November 2016

Bedford Blues return to Championship action this Saturday with a trip to Old Deer Park to face London Welsh in a high noon showdown.

Two narrow defeats have meant that the Blues currently lie in 11th position in the Greene King IPA Championship, and another tough encounter is expected this weekend when the two old foes go head-to-head again.

Bedford make six changes to the team that tasted a home defeat to Nottingham a fortnight ago with Piers O'Conor, George Perkins, Tom Griffiths, Myles Dorrian and Tom Whiteley all starting in the backs while Ed Taylor is the only change to the pack.

Following a week off, the Blues players have been back in camp working hard ahead of tests against London Welsh away this Saturday before a return to Goldington Road next Friday night versus London Scottish.

Backs Coach, Paul Larkin, talked exclusively to the Club website this week as the coaching staff target improvements in both attack and defence to unlock an improving Exiles outfit this weekend.

Larkin said: “The lads have returned in a positive frame of mind and can’t wait to get back out there this Saturday. There’s no denying it’s been a tough start and we’ve lost the games by such a narrow margin which has in some ways made it more frustrating.

It was to be a frustrating afternoon at Goldington Road as Bedford Blues tasted defeat against Nottingham with an 80th minute Darryl Veenendaal conversion winning it for the Green and Whites.

The Blues, in truth, were fortunate to be ahead at that point in the game after a disappointing end to the first 40 minutes and a miserable start to the second half second half had seen the visitors come from 22-0 down to lead 22-29. Tom James and Piers O’Conor crossed in the final ten minutes to give the Blues a slender lead before Tobias Freeman galloped over and former Blue Veenendaal sealed the win.