Tricky Trip To Welsh

At last Mike Rayer can relax. The 39-23 canter at Ealing just about eased any fears of relegation and now we can can go to London Welsh and play without fear ...

The fixture at the Kazzam will be one of the most diffcult of the season with the Exiles flying at the moment. They're in second place just three points behind Bristol,  and have been achieving bonus points in birtually all of their recent bgames.

They're noted for the size and power of their pack, but it's the backs who have reacted to firmer pitches and they have a very real chance of making it back to the Premiership.

We have to build on our own bonus point win at Trailfinders thanks to a couple of late tries from Mark Atkinson following those of Nick Fenton-Wells, Gregor Gillanders and Pat Tapley.

we make a number of changes  with Mark Atkinson, Corey Hircock, Tony Fenner, Paul Tupai and Tomas Gilardon-PAz all coming into the starting line-up.

Blues : 15. James Pritchard (c) 14. Patrick Tapley 13. Mike Le Bourgeois 12. Mark Atkinson 11. Corey Hircock 10. Tony Fenner 9. Darryl Veenendaal 1. Darren Fearn
2. Charlie Clare 3. Tomas Gilardon-Paz 4. Paul Tupai 5. Harry Wells 6. Gregor Gillanders 7. Darren Fox 8. Nick Fenton-Wells

Reps: 16. TJ Harris 17. Nick Auterac 18. Ben Cooper 19. Mike Howard 20. Don Barrell 21. Harry Peck 22. Brendan Burke

Meanwhile London Welsh make seven changes. 

In the backs, Seb Jewell returns to the side at full back, while team captain Tom May comes back in at outside centre having come off the bench against the Pirates. Will Robinson and Rob Lewis are named at fly half and scum half respectively.  In the forwards, Tom Bristow, Nathan Morris and James Tideswell, making his 50th league appearance for London Welsh, form a new-look front row.

 Sunday will be the third meeting between London Welsh and Bedford Blues this season. Welsh won 23-14 at Allianz Park in Round 1, but the Blues hit back at Goldington Road in November, when their 28-26 victory ended the Exiles’ nine-game winning start to the Championship season.

 London Welsh: 15. Seb Jewell, 14. Seb Stegmann, 13. Tom May* (C), 12. Sonny Parker*, 11. Nick Scott, 10. Will Robinson, 9. Rob Lewis, 1. Tom Bristow, 2. Nathan Morris, 3. James Tideswell, 4. Ben West, 5. Pete Browne, 6. Daniel Browne, 7. Carl Kirwan, 8. Ollie Stedman.

Replacements: 16. Kevin Davis, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Paddy Ryan, 19. Ian Nimmo, 20. John Quill*, 21. Chris Cook, 22. Alan Awcock.