Perkins and Dodge in for Blues against Knights

Championship rugby returns to Goldington Road this weekend as Bedford Blues prepare to take on last season's beaten finalists Doncaster Knights.

Bedford started the week nine points behind this weekend’s opponents in the league table, but with the expulsion of London Welsh from the Championship and all results against the Exiles being expunged, the Blues are now 14 points off the Knights.

When the two teams met back in September at Castle Park, the lead changed hands four times with the Bedford scoring four tries, but the hosts finally took the spoils 30-22 with a late score denying the Blues an extra losing bonus point.

Following last weekend’s British and Irish Cup encounter against the Dragons Select XV, Bedford make several changes with George Perkins starting at fullback and Ollie Dodge getting the nod at inside centre. Hayden Thompson-Stringer and Ben Cooper will be propping while Will Carrick-Smith starts in the second row and Justin Blanchet gets the number six shirt.

Blues:

15. George Perkins

14. Pat Tapley

13. Michael LeBourgeois (c)

12. Ollie Dodge

11. Dean Adamson

10. Myles Dorrian

9. Tom James

1. Hayden Thompson-Stringer

2. Jacob Fields

3. Ben Cooper

4. Paul Tupai

5. Will Carrick-Smith

6. Justin Blanchet

7. Josh Buggea

8. Jason Hill

Replacements:

16. Dan George

17. Camillo Parilli-Ocampo

18. Christian Judge

19. Byron Hodge

20. Ben Adams

21. Jordan Burns

22. Jake Sharp