Hard work key to success for Plymouth - Graham Dawe

Dawe won five international caps for England

Plymouth Albion chairman of rugby Graham Dawe says his side must keep working hard as they push for a place in the Championship's top eight.

Albion are currently ninth in the league, two points behind the play-off places at the half-way stage.

Dawe told BBC Devon: "Every team that plays Plymouth seems to give us lots of respect, putting out good sides.

"But we're not getting the results at the moment, so we've got to keep working hard and keep believing."

Albion have only won three of their 11 matches so far this season, a disappointing return for Dawe.

He said: "There's some good powerful teams in the league and there's some teams that are built on substance.

"I'm sure that we're up there with them and if we get favourable results here and there we can be in the mix."

Next up for Dawe's men is a trip to league leaders Worcester on Saturday.

And the former England international is hoping his players can take heart from the Cornish Pirates' 23-21 win at Sixways last month.

Dawe said: "The Pirates win shows you that Worcester are not undefeatable on their own ground, even thought they probably think that they are."

Plymouth's Canadian trio of Sean-Michael Stephen, Tyler Hotson and Aaron Carpenter will also miss the trip to Sixways because of international duty, with Dan Collier and Wayne Sprangle coming in to replace them.

Plymouth Albion (from): Lee, McLoughlin, Coleman, Mercer, Tu'ipulotu, Johns, Hallett, Davies, Cushion, Kessell, Porter, Hopkins, Morton, Evans, O'Meara, Skelding, Copeland, Collier, Watts-Jones, Sprangle, Hocking, Matavesi, Mortimer.