Wheatley will entertain their first Oxfordshire rival of the season, as they welcome Didcot to the Holton Playing Fields of dreams for Super Saturday, with the 2nds also hosting Oxford RFC.
This will be the first time that Wheatley and Didcot will face off in the BBO Premiership, with their last meetings occurring in the BBO Championship, the last of which being Wheatley’s promotion season of 2013/14. That year they won both of those close games, 12-17 and 15-10. Didcot have had a tough start to the season having played three strong teams in Slough, Milton Keynes and Tadley, winning only once against Tadley. Despite only picking up the solitary win, Didcot finished 4th in the league last year and Wheatley know they are in for a tough game.
Despite a couple of injuries and absentees, Wheatley still faced a tough selection and will once again name a near full strength side. Alleged Captain Alex Acklam will be absent from the squad, and so as a result Simon Chadbone has picked himself to start in his place. Pete Mitchell has shaken off his nearly career ending injury from last week to join Chadbone in the front row, whilst Alex Gabbidon will bring his usual effervescence and positivity to the dressing room, despite the fact he’d rather be dressing in a suit than the number 1 or 3 shirt. The basically deaf Matthew Gibb and his slippy hands starts behind them in the second row and in the absence of Nick ‘crippled by a ten’ Banton, he will start alongside a partner who won’t be named, as he’ll let everyone know himself that he is in the second row. The worst social sec ever, Dan Bland has decided that replicating the male version of sex and the city (just without the sex bit) is more important than playing rugby and attending socials and so Fraser Petterson will fill in at number 6. Caillin Taylor has been called back to Far Far away land and so James Butler will look to add to his collection of yellows from 7. James Neal once again pulls on the number 8 shirt to show why other number 8s have to be in the 2nd row.
In the backs, Jack Taylor will be looking for another dance partner to practice his new moves on and continue his blossoming on field relationship with now regular captain A.Aron Laman. Joe Hobdell once again starts at 12, however with his girlfriend not around to pick him up, he has vowed to stay off the special brew. Sanda Mpanza misses the game and so Josh Hilsdon moves in from 10/the wing/where ever he has to play to take the number 13 shirt. Another Special brew casualty (this time the Dad getting the SOS call), Dan Rule takes one wing shirt whilst Joe Taylor takes the other. With Sanda out, Jordan Hook’s tackle count at 15 will be dramatically reduced, although we are currently awaiting an RFU ruling on the legalities of Ankle Bracelets.
Ezra Rees pays the price for playing in the same position as one of the selection committee and so will start from the bench, whilst Iain Downer makes his triumphant return to Wheatley to provide backs cover.
The Oxfordshire teams always provide the best games and with a second team derby also occurring plus the curry social, the Holton Playing fields is the place to be come 3pm tomorrow.