Selection woe for Saumi as Exeter Chiefs reclaim Arnott and Stupple

Plymouth Albion will have to wait a bit longer to have a look at highly-rated city teenager Jack Arnott in Championship action.

The England Under-18 prospect was recently added to Albion's squad as a replacement for fellow dual-registered Exeter Chiefs Academy back Jack Nowell, who has been ruled out of the rest of the campaign with a knee injury.

Plymouth coach Nat Saumi is keen to see the 18-year-old Ivybridge Community College pupil in a competitive game before the relegation play-offs start. But he will not get that opportunity this weekend when Albion, whose place in the bottom four was confirmed last week, travel to Bedford, as Exeter Chiefs want the Devonport Services product to play for them in the LV= Cup against Bath on Sunday.

Arnott made his Exeter debut last week as a replacement in their Cup win over Wasps. After this weekend, Plymoth will only have two regular league matches left before the play-offs start. This Saturday would have been a good chance for Albion to have a look at Arnott as there is a back's slot available due to Keni Fisilau's suspension.

"Jack Arnott will not be available this weekend," said Saumi. "He is wanted by Exeter for their Cup game. I had been looking forward to possibly playing him this weekend, as I need to see him. Now I don't know when I will see him."

With Fisilau unavailable, Saumi has to make a decision on who will play at 12. Sione Tu'ipulotu, Paul Bailey and Steve Johns can play there. However, on-loan Worcester back Tu'ipulotu, who played at full-back at Moseley last weekend, has not trained with Albion this week.

Albion will also be without Herbie Stupple again. Stupple, another dual-registered player from Exeter Chiefs, is also wanted by his parent club. The back-row forward missed last week's game at Moseley.

"Herbie was supposed to be available but he was called back on Tuesday," Saumi added. "These players are under contract there [at Exeter], so it's their call."

Freezing temperatures and the forecast of snow in South Yorkshire before the weekend could see Saturday's Championship clash between Rotherham Titans and Cornish Pirates called off.

The match at Clifton Lane is scheduled for a 2pm kick-off on Saturday but, with night-time sub-zero temperatures all this week and a forecast of no more than two degrees Celsius on match day, along with the likelihood of sleet or snow, the prospect of the game going ahead is in doubt.

The Yorkshire club have scheduled a pitch inspection for this afternoon and Cornish Pirates backs coach Harvey Biljon hopes that a decision can be reached before the squad travel north tomorrow morning.

Biljon said: "We have prepared as best as we could this week knowing that the weather forecast wasn't good, with frost and snow forecast, but things like this are out of your control. But we want to play if we can.

"We are due to depart from Penzance for Yorkshire at 8am on Friday morning, so hopefully tomorrow afternoon's pitch inspection at Clifton Lane will be conclusive one way or the other."

If the game is postponed, it is likely to take place seven days later on Saturday, February 11, – a date which is on a scheduled reserve weekend in the Championship fixture list.