Yeats, Sharratt, Fisilau, Robinson, Borthwick, Carlisle, Marshall, Cowan, Boulton, Brown (capt), Purchase, Miller, Battson, Willcocks. Reps: Barlow, Neal, Etheridge, Primett, Ward, Hill, Tierney.
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