Everyone’s available, with the exception of Richard Stevens, and after last week’s win I’ve had a squad of 26 or 27 players to choose from.
‘I pretty much make the selection myself, although if I do need to talk I’ll sit down with Dai (Burton, Director of Rugby), which I did earlier this week.
‘But that’s my job as a professional.
As someone new to the Island, I can’t let personalities come into it.
Hendo’s a great guy, for example, but John Allo’s playing so well I can’t leave him out of the side while Toby Clyde-Smith is an impact player, so I need him on the bench.’
George rates the 6 ft 6i n 22-year-old as a player of real potential but, after ten wins in a row, he doesn’t want to shake up too much a winning formula.
Ian Henderson won’t have played his last match for Jersey, but George picks his team according to how they’re playing and dependent on the opposition.
And he sees, in Wimbledon, a rarity.
‘Most teams we play against rely on a heavy pack and fairly defensive threes.
From what I’ve read about them, they’re an exception.
Their strength isn’t in their forwards, it’s in their backline.
We’ve got a big pack out there, where we’d hope to take them on up front.
In terms of selection, I’ve made the decision and I’ll stick with it.
It’s a good side we’re sending out against Wimbledon.’
Steve O’Brien slots into Stevens’ position on the wing, with both James Cooper and Graham Bell returning after missing last week’s win against the Royal Artillery.
As for Wimbledon, they are currently eighth in the league with only three wins to their name but Jersey, in recent years, haven’t always played well away from home.
They also have a tendency to give away too many sloppy penalties, although George has, surely but slowly, put a stop to that and, last week in retaining the Wilkes’ trophy, their entire squad, rather than their starting 15, proved that if ever Jersey are going to get out of this division, it MUST be this year, not the next or another year after that.
They are a talented side and, as captain Kern Yates explained last weekend, his players are really loving their rugby this year.
And, oddly enough, the more they enjoy the game, the more they keep on winning.
Collins-Steward squad: Marcus Nobes, Peter O’Connor, Jon Brennan, John Allo, Talite Vaioleti, Latu Maka’afi, Kern Yates, Graham Bell, James Cooper, Jon Swift, Ryan Morgan, Keiaho Bloomfield, Sam Tuia, Steve O’Brien, Christian Weald.
Replacements: Jim Brimelow, Josh Chamier, Toby Clyde-Smith, Jim Milner.
