The two sides have virtually identical records after four rounds in National Two East, with both having lost their first three fixtures before winning a thriller last weekend. Guernsey scored with the last play of the game to overcome Oundle 24-21 at Footes Lane while Quins edged out London Welsh 24-22 on the same afternoon.
‘Last week was obviously a big confidence booster for us,’ said Raiders head coach Jordan Reynolds.
‘Going into the Oundle game we had talked about trying to find some courage in certain areas of our performance and for the players to clinch that win in extra-time, for us as coaches it was great to be a part of that and to see the players rise to the occasion was fantastic.
‘We have to try and back that up this week and we have discussed how important it is for us to follow up a good performance, but it is not going to be easy. Oxford is a long trip away for us and the elements are going to make it difficult, too, because the weather does not look great.
‘We will be looking to be strong in the set-piece and grind it out, regardless of the weather. Making sure we do the basics right again.’
He added that the home side will be buoyed by their excellent result on the road a week ago.
‘The results Quins have had underlines how strong this league is this season,’ Reynolds said.
‘They lost on the very last play to Bury St Edmunds, who are always very strong, having been leading for the entire game, then last week they went down to London Welsh and beat them there, which is going to be a tough ask for any team, so it shows Quins are a quality side.
‘Last season there were one or two teams who you felt you would have the edge on and go into those game confident of victory, but this year the league is so strong that every team is very good on their day.’
Having come off the bench to score the late winning try last week, Tom Ceillam is set to start in the front row with Michael Cantle having returned from injury to be named among the replacements.
The Armstrong brothers, Matt and Anthony, are set to start a Raiders game alongside each other for the first time in over three years.
Tom Teasdale, who also came off the bench last week after a long spell on the sidelines, will partner Matt in midfield.
Provisional Raiders team
Steventon, Ceillam, Dromantas, Wilkinson, Webb, Creber, Rice, Poullet, Rutledge, Simmonds, Smith, Teasdale, M Armstrong, A Armstrong, Roberts.
Replacements: Cantle, Currie/Dunn, Welch, Boyland, Mahy.
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