Calladine confident new boys will bed in
ROTHERHAM head to Cornish Pirates today looking to end a 10-game losing streak dating back to January this year.
Following on from a dismal end to last season, the Titans have scored only three tries and conceded 16 at the start of this season, losing to the unfancied Nottingham and Hartpury College as well as suffering a humbling 44-0 defeat to arch-rivals Doncaster.
With a new coach arriving in Andy Key and a raft of new signings made over the summer, captain Tom Calladine admits it was always going to take time for last year’s cellar dwellers to gel.
But the back rower is aware of the need for a confidence-boosting performance ahead of what already looks like a crucial home game against Richmond next Saturday. The Titans captain told
The Rugby Paper: “We’ve had to field as many as 10 new players in the starting line-up each week and when that comes in combinations, between your hooker and second rows or your nines and 10s, then it does take time to bond.
“During pre-season, you think you might be looking alright but when you’re in a match situation and under the pump, I guess you can’t fall back to anything because the familiarity isn’t there.
“But hopefully we’ll be able to get those combinations right and people will start working well together in the next block of games before the B&I Cup kicks in.
“Pirates have lost their first three games as have we, so neither of us have had the start we’d have wanted. Hopefully playing them early in the season means we’ll be able to catch them out and get a win.
“If we can get out of the rut that we are in by winning away to the Pirates, I think that would be a massive victory for us especially going into Richmond at home.”
Titans have made three changes to the starting XV with winger Ben Foley in for Drew Cheshire whilst in the pack Tom Williams is given the nod over Toby Williams at loose head prop and Irish hooker Jonny Murphy starts his first game, as Luke Cole drops to the bench.
Pirates lost to Jersey last time out – their third on the spin – and need a win to get their campaign up and running.
Prop Christian Judge and flanker Dan Lee are handed their first Championship starts of the season, whilst hooker James Fish, who is dual registered with Northampton Saints, will be keen to make his debut appearance for the Pirates off the bench.
Head coach Gavin Cattle has said: “Despite three defeats the boys are really developing and have put in some good performances.
“We are also aware the Titans are improving as a new group of players, and with a number of big units in their squad, we expect them to by physical. For us, though, it’s about maintaining a focus and getting right certain aspects of our game.
“Both teams are in the same boat, striving for that first win, and we must back ourselves playing at home.”