St Jacques Vikings back on the road

Friday 02 February 2024

St Jacques Vikings are in action after an enforced break.

Flight issues meant their scheduled home clash with Millbrook was postponed last week.

Tomorrow they travel to a US Portsmouth side that has won their last three matches and who sit one place below them in fourth, although the English side has played two more.

When the two sides faced off at Footes Lane in November the Vikings won 24-14 in an entertaining encounter.

"From our perspective, they are one of the best teams in the back we have played this season," said forward Barney Paul.

"They had a number of set moves that they executed well and had some speedy wingers. This week I think we need to make sure we are defensively strong, and I think we need to try and exploit them up front and create space for our own backs to try and run them ragged.

"Training this week has gone very well though, and if we can carry that through to Saturday I think we can definitely get the opportunity to secure another victory."

The Vikings are without several regular players as Raiders call-ups, injuries and unavailability have forced changes, but they have been able to recall several other recent absentees and still name a strong side.

Jack Webber and Tom Rihoy both return in the back row, whilst JP Phelan has been made available from the Guernsey Raiders in the front row again this week.

Angus MacCallum has impressed since moving to the island, the big second row will have an important job to bring added physicality this week, with both Tom Creed and Jacob Smith unavailable. He starts in the second row with Keiran Williamson.

Captain Matt Lomas plays at fly-half this week, whilst Will Creber and Ed Dueden make up the centres.

In the wide channels, Kieran Creber starts, along with Courtney Sargent, who will finally get to make his debut this weekend, after last week's postponement. Will Forbes-Lee has also shaken off some injury issues to return to the side for the first time since these two met last. He was man of the match on that occasion.

Among the replacements powerhouse player-coach Dan Brown returns, as does Chris Croft who has been sidelined through illness recently.

The match kicks off at 1pm on the English south coast.

St Jacques (1-15): Phelan, Paul, Bray, MacCallum, Williamson, Webber, Rihoy, M Smith; de Garis, Lomas (c), K Creber, W Creber, Duerden, Sargent, Forbes-Lee.

Replacements: Wallis, Brown, Croft.