ALBION are back in action at home on Saturday when they entertain Moseley at Brickfields.Graham Dawe’s side will be keen to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing result in the Devon derby.
Moseley are going well this year. They sit two places and one point above Albion in the table and last Saturday came agonisingly close to beating Nottingham - eventually losing 26-24 at Billesley Common.
Moseley won at Brickfields last season, when they triumphed 16-13. That was their first victory at Brickfields. They had lost 48-0 and 76-6 on their first two visits to Albion’s Devonport home.
Albion have suffered a double blow during the week with news that prop James Tideswell, scrum-half David Palu and utility back Geoff Griffiths will be out for lengthy spells.
Highly-rated Tideswell, a summer signing from Stourbridge, is set to miss the rest of the season after rupturing his ACL against London Welsh, which will require an operation.
Palu is also facing the prospect of missing most of his first season at Albion after dislocating his kneecap in the opening minutes against Exeter.
It is very disappointing for him as he was really beginning to make his mark at the club after arriving from New Zealand in the summer.
Griffiths, meanwhile, is facing 10 weeks out after suffering a nasty broken jaw against Exeter.The former Rotherham man has undergone an operation to insert screws and a plate into the jaw.
With Griffiths out, Albion will be hoping fellow winger Liam Gibson returns soon from his hamstring injury.
Griffiths, Tideswell and Palu fall into an unlucky band of players who have picked up serious injuries in their first season at Albion.Others players over the years who have fallen into that category are Kevin Foote, Santiago Franzini, Dai Llewellyn, Nic Rouse, Ed Barnes, Luke Arscott, Ben Gulliver, Francisco Deformes, Kyle Marriott and Mike Denbee.