Rugby preview: Vikings want expansive game against fellow promoted side Basingstoke

Friday 08 November 2024

Several key players return to the St Jacques side this Saturday when fourth-placed Basingstoke visit.

After securing their first away win of the season two weeks ago against Portsmouth, Layton Batiste’s Vikings side are seeking to slay the dragons on their home turf for the second consecutive season.

Basingstoke were promoted along with the black-and-yellows to Counties One Hampshire this season, and they have had an excellent start.

They secured five victories from their opening seven fixtures, and only a heavy loss to the early runaway league leaders, Havant Seconds, in their last match has taken them outside the top three in the league.

While the Vikings have had a slower start to the season, they have improved significantly in recent games and Batiste believes his side are starting to make big strides forward.

"The performance against Portsmouth in our last game was one of the best this season. They were a physical side, but we fronted up and matched them and managed to grind out the win, which was hugely pleasing," he said.

"In training we have been working very hard, and our communication is starting to improve significantly, which is key if we want to execute our expansive game plans. If we can stretch these sides, then we will be much more effective on attack. Hopefully, we can show that this week."

Making his first appearance of the season is outside back, Gearoid Lee. He missed the start of the season due to training for and running the Dublin marathon, but he is now back focussing on rugby and starts on the wing.

The Vikings backs are further strengthened by the return of Luke Sayer and Taylor Quate.

Player-coach Sayer has played once already this season, where he starred against Bognor, scoring two tries. The former Guernsey Raiders regular brings a lot of big-game experience to the side and offers a significant attacking threat from full-back.

Another player that brings an X-factor to the Vikings back line is Quate. He has missed the last few games due to holidays and work commitments, but this week the club record try scorer is named on the wing.

Marshalling the forwards is a highly experienced scrum-half. Ben Holland has played once this season. He will partner with the club captain, flyhalf Tom Veillard.

In the pack, Tom Creed has overcome the injury he sustained in the loss to Ellingham & Ringwood to start on the blindside flank. He is an important player around the park and at the lineout for St Jacques.

Chris Croft has picked up man-of-the-match awards in his last two matches, he continues at no-8. Barnaby Paul comes into the side on the openside flank. He has played in multiple positions this season, but reverts to his more natural position in the back-row.

James Mroch has strung together a number of consecutive starts for the Vikings and he continues in the front-row at loose-head prop. Leon Gardner packs down at hooker, while tighthead prop Tom Bray returns after being named in the Raiders squad for the last fixture.

Two very experienced heads are in the replacements.

Cameron Craine was a regular front-row player for the Raiders for many seasons before retiring. He has however been convinced to come out of retirement to pull on a black-and-yellow shirt for the Vikings.

Forwards player-coach Dan Brown will likely make his first appearance of the season from the bench. He has played on a few occasions over the past few seasons and has proven himself to be an effective ball carrier. He will bring a big presence if he enters the fray.

Kick-off is 1pm on the club pitch at Footes Lane.

Vikings (1-15): Mroch, Gardner, Bray, Williamson, J Smith, Creed, Paul, Croft, Holland, Veillard (c), Lee, Barker, Lomas-Lloyd, Quate, Sayer. Replacements: Craine, Brown, Duerden