Hurting Titans get tough in readiness for seaside battle with struggling Carnegie

They tackle Yorkshire Carnegie who have taken their pool game ‘On the Road’ from Headingley to the Silver Royd ground.

Rotherham qualified for the knockout stages last season and are intending to do the same this time around, naming a strong squad against opponents fielding numerous Academy players.

However, after a sobering 47-7 home defeat to Worcester in the Championship, Blackett accepts his side have real strides to make.

“We felt we let ourselves down physically last week,” he said.

“Against the top teams you have to be at your best and our physicality has to be much better.

“We’ll need to be much better at Scarborough.

“Training this week has been tough and the boys just want to get out there and prove themselves; it’s a big game for us and financially for the club we want to do well in the British & Irish Cup.”

He makes seven changes, mainly due to injury, while Carnegie – on the back of defeats to Doncaster Knights and Nottingham – are also much altered.

Wingers Taylor Prell and Dan Tai, both just 18, debut with another four set to from the bench – Lewis Boyce, Guy Borrowdale, Dan Grange and Sam Allan.