BOROUGH will be looking to bounce back after last week's drubbing on the Welsh border.
They lost 31-3 at Luctonians - their biggest bashing of the season - but director of rugby Richard Mardling is confident his side will get their National League Division Three (Midlands) campaign back on track at home to Malvern tomorrow (3pm).
"W
e just didn't perform at Luctonians and there was a very good reason for that - we were 10 players short due to a variety of reasons. It was an exceptional set of circumstances that severely depleted our squad," said Mardling.
"All the players who stepped in were of first team quality but were a bit on the young side. We needed a few more experienced players in the side.
"Tomorrow some of the missing players are back and I'll be expecting us to bounce back and of course the players will also want to show what they're capable of in front of a home crowd."
Jon Phillips is still suspended, Paul Cook, Pete Brudnell, Ben Crooks and Saad Sait are injured, and Alun Meadows, a schoolteacher, is away on a school rugby tour. Otherwise most of Mardling's senior squad members are available, although Dave Brudnell, who has put himself on the fringe of a first team return after a string of good displays for the seconds, is at a wedding.
"David has been playing very well for the seconds and would certainly have been considered for first team selection had he been available," said Mardling.
The biggest bonus for Borough tomorrow is the return of the Lithuanian international trio of Gedis Marcisauskas, Max Guseinov and Marius Andrijauskas.
Making way for them are two of Borough's talented teenagers, Will Mardling and Will Carrington, who are in the seconds tomorrow.
"These lads are not dropped," stressed Mardling. "It's all part of their development. There was a lot of pressure on them in the first team but they learned a tremendous amount. Now they go back to the second to develop what they've learned. It's a chance for them to grow. They'll certainly be back."
Other changes in personnel from last week see Michael Cade start at prop with Nico Steenkamp taking his turn on the bench, Sam Crooks called into the second row for his injured brother Ben, Pete Goodley return to the wing, and Luke Jackson added to the bench after several good outings with the second string.
Positional switches see Dave Lister move from wing to full-back, Guy Michels from centre to wing and Andy Phillips from second row to back row.
"It's a very different side to last week and I expect a very different result," added Mardling.
