Bees trio are set to jump ship

PERTEMPS Bees are already counting the cost of their likely relegation to National Two at the end of the season with the possible loss of three of their better players. Scrum-half Nicky Griffiths is set to join the Bees' National One rivals Cornish Pirates on a full-time contract. Former England sevens flanker Will Matthews has also indicated that he would prefer to remain in National One

if the Bees drop down and utility back Reece Spee is also attracting the interest of scouts from National One clubs.

All three have previous experience as full-time players at a higher level and are ambitious to continue playing at National One level at least.

Griffiths, who was signed from Welsh regional side the Ospreys last summer, has impressed at scrum-half for the Bees this season.

He has already informed the club that he will be following a well-trodden path to the Pirates next season, possibly to link up again with Ben Harvey, who was made redundant as the Bees' head coach in December and who has been linked with a possible return to his home county to work as the Pirates' backs coach.

Former Bees' forwards coach Mark Hewitt took over as head coach of the Pirates last month following the resignation of Jim McKay, another former coach at Sharmans Cross Road.

Matthews, who joined the Bees on an initial laon from Gloucester three years ago, is expected to try to stay in National One irrespective of whether the Bees are relegated next month.

Spee, who can play at scrum-half, full-back or on the wing, joined the Bees from Ulster at the start of last season and has been a consistent performer this season.

The New Zealander has been part of the senior players that have assumed responsibility for coaching the backs since Harvey departed but he is believed to be attracting interest from Exeter and Plymouth Albion.

The Bees hope that the reputation of Allan Lewis, their new director of rugby, as an outstanding coach will help them to attract new players in a recruitment market that will become even more competitive if, as seems likely, local rivals Stourbridge change places with them and win promotion to National One for the first time.