A Taylor made back-up

NERINE TRUST could have the unexpected, but very welcome boost of having Naomi Taylor in their ranks when they begin their National Clubs League campaign this weekend. The Guernsey champions, who are now in their second season in Division Seven, have been hit by injuries and unavailability for their opening double-header when they will face Roman Glass tomorrow and Just Ahead on Sunday.

But coach Gill Queripel revealed that Bath-based Taylor was eager to play for her Sarnian club rather than her local Toucans outfit in the NCL, although her England development coach might prefer her to play in a higher division for the good of her netball.

'It looks as if we might have Naomi with us,' said Queripel, who had previously been resigned to not having the 18-year-old Guern-sey GD available to her.

'She wants to play for us because she knows she would play every game, whereas if she plays for Toucans in Division Three, she would not play all their games, not with the players she would be up against there.'

Injuries have deprived Nerine of Kerrie Hussey (sprained wrist) and Tanya Gibson (bulging disc) for the trip to Bournemouth, while Heather Niles is work-tied.

Also missing from last season's squad is Nena Bourgaize, who is currently away travelling and will not be back until the new year.

That has meant that Queripel has turned to her young guns for this trip, with 15-year-olds Zola Bourgaize (Nena's sister) and Kerri Brown and Anais de Carteret, 16, all named in the squad.

'With Zola and Kerri through to Talent One now, they have got to go, if only to be on the bench,' said the coach. 'We have a team of youth and experience - it is a good mixture.'

Nerine lost to both this weekend's teams in their first campaign last season, but it means they have a good idea of what to expect.

'Roman Glass are a nice team, very quick, but we should not have lost to them. We lost the first quarter to them last year, won the rest of the game, but the damage had been done.

'Just Ahead are a very skilful side and their team is the whole of the East Hants county team.

'But we would like to start with two wins and we will go in thinking positively,' Queripel said.