Back-to-back away games form the opening course on the league menu for Jersey RFC as they sample life in Regional 1 South Central.
After coming back from the Kent/Sussex border with five points from their opener against Tunbridge Wells, Myles Landick’s side will set their sights on west London, and a first-ever meeting with Hammersmith & Fulham.
The ‘Hammers’ were promoted to R1SC in 2023 as champions of Regional 2 Thames, and finished 10th last season with a record of six wins and 16 defeats. The most recent of those victories was in mid-January, so the club were delighted to have started this season with a win on the road. Hosts Brighton scored a last-minute converted try to narrow the gap to a single point, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 14-15 win for the Hammers in a game chronicled in detail on their website.
Although pleased with his team’s start to the season, Landick was the last person to get carried away after just one game.
“We’ve got to back up that result, and I think the first 20 minutes will be crucial this weekend,” he said. “We need to come out firing, but also to be clinical – if the game gets scrappy then that’s when I sense Hammersmith will look to take advantage.”
Three players are missing from last week’s starting XV, with fly-half Scott Van Breda suffering a broken finger while scrum-half Max Harrington and prop Huw Owen are also unavailable.
Dan Barnes moves across from midfield to wear the number 10 shirt and partner Liam Rhodes at half-back, while Dylan Stocks slots in at centre and Joe Ridgway packs down at loose-head. The bench is also strengthened by the return of Jack Macfarlane, who could feature in either the front or back rows of the scrum once he is introduced.
Landick said: “When players are unavailable that brings opportunities for others, and I’d want to be introducing a few players at a time, giving them game-time and the chance to impress, rather than having to make lots and lots of changes.
“Dan has played a little bit at fly-half in the past, and Liam brings lots of experience, while it’ll be good to see Dylan and Joe showing us what they can do.
“Jack wasn’t available last week, so he’ll be coming off the bench, and it’s a nice position to be in with a player of that calibre waiting on the sideline.”
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Mark Boarer; Bevan Biggs, Dylan Stocks, Nathan Rogers (capt), Tom Bulfin; Dan Barnes, Liam Rhodes; Joe Ridgway, Gene Syminton, Tom Wilson, Euan Spencer, Cameron Keys, Jerry Sexton, Tom Tilstone, George Willmott. Replacements: Jake Bates, Jack Macfarlane, Jacques de la Bat.
JRFC Women start their league season in National Championship 1 South-East (South) this weekend, travelling to Pulborough on Sunday for a game kicking off at 2pm.
Both Jersey sides will then be looking forward to home openers at CoinShares Park next weekend, with the men taking on Brighton at 3pm on Saturday September 21st and the women hosting Tonbridge Juddians the following day at 11am. The men’s team then entertain Bracknell the following Saturday, with a slightly earlier KO of 2.15pm.
Further to last week’s preview, it was stated that JRFC hadn’t previously played a competitive match against Tunbridge Wells, when in fact the two clubs were in London 2 South between 2006 and 2008 – sorry about that!
And we also mentioned that JRFC stalwart Tim Corson was absent due to imminent family-enlargement: pleased to follow up with news that Tim and Kerrie welcomed baby daughter Nyla to the world earlier this week – congrats you three!
After coming back from the Kent/Sussex border with five points from their opener against Tunbridge Wells, Myles Landick’s side will set their sights on west London, and a first-ever meeting with Hammersmith & Fulham.
The ‘Hammers’ were promoted to R1SC in 2023 as champions of Regional 2 Thames, and finished 10th last season with a record of six wins and 16 defeats. The most recent of those victories was in mid-January, so the club were delighted to have started this season with a win on the road. Hosts Brighton scored a last-minute converted try to narrow the gap to a single point, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 14-15 win for the Hammers in a game chronicled in detail on their website.
Although pleased with his team’s start to the season, Landick was the last person to get carried away after just one game.
“We’ve got to back up that result, and I think the first 20 minutes will be crucial this weekend,” he said. “We need to come out firing, but also to be clinical – if the game gets scrappy then that’s when I sense Hammersmith will look to take advantage.”
Three players are missing from last week’s starting XV, with fly-half Scott Van Breda suffering a broken finger while scrum-half Max Harrington and prop Huw Owen are also unavailable.
Dan Barnes moves across from midfield to wear the number 10 shirt and partner Liam Rhodes at half-back, while Dylan Stocks slots in at centre and Joe Ridgway packs down at loose-head. The bench is also strengthened by the return of Jack Macfarlane, who could feature in either the front or back rows of the scrum once he is introduced.
Landick said: “When players are unavailable that brings opportunities for others, and I’d want to be introducing a few players at a time, giving them game-time and the chance to impress, rather than having to make lots and lots of changes.
“Dan has played a little bit at fly-half in the past, and Liam brings lots of experience, while it’ll be good to see Dylan and Joe showing us what they can do.
“Jack wasn’t available last week, so he’ll be coming off the bench, and it’s a nice position to be in with a player of that calibre waiting on the sideline.”
JRFC (15-9, 1-8): Mark Boarer; Bevan Biggs, Dylan Stocks, Nathan Rogers (capt), Tom Bulfin; Dan Barnes, Liam Rhodes; Joe Ridgway, Gene Syminton, Tom Wilson, Euan Spencer, Cameron Keys, Jerry Sexton, Tom Tilstone, George Willmott. Replacements: Jake Bates, Jack Macfarlane, Jacques de la Bat.
JRFC Women start their league season in National Championship 1 South-East (South) this weekend, travelling to Pulborough on Sunday for a game kicking off at 2pm.
Both Jersey sides will then be looking forward to home openers at CoinShares Park next weekend, with the men taking on Brighton at 3pm on Saturday September 21st and the women hosting Tonbridge Juddians the following day at 11am. The men’s team then entertain Bracknell the following Saturday, with a slightly earlier KO of 2.15pm.
Further to last week’s preview, it was stated that JRFC hadn’t previously played a competitive match against Tunbridge Wells, when in fact the two clubs were in London 2 South between 2006 and 2008 – sorry about that!
And we also mentioned that JRFC stalwart Tim Corson was absent due to imminent family-enlargement: pleased to follow up with news that Tim and Kerrie welcomed baby daughter Nyla to the world earlier this week – congrats you three!
