‘Lots of confidence in the camp’ - Reynolds
RAIDERS head off on one of their longest trips of the season to play their near-neighbours in the table with a strong side tomorrow.
They are heading to Bury St Edmunds, one place in eighth and three points above Guernsey in the table of National League Two East, for their penultimate game before the Christmas break.
After Saturday they have one final game left in the year, another away trip to face Barnes.
Director of rugby Jordan Reynolds is pleased to be taking a strong team with many regular faces
to Suffolk.
Raiders have been on a pretty good run in recent weeks, having lost just one of their last five games, and Reynolds would like to take at least one scalp in these next two fixtures.
Raiders have yet to meet Bury St Edmunds this season but the coach said he believed they would be a ‘pretty good side’.
‘We’re doing pretty well considering the injuries we’ve had and we’ve done really well against some of these better sides.
There’s a lot of confidence in the camp.’
Teenage winger Oscar Bailey keeps his place in the starting XV. Reynolds said his young charge had a ‘solid game’ on his full debut last week, though a colt starting at this level of rugby has been a rare thing over his time at the club, he said.
‘I think we’ve had only three in the past 10 years. Of course it’s a big jump to move up to Raiders, but we don’t just do it willy nilly, we put a lot of work into it over the years.
‘You identify the potential in these lads at say 14, 15 – Oscar was training with us last season and this season, and has got his opportunity, but it’s a huge amount of work for us behind that.’
Guernsey Raiders squad:
Steventon, Ceillam, Pinkney, Hillier, Webb, Matt Creber, Dom Rice, Horrocks, Simmonds, Davies, Boyland, McGann, Smith, Bailey, Armstrong. Replacements: Morgan, Bellingham, Culverhouse, Barnes, Batiste.
