Bristol Rugby prop Davis aiming to make the most of 'massive opportunity'
BRISTOLIAN Will Davis is relishing the prospect of running out in front of the Memorial Stadium faithful tonight and making the first Championship start of his fledgling career.
The 22-year-old prop has been handed the No 1 shirt for the clash with Moseley – one of seven changes Liam Middleton has made to the side beaten 50-31 at Leeds on Sunday – and has been issued with a "show us what you can do" challenge by Bristol's coaching team.
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"This is a massive opportunity for me, and one I'm really looking forward to," said Davis. "I had a good pre-season in France, which gave me a lot of confidence.
"We've got a lot of good props here at Bristol, so I've had to be patient and wait for my opportunity. But now I'm in the side, I have to make sure I play well and give the coaches a selection headache.
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"I think my all-round game has improved, and a lot of that is down to our conditioning coach, Tom Hargroves, and scrum coach Matt Ferguson. Tom has made me better, athletically. I've put on a few kilos of muscle and I'm stronger and faster now.
"Fergie (Matt Ferguson) has spent a lot of time working on my scrummaging technique on a one-to-one basis, and obviously, as a prop, that is one of the most important areas of my game.
"At 22, I'm not the finished article – I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I feel I'm making improvements all the time.
"The feedback I've been getting back from the coaches is very positive. Playing for Bristol means so much to me, and it's my goal to establish myself in the match-day 22 as much as possible this season."
Davis received the man-of-the-match accolade when Moseley visited the Memorial Stadium in the British & Irish Cup last November, a game Bristol lost 14-10.
And the former Cleve front-rower is hoping to produce a similar performance, albeit with a different outcome for his team.
"The boys are chomping at the bit to make amends after the Leeds game," said Davis. "A lot has been said during the week about putting things right. We were poor on Sunday, but we have a chance to bounce back on Friday and give the Bristol public something to cheer about.
"On a personal note, I have to bring what I have to the table, play inside the system and stick to the game-plan. I have to make sure my set-piece is strong and I carry out my basics.
"Friday will be tough – we know that Moseley will come at us, and try to disrupt our rhythm and patterns. But I'm relishing the chance to go out there and put my body on the line, and show 'Bristol Fashion' – confrontation is non-negotiable for a front-row player."
In addition to handing Davis a first Championship start, head coach Middleton also recalls Ryan Edwards, Ruki Tipuna, Mariano Sambucetti and Redford Pennycook, while there are starts for Ben Mosses and David McIlwaine.
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