Derby facing changes for crunch clash
HEAD coach Roxy Fearon has been forced to ring the changes for Derby RFC going into tomorrow’s crunch away game against Oundle.
Third-placed Derby are seven points behind second-place Oundle in the race for the Midlands One East runners-up spot and a shot at promotion through an end-of-season play-off.
Leaders Syston are 10 points clear at the top and on course to claim the automatic promotion spot.
But Derby’s push for an instant return to the Midlands Premier has been damaged by injuries in their last two games.
Centre Jack Dawson is out for the season and fly-half Josh Bingham also faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Glenn Murray, who took over from Bingham at fly-half against Olney last week, has a shoulder problem while, in the pack, Simon Moon faces two to three weeks out with a torn hamstring.
“Glenn faces a late fitness test but the odds are against him at the moment it seems,” said Fearon.
“So we will have to move people around and the changing of positions creates problems because you lose continuity.
“You are not doing the natural things you would be doing if playing in your normal position.
“It’s going to be tough having problems like that in this game because Oundle are flying.
“When we beat them at our place in October our forwards gave us the platform to start well. Oundle came back at us towards the end but we had enough in the tank to see the job through.
“This time we won’t have our usual continuity and we will miss someone like Jack Dawson in games like this because he is good at breaking through the lines.”
Martin Kent will start instead of Moon, while Lewis Hancock will be Derby’s fly-half if Murray is not fit.