COME ON THE GIRLS!!
Griffiths names squad for side’s biggest ever game.
EIGHTY minutes, one more win, one big party.
Our gallant girls stand on the brink of a momentous title triumph and the hope is that the Garenne Stand will be as busy as a Raiders game on a Saturday afternoon to see them over the finish line.
Coach Chris Griffiths cerrtainly hopes so.
‘It would be great to get a really good home crowd down to create a positive atmosphere for the Guernsey players to thrive off, but maybe more than anything it is a chance for us to surprise those who have never watched ladies rugby before so they can see just how far the ladies game has come over the last few years.
‘The bar will be open and food will be available and Rocky will be making an appearance so it will be a great afternoon for family and friends to come down and enjoy what we hope will be a memorable occasion.’
The good news is that Griffiths is able to name a strong side, but just as important is the mental approach.
‘Our approach to this game has been one of calm focus,’ he said after naming his squad.
‘It would be easy to get carried away with the sense of occasion with the league title at our mercy. There is a palpable sense of hype and a level of attention that the players may not be used to surrounding this game, but we are all doing our utmost to ensure that we simply concentrate on the task at hand, focus on who we are playing and make sure that we play our game and not the occasion.
‘We will certainly not be taking Worthing lightly on Sunday as we know form last season how dangerous they can be and I hope we have learnt our lessons from then that we have to play right to the end of the game and never take our eye of the ball, literally and figuratively.
‘Getting off to a good start will also be important, so we will be going at them right from the first whistle.’
Way back in September we beat Worthing 57-7 at their place but the UK side certainly appear to have improved throughout the season, having struggled a bit for player numbers this year which probably explains their current league position compared to where they at this point were last season.
Guernsey squad:
1. Michaela Rabey
2. Sophie O'Connell
3. Heidi Mahy
4. Kristine Vavere
5. Ellie Whittles
6. Tanya Scholtz
7. Fiona Power
8. Eleanor Woodward
9. Jemma Crouse (C)
10. Fiona Ashworth
11. Michelle Schofield
12. Hannah McLennan
13. Chelsie Blondel
14. Jillian Smith
15. Vicki Rang
Replacements
16. Aiga Vecmane
17. Janelly Le Maitre
18. Fiona Drape
19. Aimee Gaudion