TORQUAY Athletic hit the cup trail tomorrow when they face Exmouth in the slimmed down Landscapes South West Devon Senior Cup.

The competition has a longer name now the Kingskerswell-based groundkeeping company has become involved, but fewer entries this season as all the county cups have been revamped.

A new competition – the Intermediate Cup – has been created, which has creamed off teams that used to be in the Senior and Junior cups.

There's one less round than there used to be, which means Torquay go straight in at the quarter-final stage. Tomorrow's winners will be away to Barnstaple or Paignton in the last four.

Exmouth, who are a division above Torquay, start the game as slight favourites purely on their league status.

Being underdogs is a tag that won't worry Torquay too much as they have been there before against Exmouth.

"Exmouth have to be favourites because they are in the next division up and it is accepted there is quite a jump between the two," said Mike McDonald, Torquay's director of rugby.

"Exmouth aren't having a great season and with home advantage we could pull something off. Having said that, we aren't setting the world alight either.

"To be honest, it will be nice to play a game without the pressure of league points on the end, but still with something at stake."

Exmouth team manager Chris Wright is a bit prickly about the favourites' label as the Cockles have come unstuck before against Torquay.

"Three years ago we went down to Torquay as the cup holders and they beat us then," said Wright.

"It is all very well saying we are the favourites because we are in the division above, but this is cup rugby and it is all on the day.

"The last time we went there the game was transferred to a council pitch just up the road because the weather was bad – and the conditions were not much better there.

"We have had a lot of rain this week and I can see the conditions being a factor again.

"What we are looking forward to is a decent game of rugby that isn't three hours away on a coach, which is what almost every other Saturday is like for us.

"The cup is important to us and we have picked a strong squad we hope can win."

Torquay are starting to see some easing of their injury worries with centre Jimmy Hill and flanker Tom Havill back tomorrow.

With an important league game against Yatton only eight days away, Torquay aren't risking lock Andy Knight or stand-off Luke Bettesworth, who are nearly but not quite fit.

For the record, Torquay defeated Exmouth 21-18 the last time the sides met in the cup and went on to beat Paignton in the final. The Tics' try scorers that muddy afternoon were Jimmy Beardsmore (2) and Ben Passenger with Matt Jackson converting all three.

Derek Wamwala, Adam Hooper and Adam Wylie were the Exmouth scorers.