WITH the final weekend of the club’s season upon them, Dorchester have all three senior sides in action this weekend.

The first XV take on near neighbours Swanage & Wareham Seconds in their final game of the league campaign in Dorset & Wilts One South.

With fourth place guaranteed for Dorchester, it is again local pride to play for this weekend, following a poor performance last time out in their derby defeat to Weymouth & Portland.

The squad will be determined to finish with a home win to end their season in front of the Coburg Road faithful.

A few positional changes for the final game see George Foot move to full-back and Callum King switches to fly-half.

Dave Gower starts at scrum-half with brother Tom in the squad also. The young and speedy Etienne Peach and Julian Dale also feature in the squad to add speed in attack.

The club’s second XV travel to Ellingham & Ringwood for their final game of their Dorset & Wilts Two South campaign.

The second team will be looking to consolidate on their league position, in a bid to climb out of the league next season.

Captain Rob Parker looks to come away from Ringwood with a hard-earned victory to end the season.

With a mixture of youth and experience in the squad, and Joe Newton comes into the senior set-up as second team manager, he will want to make a positive start ready to build on next season.

Dorchester coach Ben Parker said: “We have trained well this week to end the season on a high point would be the perfect way to finish the season.

“As a squad we have improved and come a long way from October to where we are now.

“The senior squad have all set goals for next season and we aim to achieve them together, and put in the hard work to grow as one squad and fight for promotion and see the club grow.

“We will aim high next season and push on from where we are.”

The club’s third XV Gladiators side are due to entertain a touring side from Maidstone in a friendly veterans’ game.

This fixture essentially is a warm-up game for those of the ‘Glads’ side off on the 21st annual tour next weekend. The touring game kicks off at 1pm and the first-team game at 3pm.

  • The only junior games this weekend at Coburg Road are the under-16s against Sherborne, while some sides play in tournaments at Bath and Weymouth respectively, as well as the under-12s going on tour.

Meanwhile, Weymouth & Portland wrap their Dorset & Wilts One South season at Oakmeadians tomorrow (3pm).

Sitting in fifth place in the league table with 50 points from 21 outings and after winning promotion from Division Two last term, it’s mission accomplished for the Seasiders’ management team who stated that their ambition was to become an established club in this division.

Highlights of the season were making it into the final of the Dorset & Wilts Vase and despite a heroic display they went down narrowly to a very strong Swindon Old Boys side. Also their recent victory at home against Dorchester in the league, which earned revenge after they were on the end of a drubbing at Coburg Road last December.