Raiders want to bring physicality into 2025

Guernsey got their National Two East season off to a flying start, winning seven of their first eight matches and losing the other by a single point away to leaders Tonbridge Juddians, but the last two months of 2024 were disrupted by the weather, with two matches postponed while they suffered three defeats on the road.

However, they still sit fifth in the table and welcome Havant to Footes Lane tomorrow, aiming to maintain their unbeaten home record.

‘With the group we had a good meeting on Tuesday and we talked about, on reflection, those last two games, our season, fears and concerns that we had moving into this part – and I think for everyone we were fairly upbeat,’ said Guernsey director of rugby Jordan Reynolds.

‘We understand that that month that we had off really did cause us a lot of problems, but we felt we should have won that game against Westcombe Park.

'We were just unlucky not to get the bounce of the ball.

‘But coming into this week, we’ve started making some slight changes to the way we’re attacking at the moment. With the conditions the way they are, we can’t play the natural Guernsey Raiders ball to width. So for us we’ve made a few adjustments and we’ve really put an onus on our physical battle.

‘Against Westcombe Park I thought we were excellent through the physical part and if we can get that right on Saturday, we give ourselves a real chance.

‘But I think the thing for us is, playing at home makes a huge difference to us. So far this season, we haven’t lost a game at home and we want to continue that kind of form going into the rest of the season, but we know we’ve got to face some big challenges and there’s no better one than facing Havant first up.’

Guernsey won 39-20 on the road when the two sides met in September, but they are taking nothing for granted in the return fixture.

‘Havant are a really tricky side, we found that when we went up there,’ Reynolds said.

‘We really only got probably on top of them in the last 10 minutes of the game, and that seems to be reflective of their season.

‘They’ve constantly been in the hunt until probably the last 10 minutes of a game and I think they’ve made some big strides this season and some big learnings. They’re a big enough side to cause a lot of problems for opposition.

‘We thought maybe we were a little bit complacent when we went to them last time, but actually, if you’re looking at their results, we’ve probably just got to give them a little bit more credit.

‘That’s the aim that we’ve been trying to do this week is understand them a little bit better and understand how we can make our learnings and push it forward into this week.’

Saturday's match kicks off at 2pm and is the second part of a Footes Lane double-header, with St Jacques Vikings hosting Gosport & Fareham on the Club Pitch at noon.

Raiders team

Steventon, Ceillam, Dromantas, Hillier, Hackett, Colbourne, Creber, Poullet, Boyland, Simmonds, Smith, Dawe, C McGann, Armstrong, Roberts. Replacements: Burger, Dunn, Webb, N McGann, Rutledge.