The message from the St Jacques coaching team this weekend is clear: no pressure. The Vikings face their toughest test of the season as newly crowned Counties 1 Hampshire champions, Havant Dolphins, visit Footes Lane.

The match will be a special occasion for Jacob Smith, who makes his 100th appearance for the club, following in the footsteps of his brother Mitchell, who reached the same milestone just two games ago.

Fresh from back-to-back victories, St Jacques will look to continue their strong run of form against the league’s standout side. Havant have been dominant all season, most recently securing the title with a 69-5 victory over Sandown & Shanklin last weekend.

Despite the challenge ahead, head coach Layton Batiste and his coaching team are focused purely on performance rather than results as the season enters its final stretch.

Batiste: “No Pressure on the Result”

Batiste has been highly impressed with recent performances, particularly last week’s hard-fought victory over Trojans.

“That was some of the best rugby we have played this season, especially defensively. The way we kept Trojans out at the end, even when the game was already won, showed the attitude of this group of players.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s test against Havant, he added:

“We are putting no pressure on the result. Our only focus is on continuing to build on our performance, and if we can get something out of the game, that will be a bonus.”

Tom Creed remains sidelined after injuring his hamstring in the warm-up last weekend. Keiran Williamson, who stepped in from the bench, keeps his place in an otherwise unchanged starting XV. This is the first time this season that Batiste has been able to field the same lineup in consecutive games, a consistency he hopes will allow his side to replicate last week’s strong performance.

On his 100th appearance, Jacob Smith continues at No. 8. He has been in devastating form, scoring a hat-trick last weekend, and will play a key role in generating front-foot ball for the Vikings.

Tom Yarwood was another standout performer against Trojans, scoring an excellent try and making crucial defensive interventions. He will have another vital job this week at openside flanker as he looks to disrupt Havant’s attack.

The Vikings’ set-piece functioned well last weekend and will need to remain strong to provide a platform against a powerful Havant pack.

Ewan Wakeham, who has firmly established himself as first-choice scrum-half, continues to grow with every game. If he can control the tempo as he did against Trojans, he will help put pressure on the visitors.

Out wide, Taylor Quate and Cameron Le Prevost will be tasked with shutting down Havant’s potent backline. Defensive organisation in this area has been a key focus in training, and this game will provide the biggest test yet.

Among the replacements, Luke Sayer is included again after making a big impact last weekend, scoring and setting up another try in his cameo appearance. His experience could prove crucial once again.

Exciting young talent Tom Judd is also named on the bench, alongside Pierce de Carteret, who provides front-row cover.

While the Vikings are under no expectations to beat the league champions, this match presents an opportunity to test themselves against the best and potentially secure valuable points.

Kick-off is at 1:30pm on the club pitch at Footes Lane.

Guernsey Raiders Ladies are also in action beforehand on the Garenne Stand at 12:30pm, while the Raiders men round off the day with their match against Henley at 3pm.