WEYMOUTH & Portland coach Rich Bament wants to bring an end to arch-rivals Dorchester’s unbeaten Wadworth 6X Dorset & Wilts One South record at Monmouth Avenue tomorrow (2.30pm).

Bament, who is formerly of Dorchester, will oversee the Seahorses at the derby, billed as the Ridgeway Rumble, for the first time as his side occupy third.

And he admits his players are itching to get under way against the league leaders.

“They’re looking forward to it and it will be a good test,” he told Echosport. “It would be very nice (to end Dorchester’s run).

“They’ve got a mixture of old heads and youngsters so that bit of experience is dragging them through games.”

Asked how it would feel to beat Dorchester given his past connections to the club, Bament said: “I’d have a little smile on my face at the end of the day.

“That’s the diplomatic way of saying it! I learned a hell of a lot there, especially off their coach Martyn (Peel), who’s a very nice bloke and a top coach.

“He’ll have them all very structured and organised because that’s how he gets his teams to play.”

Bament reported a clean bill of health within the Seahorses’ squad.

“Everybody’s available this weekend,” he revealed. “It hasn’t made my job any easier.”

Meanwhile, following last Saturday’s 32-3 win against Blandford, Dorchester are still carrying a few injuries but make the short trip feeling confident that the depth in the senior squad will give them the side to bring home the maximum points haul.

The ever-present captain and vice-captain, James Newsam and Callum King, will again lead from the front in a strong team of both youth and experience.

Regular scrum halves Dave Clarke and Jake Bosher are both still sidelined so it is likely Louis Verkaik will take up the number nine slot and James McKendry the fly-half position after good showings last weekend.

Regular prop Dave Cottell has recovered to come back into the squad on the bench after his leg injury.

The county town’s A side entertain Wimborne Thirds at the newly-named Surcouf Park.

Having narrowly lost in dreadful conditions last weekend at Ellingham & Ringwood, Matt Fry will be keen for his team to bounce back at home and register a win.

He commended his team last weekend for a superb team performance and will have no trouble getting the same performance from the side this week.

Wimborne, who lie ninth in the Wadworth Dorset & Wilts Two South league table, have struggled to score whilst Dorchester, who lie fifth, have been able to put in some good scorelines. The game kicks off at 2.30pm.

The action starts for the club tonight when the Gladiators also travel to Weymouth & Portland in a merit table match, kick-off 7.30pm.

Tony O’Connell will lead his experienced band of brothers onto the pitch for what will be a keenly contested game.

On Sunday, the club has three youth fixtures in the Dorset & Wilts cup competition, with the under-14s, under-15s and under-16s welcoming Oakmeadians, Trowbridge and Chippenham respectively to Surcouf Park.

The combined Dorchester, Weymouth & Portland ladies team head to Yeovil the same afternoon whilst the Colts head to North Dorset. Dorchester girls under-13s and under-15s entertain the Trojans at home.

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