SWINDON College Old Boys chairman Martin Peaple is hoping his team avoid another 100-plus points defeat against top side Bletchley on Saturday.

Old Boys went to Buckinghamshire back in November with the aim of not losing five points for failing to get out a team. Ravaged by injuries and absences the Piper’s Way-based side conceded 101 unanswered points - their heaviest defeat in a tough season of Southern Counties rugby.

Bletchley and Old Boys currently bookend the league and their respective form couldn’t be more different. Bletchley have won 14 of their 15 games while Old Boys have minus five points and haven’t won all season.

Peaple is honest about his side’s chances of upsetting the top team but believes the pack will be key in keeping the scoreline respectable.

“You have to be realistic and we’re probably not going to be looking to get a win out of this game. When we went away there we were struggling with our forwards but we’re back to our regulars now.

“It’s not the nice being on the end of the 100-plus but we went there to avoid losing five (league) points.

“I would hope that it would not be that sort of score again. We will have a much stronger pack this Saturday, and that will be a deciding factor in reducing the score. It’s something that we’re lucky to have, the strong pack, well drilled pack.

“Liam Davis and Gareth Davis offer experience there, that’s a good forward unit.”

Peaple was pleased with how many of the second XV had gelled into their first team roles. “Joe Smedley is now cemented in the front row; Danny Goggin, second team manager is now a first pick; Charlie Gabe and Toby Haines have also come in.”

Peaple said that Old Boys will continue looking to integrate new players into the first team as Old Boys try and squeeze the most of their experience playng at the Southern Counties level.

“We cannot go in there thinking we’re going to lose. From one to 18 no one wants to lose. Nobody goes into a game to lose, everybody wants to win.”