Rotherham Titans: Burnell happy with shape of side heading into business end of season

Rotherham Titans head coach Justin Burnell has backed his side to finish their Championship campaign strongly, starting today against Richmond at Clifton Lane.

The threat of relegation has gone for the Titans and their divisional rivals after the expulsion of London Welsh.

And Burnell has backed his side to kick on over the final two months.

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“I still think we’ve got a lot more to offer and I think the boys will show that through the remainder of the season,” he said.

“Of course we’ve gone through a difficult period and all the injuries we’ve picked up haven’t helped our cause but that’s life.

“We’re not going to moan about it. We’ll just get on with our jobs.”

Burnell is content with the shape the Titans are in following their British and Irish Cup defeat to Doncaster Knights last week.

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He said: “I thought last week against Doncaster really summed up where we are at.

“I thought the attitude of everybody involved was so positive and there were many things to come out of the game which will give us great standing going into Richmond.

“We are proud of our pack and we are very proud of our scrum and I believe it is a real weapon against any side in the division.

“Of course we are not proud of where we are in the table and that’s life; but the lads have got the bit between their teeth over the last couple of weeks and are raring to get stuck in this weekend and as we still have ambitions to get ourselves a lot further up the table.”

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Burnell has made six changes to the side that lost to the Knights.

Props Tom Williams and Joe Rees will replace Joe Hutchinson and Ian Williams while Toby Salmon has been given the nod in the second row over Miles Normandale while Tom Calladine will return to captain the side from openside flanker, replacing James Tyas.

Callum Wilson will replace Dan Kelly at outside centre and Lee Millar comes into the side at fly half after joining on loan from Hull Ionians.

Titans: 15 Will Thomas, 14 Ben Foley, 13 Callum Wilson, 12 Joe Barker, 11 Jake Henry, 10 Lee Millar, 9 George Tresidder, 1 Tom Williams, 2 Charlie Maddison, 3 Joe Rees, 4 Toby Salmon, 5 Oli Curry, 6 Buster Lawrence, 7 Tom Calladine, 8 Tom MacDonald.

Replacements: 16 Joe Graham, 17 Toby Williams, 18 Danny Herriott, 19 Tom Hicks, 20 James Tyas, 21 Dan Kelly, 22 Will Owen.