Director of Rugby, Dai Burton, is looking forward to the challenge.
We’re taking a very strong squad and two useful sides,’ he said, before an extra training session last night, led by Leicester Tigers coaches.
‘We’ve a heavy pack in the 1st team but, as one or two of the forwards are carrying slight injuries, we need a strong bench; which we’ve also got.
None of the subs will be playing for our second team.
‘This time last year we won our first game against Old Midwhitgiftians but we’re a stronger and fitter team than this time last year and also mentally tougher.’ Although Burton doesn’t know what to expect (‘I know they’ve a new coach, and a lot of these London teams change each year depending on who happens to be in the area’), he is looking to his forwards to dominate and for his threes to ‘keep a tidy shop’.
He is also looking forward to seeing former Newport winger, Anthony Hurford, playing at centre while on the wing young Morgan Ryan deserves his place as he has ‘looked sharp and hungry in training’.
With two semi-professionals, Latu Maka’afi and Kern Yates in the back row, anything but a win, and a decent one at that, will be unacceptable to Burton as he looks for promotion at the end of the season.
‘We’ve not just got to win games this year, we’ve got to win them in style,’ he said.
‘We’re sending out a powerful side.
I’ll be telling them to go out there and enjoy themselves.’ 1st XV: Marcus Nobes, Peter O’Connor, Josh Chamier, Ian Henderson, Roger Quirk, Jon Allo, Kern Yates, Latu Maka’afi, Paul Nayar, Darren Toudic, Steve O’Brien, Mark White, Anthony Hurford, Ryan Morgan, Gareth Jeffreys.
Replacements: Richie Griffiths, Marc Peters, Ross Kenwright, Richard Stevens.
