BUDE player/coach, Angus Hodges, is ‘excited to get back to it’ as they prepare for their final eight games of the season, which start with a visit from bottom side Withycombe on Saturday (2.30pm).

The Bencoolen Meadow outfit lost just once leading into the new year to sit top of the Tribute Cornwall and Devon League, but defeats to Torquay Athletic (15-7) and at new leaders Honiton last time out (30-0) either side of victories against Lanner and Hayle, means they are now third, four points off the summit.

However Saturday’s visit of Withycombe should give them an ideal opportunity to bounce back.

The Devon club have won just twice in 18 starts and have a points difference of -577.

Hodges said: “The break came at a good time but I’m excited to get back to it. Realistically it should be another Hayle performance (74-7) and we’re looking for a good team performance.”

“After Christmas we kind of haven’t been on track, but it was clear to us that we needed a bit of a break and have a rethink. So coming into this week, we’re looking to get the boys going again.

“After Christmas we haven’t played badly as such but we haven’t been progressing as well as the first half of the season.”

In a bid to spice things up, Hodges has had his players working hard at training over the last week.

He said: “We’ve made a couple of changes to our patterns of play, a lot of it is tactical differences we’re making and changing how we attack different parts of the pitch.

“We’re looking at how we utilise our forward play, and still being up front and confrontational, but then also developing our game off the back of that; so how we play with a little bit more depth and using our backs and knowing when to use them.

“Hopefully we can start to implement a few of those this weekend. I’m excited to see how we look.”

Hodges’ initial target was to finish in the top three and go from there, and that’s what he’s sticking to for now.

He said: “I’m not really thinking about promotion at the moment because we’re not sure whether it’d be in our best interests.

“Our thoughts are on individual player development at the moment as well as trying to develop the depth of the squad, trying to get the seconds more involved as well as bringing on the youngsters and getting them involved as much as possible.”

Two men who Hodges will have to do without for the foreseeable future are the centre partnership of Ed Hilliam-Cooke and Kieran Sharp.

Hodges said: “Kieran has gone travelling for a few months and Ed has ankle ligament damage which was caused at Honiton, so they’re both out for the rest of the season.

“With them being our starting 12 and 13, it means we’re going to have to reshuffle our line-up, but we have players who can fill in and it gives them an opportunity.”