IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN
It just wouldn’t be a proper rugby season without Jim Elliot featuring in a couple of games and three games before the end of the London & SE Premier campaign, the man they call 'Horse' is back.
The Guernsey Veteran, who keeps himself in good nick will be warming the bench as the Guernsey Raiders host Westcombe Park tomorrow at Footes Lane in their penultimate home game.
In other squad news, Malcolm Barnes has, we now have learnt, has broken his elbow. He might make Jersey but as far as league action goes, that’s probably him for the season. Worse still, Dan Hill is still sidelined with ankle ligament damage while Luke Jones, Luke Sayer and Sam Whitehead are also missing.
That means Anthony Armstrong will switch to fullback with Chris Ahne and Jason Batiste coming in on the wings.
‘Having Anthony at fullback seemed the logical choice and it’s something we having been looking to do anyway because he is a guy who we want to get the ball in his hands as much as possible,’ said coach Jordan Reynolds who warns that this is far from an easy game.
In fact, very far from it.
Westcombe may lie 11th but they are one of the form sides.
‘They have only lost two in their last seven and there are a lot of new faces in their team with guys feeding down from National One.
‘They should have beaten Barnes and they have beaten Hertford – that was a helluva result for them.
‘We have to be on our game. We need to be physical and we have to play to our game plan.’
The game kicks off at 2pm on Saturday at Footes Lane and will be followed by the RSBI Guernsey Rugby Academy Colts playing the visiting Uckfield Cots as part of the Sussex Colt Premier League. That game starts at 4pm on the Garenne Stand.
Raiders team:
Steventon, Ceillam, L.Batiste, Craine, Merrien, Hillier, Martin, Horrocks; K. Brown, Thomas, Ahne, Campbell, N. Brown, J. Batiste, Armstrong.
Replacements: Currie, Skovronek, Elliott.