SECOND ROW Morgan Johnson is the new face in Guernsey Ladies squad for their opening NC South East South 1 League game at Footes lane this Sunday lunchtime (1pm kick off) against Worthing Ladies, all part of a great weekend of rugby for the domestic fans.

The game comes just under 24 hours after the 1st XV, now known as the Guernsey Raiders, play their first home league game of the season against Chichester.

More on that and team news tomorrow, for now the focus is on Chris Griffiths' girls who were brilliant last season. But, as he explained, that success has caused a few problems.
"I think it is fair to say that due to the success of last season it took a little while for everyone to come down from the euphoria.
Winning promotion from the NC South East South 2 League at the first time of asking and also retaining the Siam Cup against Jersey for the fourth year in a row was an outstanding achievement from all the players. However, I think once the team were able to take a few weeks off it dawned on them just how much the season had taken out of them both mentally and physically and players generally returned to pre-season training in July in fits and starts."

Griffiths says there are still one or two players trying to come back from injuries sustained at the latter stages of last season, but they have retained most of the team and gained a few new players during pre-season, Johnson being one and she starts among the replacements.

"We have several goals this season, one is to try and finish in the top three of the SES1 League, recruit a minimum of five new players and of course retain the Siam Cup in Guernsey next May.
We haven't played many of the teams that will be in our league, with the exception of Jersey, so it will be very much a learning process the first time we play each of the teams, we can hopefully then make adjustments for when we face them in the rematches."

Squad:
1. Michaela Rabey
2. Sophie O� Connell
3. Heidi Mahy
4. Tanya Scholz
5. Emma Rayson
6. Ellie Whittles
7. Fiona Power
8. Kristine Vavere (c)
9. Justeen Baker
10. Jemma Crouse
11. Anneka Saunders
12. Hannah McLennan
13. Fiona Ashworth
14. Caitlin Bowie
15. Chelsie Blondel
Substitutes:
16. Sarah Woodington
17. Carly Parrot
18. Michelle Schofield
19. Morgan Johnson
22. Beth Gabriel.