BUDE are without four key players for tomorrow’s trip to Helston in Counties Two Cornwall (2.30pm).

The Seasiders make the long trip in second having been relegated last year, and face a stern test at home side who have their own ambitions to get promoted.

Bude head coach Sam Parker and his players will travel full of confidence following a superb 50-0 thrashing of previously unbeaten Falmouth last Saturday to give themselves a third home victory from three.

However, their sole away game this term saw them beaten 14-10 at Liskeard-Looe 13 days ago, and if they are to make an immediate return to Step Seven, they will need to start collecting regular points on the road.

Parker admitted last weekend was the perfect response.

He said: “I was ecstatic with the win on Saturday, we know that we had to put in a big performance after Liskeard.

“We expected Falmouth to be a fair challenge and there had been a lot of chat about how we all felt after the loss lo Liskeard.

“We wanted to get as far away from that as possible and to say we succeeded is an understatement.

“Initially we wanted the win, then the bonus point, then the 50 and then the 0!

“Whilst we are aware that there are areas that we still have a lot of work to do we are really pleased with many aspects of our game such as our defence, line-outs and open-field organisation.

“There were several man-of-the-match performances, the backline performed brilliantly in attack and defence but the man-of-the-match Matt Maniglia and Fred Saxton were both truly exceptional.”

While last week was eventually a stroll in the park, it won’t be easy this weekend, not helped by the absence of the unavailable Alex Robinson and Fred Saxton in the forwards, while scrum-half Ollie Rowland and outside-centre Ed Hilliam-Cooke are injured.

The scrum has been a struggle in the last couple of weeks and sees a reshuffle as Charlie Firman moves to the front of the scrum and is partnered on the other side by Fraser Martyn, rewarded for a superb showing off the bench last weekend.

Debutant Anthony Kennett is selected in the second row where he is joined by usual prop Hayden Chater, while the absence of influential No.8 Saxton means skipper Will Hockridge reverts to the back of the scrum.

In the backs, Rowland is out for several few weeks with a shoulder injury, but in Olly Mounce they have a more than experienced replacement. Ben Tharme takes Hilliam-Cooke’s shirt at 13.

Bude, who are taking a club bus down, do travel however with just two replacements as the seconds are also in action against their Helston counterparts in the Cup at 3pm.

Looking ahead to the clash at Clodgey Lane, Parker said: “We have a few absences this week, but we are hoping to show our depth with some fringe players stepping up and hopefully making statements of their own.

“We are under no illusion that tomorrow is going to be tough, but I feel that we are up for it. “It is a long way to go and not perform so we will be approaching it with the same energy as the Falmouth game.

“We faltered against Liskeard away and need to prove the point that we are not just a home team side.”

Helston have players with plenty of quality, including former Redruth and Plymouth Albion back-rower Brad Howe, but Parker feels how Bude turn up will decide the outcome.

He said: “I am never too concerned about what the opposition are going to do, we know our gameplan and our strengths and we need to play to those.

“One thing we know is that if they have the ball they are going to attack and if we have the ball they are going to try and stop us, so we need to ensure that we do our jobs on the day and stand up for the man next to us on the field so that we can bring the win back to the club!”

BUDE at Helston: Will Pharo; Oscar Davey, Ben Tharme, Olly Denford, Cobi Yelland, Brad Thomas, Olly Mounce; Charlie Firman, Harvey Cholwill, Fraser Martyn, Anthony Kennett, Hayden Chater; Matt Maniglia, Fin Fry, Will Hockridge (capt). Replacements: Josh Brown, Blaine Wickett.