Tiverton's Charlie Burt expects a tough game against OPM
CHARLIE Burt predicts Tiverton will have to get back to their best form to beat OPM in a re-arranged game this weekend.
The Coronation Field outfit were without a match on Saturday as scheduled opponents Plymouth Barbarians pulled out.
The strugglers are considering withdrawing from the division, and if they do all the games involving them this season will be removed from the records.
However, chairman of rugby Burt is hopeful the first home league game since December 15 will go ahead this Saturday (2.30pm).
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"They won't be easy, they have been coming on since October," Burt said of OPM.
"It's never easy going to Crediton to win, whether Crediton are in a good patch of form or not, and they won relatively comfortably (23-8).
"We will have to play as well as we have been playing if we want to get a win."
The only absentee from the squad that won 16-14 at Pirates Amateurs is flanker Ollie Chanin.
Burt said: "Originally it was a blank date so Ollie is away this weekend but everyone else is available."
As Plymouth Barbarians had not fulfilled their previous two fixtures, Burt didn't expect them to make the trip to Mid Devon last weekend.
Their opponents confirmed early in the week they would not be sending a side.
However, not only were Tiverton without a game on Saturday they were also unable to train on Thursday as the pitch was waterlogged.
They trained at Blundell's School last Tuesday and were due to head there again this evening (Tuesday), but Burt was hopeful they could have a full session this Thursday.
Charlie Burt said: "We contacted them (OPM) on Tuesday and they said then they had no intention of sending a team up, so we knew well in advance.
"We'll have to wait and see what happens now because if they pull out all the results against them will be null and void."
Tiverton seconds lost 17-10 away against Cullompton seconds in a Merit Table game.
They played down the slope in the first half and led 10-0 thanks to a try from Adrian Jary and a conversion and penalty from Calum Stone.
However, some poor handling lost them the game.
Tiverton thirds lost 29-14 at home Exeter University Engineers after the visitors turned up without a front row.
Symon Charles scored a try and Leon Philips converted that and a penalty try.
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