Western Morning News (Saturday)
Johnson hoping to cross more players off lengthy injury list
Coaches want players to ‘showcase’ Championship’s merits against fallen giants
TORQUAY United manager Gary Johnson will be hoping to have a few players back from injury for today’s home game against Hartlepool United – but he isn’t giving away any inside team news.
Sutton United’s 3-2 win against Bromley on Tuesday night means Torquay’s lead at the top of the National League has been cut to a single point, and Sutton have two games in hand.
So three points against Hartlepool, who are third, another two points behind but with one more game played, will be crucial in the race for promotion.
Last week, when the Gulls were knocked out of the FA Trophy after losing 1-0 at Woking, there were 16 players unavailable. All bar four – Scott Boden, Olaf Koszela, Louie Slough and James Hamon, who were cup-tied – were injured. Since then defender Fraser Kerr has signed for Chesterfield after being released, but Shaun MacDonald will be back after his one-game suspension.
“We are getting closer,” Johnson said, when asked about the injury list and the possibility of any players being fit in time for Saturday. “That’s all I can say each week. Unfortunately, supporters probably won’t get to know who is fit enough to play until the kick off.
“I know they would like to know before, but sometimes I don’t know, and as we speak on a Thursday, we haven’t trained yet and we have got to train tomorrow. So that gives some injured players that are close another couple of days to make their minds up as to whether they are ready.”
The last time Torquay met Hartlepool was in front of the BT Sport cameras on October 31, winning 5-0 with Danny Wright scoring a hattrick and the other goals coming from Ben Whitfield and Gary Warren.
Since then, Hartlepool have improved with manager Dave Challinor changing his squad about and the two teams that meet today will be very different.
How Johnson will wish, however, he could have Wright up front – but the striker is still about a month away following his hamstring operation. Boden, on loan from Chesterfield, may get the chance ahead of Billy Waters, or Johnson could opt for two up front with Josh Umerah also available for that position.
“The players will know that this can be a totally different game,” said the manager. “We have got different players out on the pitch and and they have got different players out on the pitch.
“He [Challinor] has made a big play on bringing players in, if you like, since our game, and I think since our game they haven’t lost at home.
“But at the same time, it’s another six pointer, even though it is still early season, because they are so close to us, and it would be nice to put a little bit more space between us.”
Meanwhile, Torquay will get another week to recover after Saturday because Aldershot Town’s visit on Tuesday night has been postponed because of a case of Covid-19 at the Hampshire club.
CORNISH Pirates joint head coach Alan Paver says the team want to ‘showcase what they are about’ when they take on Saracens at home on the first day of the Greene King IPA Championship season today.
This season the Championship has been split into two conference divisions and Pirates will play their first competitive game for more than a year against the former Premiership and European champions who were ‘demoted’ last season because of financial irregularities.
Pirates warmed up for day one with a home friendly against Jersey Reds last weekend, which they won 26-13 with youngster Luke Scully, who joined on loan from Cardiff Blues, the star of the show.
But Saracens will be a different challenge, with their final friendly a 47-12 win against Coventry with players like fly-half Manu Vunipola in the team and winger Alex Lewington scoring a hat-trick of tries.
Paver said: “Knowing that we are playing Saracens at home in our Championship opener gives us an opportunity to showcase what we are about, and it should be a very good game.
“I am sure our selected players will give their all and be keen and motivated to give a good account of themselves, both individually and collectively.
“Only recently in the Trailfinders Challenge Cup competition, Ealing Trailfinders have given Saracens a fright by winning twice, which lets them know a little of what the Championship is about.”
The club has announced fly halfcentre Javier Rojas Alvarez will not be returning to Cornwalll but young fly-half prospect Harry Bazalgette was another player to join the club last week and make his debut against Reds. The 22-year-old former has played senior rugby for Wimborne and Exeter University in recent seasons.
Meanwhile, Argentine Nicolas De Battista, who will miss today’s clash having picked up an injury against Jersey, has been named as club captain for the season. Co-head coach Gavin cattle said: “Nico is no stranger in the role of leadership, and he is a real asset to the team.
“We have witnessed in the past that he is someone who keeps calm when the pressure is on, his character such that when the going gets tough you can always count on him.
“These are special traits, and reason perhaps that during these tough times he has also shown himself to be unwavering throughout.”
In the absense of De Battista, No. 8 Tom Duncan takes on the skipper role. Callum Patterson is also unavailable after suffering an injury in the friendly against Jersey.
There will be no fans in Mennaye Field for the game because of the current coronavirus restrictions – but Pirates fans will be able to watch the game via the club’s new livestreaming service.
Live streaming has been a success in football while fans are forced to stay at home and it will now play an important part in the lives of rugby supporters all over the country. Pirates XV: 15 Maliq Holden, 14 Robin Wedlake, 13 Rory Parata, 12 Shae Tucker, 11 Alex O’Meara, 10 Luke Scully, 9 Jean-Baptist Bruzulier; 1 Marlen Walker, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Jay Tyack, 4 Fa’atiga Lemalu, 5 Danny Cutmore, 6 Josh Caulfield, 7 John Stevens, 8 Tom Duncan (captain). Replacements: Jack Andrew, Tom Channon, Sam Rodman, Matt Bolwell, Antonio Kiri Kiri, Rhodri Davies, Harry Bazalgette, Tommy Wyatt.