WHILE most teams in National Division One will be going into the new season with a plethora of new signings bolstering the existing squad, Sedgley Park’s Director of Rugby Tim Fourie will have to adopt a slightly more pragmatic approach to his side’s opening clash away to much-fancied Exeter Chiefs.

Yes, he should be able to call on all four new faces – fly-half Steve Nutt, centre Freeman Payne, wing Jan Van DeVenter and back-five forward Juan Crous – but existing and new injuries will deprive him of a number of regulars along with one or two walking wounded.

With loan player Glen Townson required to play in Sale Sharks’ Possibles v Probables clash at Edgeley Park on Friday night, he will be unable to start for Sedgley in the second row come Saturday afternoon.

With Ed Norris still getting back to peak fitness after a summer knee operation it means the most the first choice lock can expect is a place on the bench, with Crous joining Fourie in the engine room.

In the front row another regular from last season, prop Gerallt Evans continues to recover from hernia and knee ops, with another Sale loan signing, Martin Halsall, due to take his place at prop alongside hooker Jonny Roddam and Petrus Du Plessis.

At half-back Jamie Albinson claims the Number 9 shirt, with Nutt filling Phil Jones’ boots at 10.

Should Chris Briers overcome a dead-leg suffered in the friendly at Manchester last Friday night he will partner Payne in the three-quarters, with another injury victim, Van DeVenter, slated for the left wing should he get over the groin pull picked up at Grove Park. A third Sale loanee, Matt Riley, should start at fullback if he shrugs off a rib injury that kept him out of the Manchester game.

So, a lot of ifs, buts and maybes. But Fourie remains boyishly optimistic and excited at the prospect of another new season.

“Everyone is expecting us to get another hammering so we will go down there with nothing to lose,” he said.

“We have trained well over the summer and we’re in good spirits and determined to earn some respect, let’s face it, if you can’t motivate yourself to play a team like Exeter at a ground like Sandy Park then you shouldn’t be playing.

“It is an early start – 6.30am in order to get to the airport in time and then the long coach journey back after the game – but we are all looking forward to it, and everyone is in a positive frame of mind. So you never know what may happen!”

TEAM NEWS

EXETER CHIEFS                       v          SEDGELY TIGERS

Ben      BREEZE                       15         Matt                  RILEY
Jason    LUFF                           14         Tom                  ALBINSON
Mark     FATIALOFA                  13         Chris                 HALL
Junior    FATIALOFA                  12         Freeman           PAYNE
Josh     DRAUNINUI                   11         Jan                   VAN DEVENTER
Danny   GRAY                          10         Steve                NUTT
Clive     STUART-SMITH             9          Jamie                ALBINSON
Shane   KINGSLAND                 1          Petrus               DU PLESSIS
Sam     BLYTHE                        2          Jonny                RODDAM
John     ANDRESS                     3          Martin               HALSALL
Lewis    STEPHENSON              4          Tim                   FOURIE
James   HANKS                         5          Jan                   CROUS
Chad     SLADE                         6          Adam                NEWTON
Andy     MILLER                        7          Jimmy               PONTON ©
Richie   BAXTER ©                    8          Jon                   SKURR

Saul      NELSON                       16         Danny               BIRCHALL
Dan      PARKES                       17         Paul                  KEYS
Gary     WILLIS                          18         Glen                 TOWNSON
Tom      JOHNSON                     19         Ed                    NORRIS
Ian        WILSON                       20         Dave                 LIVESEY
Tony     YAPP                           21         Chris                 WILKINSON
Steve    WARD                          22         Arno                 DE JAGER