St Jacques Vikings bring their Counties One Hampshire season to a close this Saturday afternoon with a home clash against New Milton, kicking off at 3:30pm on the Garenne Stand at Footes Lane.

With one fixture remaining, the Vikings know exactly what’s on the line — a bonus point victory could see them finish as high as fifth in the final league standings. It would be a fitting end to a season that has seen the side build steadily, growing in confidence and consistency.

This weekend’s fixture sees the Vikings welcome a New Milton side who beat them on the opening day of the season, but fortunes have changed since then. While New Milton have shown improvements in recent weeks, St Jacques have developed into a far more consistent and resilient unit, particularly at home, and will be determined to reverse the result from earlier in the year.

Team News

The Vikings are without Callum Gladstone and Jacob Smith, who both miss out through injury. However, there are a number of welcome returns and positional changes in the squad.

Ewan Wakeham returns to the starting lineup at scrum-half, linking up with captain Tom Veillard at fly-half. In the midfield, Lucas Barker is back in the centres after a month-long break, while in the back three, Marcus Whitfield earns a start on the wing, with Will Forbes-Lee moving to the bench after starring against Sandown & Shanklin.

In the pack, Mitchell Smith shifts into the second row to partner Keiran Williamson, forming a strong engine room. James Mroch moves back to hooker, and Jack Webber returns to the front row. Tom Yarwood also comes back into the side following his recent appearances for Guernsey Raiders. Luke Grigg makes his first appearance since January, recovering from an ankle injury picked up against Ellingham & Ringwood.

There’s a welcome return for Angus MacCallum, named on the bench for his first appearance since December. The second-rower adds important depth and physicality for the closing stages.

The match will also mark a special milestone for Corey Wallis, who will make his 50th appearance for the club at loosehead prop.

One Final Push

The Vikings were last in action two weeks ago, when they put in an excellent all-round performance to beat Sandown & Shanklin 35–26. That result, and the progress made over the second half of the season, has positioned St Jacques well heading into this final game.

Kick-off is at 3:30pm, following Guernsey Raiders Ladies’ fixture against East Grinstead at 2pm. The Academy under 16’s are also in action at 12:30pm on the Club Pitch

The Vikings are looking to close out the season with a strong performance — and a chance at a top-five finish, which seemed a million miles away only a month ago.