Match Preview

We get our Sussex Division Two season underway today, with a trip to Newick. This fixture marks the start of our 40th Anniversary from when they we were formed in 1978, and we are hoping we can go one better than last season.

The black and yellows had an excellent last season where we won 15 of 18 league matches, and only narrowly missed out on promotion at the first attempt by three points. We begin the new season under a new head coach in Ray Smart, after Steve Melbourne switched his attentions to coaching the Guernsey Raiders forward pack this season. Smart is not unfamiliar to the Vikings players however as he was one of two assistant coaches last season, and led the side on many occasions in Steve Melbourne’s absence. A former Guernsey Rugby Club player, Smart has been involved with coaching locally for some time with both the Academy and local senior sides. Joining Smart’s coaching team are two former Academy Colts coaches, Matt Chammings who takes on his first senior coaching appointment & the experienced South African coach Niel de Kock. Both coaches have a vast rugby knowledge, and have worked with many of the players in the Vikings squad during their time at the Academy. The new coaching team has settled in quickly, and have been preparing the Vikings players for the season ahead since June. They have brought different ideas to training, but will be looking to build on a similar game plan to last season which saw the KGV side play some very attractive attacking rugby.

Several Vikings players from last season have moved up to the Raiders squad, and four of them were involved in the squad against Old Albanians last week. The Vikings have however already added several new faces to the squad, with more arriving in the coming weeks. At fly half an exciting new addition is Matt Lomas and whilst he has only recently started training with the squad he has looks a lively player in training. He will be handed the task of attempting to steer the Vikings ship on his debut in the absence of the experienced Alec Bailey, who is injured and Gearoid Lee who is unavailable.

The Vikings start their 40th season without their captain Leon Gardner, who is unavailable due to exams. James Mroch will start at hooker in his absence, with props David Anderson from the Raiders and Hugh Birley alongside him. As ever, the Smith brothers continue in the second row, and the back row is made up of Tom Rihoy, Brad Webb and Nico Ashplant at No 8 who moves from prop to cover due to unavailability. James Regnard is one of several big names missing from the Vikings forwards, which also includes Callum Murdoch for the foreseeable future due to an ongoing foot injury.

In the backs Vikings Chris Ahne plays at scrum half, partnering with Matt Lomas at flyhalf with Leon Collenette starts in the centres, forming a new partnership with Cashel Cahill, who was one of the biggest improvers for the Vikings last season. St Jacques stalwart Dave Horsecraft starts on the wing, Cameron Le Prevost, a former Academy Colt starts on the opposite wing making his full starting debut for the Vikings. A familiar face to also returns in the face of Tom Chammings, son of coach Matt. Chammings was a former standout player for us before heading off to university. It’s great to have Tom back amongst the ranks.

Newick are a very physical side, and will be tough opponents for the Vikings. The home side were one of only three sides to beat the Vikings last year, and bullied the visitors around the edge of the breakdown. We will need to step up to the challenge on Saturday if we are to come back with a win on the opening weekend. With up to 17 players unavailable for the trip, the Vikings have managed to produce a strong squad nonetheless and Ray Smart and his coaching team will be expecting a good performance.

1. D Anderson
2. J Mroch
3. H Birley
4. M Smith
5. J Smith
6. B Webb
7. T Rihoy
8. N Ashplant
9. C Ahne
10. M Lomas
11. D Horscraft
12. L Collenette
13. C Cahill
14. C Le Prevost
15. T Chammings

16. C Croft
17. R Le Cocq
18. J Le Noury