Titanic battle awaits Raiders in Taunton

However, the Guernsey coach refuses to get too downbeat, even though one of his biggest – and most versatile – stars, Malcolm Barnes, is now among the long-term absentees after suffering a fractured cheekbone last week.

Also missing now is Dom Rice, who is undergoing planned knee surgery and will not be back until the new year.

Instead, Reynolds talked positively of getting Chris Ahne and Harry Baron back into the match-day squad for tomorrow’s trip to Taunton Titans and the return at fly-half of former captain Blair Campbell.

‘There are small marginal wins, but they are wins,’ Reynolds said.

‘We are getting guys back slowly, last week our scrum worked well and the catch-and-drive was good – we are looking at those things as little victories and trying to build on that.

‘We can only control what’s in front of us and another positive way to look at it is that a lot of guys are getting experience at National Two, some of whom we might not have expected to, and next year we will be all the stronger for that.’

Campbell was in action for Vikings last week and takes over the No. 10 shirt from the unfortunate Barnes.

‘Hopefully he can settle down quickly into the role,’ said the coach.

‘He has not played a huge amount of rugby this season, but he has played a huge amount of rugby in general.

‘The hardest part for us is that’s it’s yet another new fly-half – after Elia [Morisio], Henry [Greenhalgh] and Malcolm, the fourth starting there this season already and it does unsettle things, but with BC’s experience he will understand how we are trying to play and look to control the areas we need to.’

Last week’s performance in the narrow 17-10 defeat to high-flying Henley Hawks and the willingness his side are showing to keep grafting for 80 minutes has given Reynolds reason for optimism heading into the second half of the season.

‘We have kept going until the 80th minute and, with all the stuff that’s going on [injury-wise], that’s the most important thing. As soon as heads start to drop, we are stuffed.

‘We have to keep remaining positive and work on the performances that are there.

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‘It’s sport – you cannot win all the time, but we still enjoy the game we are playing and that’s why we are turning up each week for training and matches.’

Titans are one place below Hawks in the National Two South table, having won nine of their 14 games.

They go into the game off back-to-back wins, having endured a win-less November.

‘Taunton look like they are a good side with some powerful ball-carriers – it’s another tough challenge,’ Reynolds said.

‘Henley Hawks were one of the best sides we have played and I don’t think there’s going to be much difference between these sides, but it’s always tougher when you are playing away.’

Guernsey team

Sam Steventon, Tom Ceillam, Layton Batiste, Lewis Hillier, Nick Merrien, Matt Thomas, Matt Creber, Doug Horrocks, Owen Clemett, Blair Campbell, Chris Ahne, Elia Morisio, Luke Jones, Daley Aremu, Anthony Armstrong. Replacements: Dave Anderson, Harry Baron, George Shannon, Nico Alexandre, Callum Gladstone.