BEN Whincup’s Swindon St George will have no problem with motivation as his side host local rivals Oxford Cavaliers this afternoon (1pm)

Swindon have only played one game so far this season in the West of England Pool One, and that was a slender 21-20 win over Bristol Sonics a fortnight ago.

The Swindon chief sees why his players are fired up for this weekend’s clash and admits it is about time they hit back after struggling against their rivals in previous seasons.

“I’ve been told about the rivalry between Swindon and Oxford but personally every game is the same for myself,” said Yorkshireman Whincup.

“Oxford have always had the better of us over recent years and I think it is about time that we changed that around a little bit.

“They’re going to work on a very strong game plan, they have a lot of semi-professional players in and around their squad so they will be very well drilled and very well organised.

“They’ll be coming here to get a result.”

Since their narrow win over Bristol, St George have had a gap in their fixtures and should be well rested for this weekend’s clash, but Whincup is aware his side will have to dig deep for a win.

“We are in for a very tough competition this season because we are in with some very good teams,” added the Swindon head coach. “These are the type of games you look forward to.

“The gap wasn’t ideal, We just want to get some momentum and this weekend is the perfect chance for us to do that.”

Whincup also praised the impact of hooker Chris Kent, who returned to the Supermarine-based club after a few years and has proved influential so far this term.

“He’s been around for a few years and went away for a couple, he’s a fantastic tough tackling player who brings a lot of experience,” added Whincup.

“You can never too much experience, we missed that a little bit towards the end of the season last year, he has been a fantastic addition.”